How to encourage lower branching on ficus?

[Srt8madness]

I have a couple ficus I've been working on. One (skinnier) I chopped back pretty hard maybe 6 weeks ago. You can see the chop mark. I removed probably 80% of foliage. I was hoping it would pop buds lower, but instead it has vigorously pushed top growth from the leader that remained. It did pop a single bud down low but not in the best spot.

What's the best way to encourage lower buds? I don't plan on making this a huge tree, so I think I should get the eventual lowest branch or two to pop, even if they grow relatively weak for the time being.

Should I prune the top hard to encourage lower growth? Or should I treat this like a deciduous tree, and grow it out until my lowest section is at size, then chop right above where I want a branch, then select a branch and new leader from the new growth that pops? I know ficus can handle being defoliated, is it common practice to chop leaving no foliage?

Same question for tree #2, my mallsai ficus. I'd like to chop just above the lowest growth, but I anticipate I'd have the same result.

(Yes I know not to hold a tree like that, but it's wired in and I didn't want to fight the spiders living under the rim).

 

[Shibui]

Most trees are apical dominant. This means they grow most at the top and less down low. They have all evolved needing strategies to beat all others to get nutrients and light so every tree thinks it is in a race to become the tallest tree in the forest, even when there's no forest any more. To do this, all available resources go into the highest point and only just enough to maintain lower emergency shoots. In order to change the tree's priorities we need to shock it by removing much of the preferred upper branches.

Most ficus can cope with severe pruning. When you do chop hard, also chop the remaining branches back, otherwise the tree just diverts resources to growing the next highest points.
I assume you chopped the amin trunk where the scar is and left the branch largely untouched? You would probably get a better result by also cutting the branch hard at the same time. There may still be enough growing season in Tx to do another chop now but you can also let it regain strength this summer and chop again next (late) spring to try for low buds again.

Most ficus can be chopped to bare wood, some right to the ground and still sprout new shoots. Ficus benjamina (weeping fig) is one that has a reputation for NOT always growing after hard prune so it pays to know what species you have before making really hard chops.
Also note that a healthy ficus will always respond better to any pruning so only chop trees that are strong and healthy.

What would be the aim of chopping the second trunk? Much shorter trunk and hope for the best or do you have some plan?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

What is the style you are wanting to achieve, spreading broad canopy banyan look, or something more upright and broom look?

 

[Srt8madness]

Most trees are apical dominant. This means they grow most at the top and less down low. They have all evolved needing strategies to beat all others to get nutrients and light so every tree thinks it is in a race to become the tallest tree in the forest, even when there's no forest any more. To do this, all available resources go into the highest point and only just enough to maintain lower emergency shoots. In order to change the tree's priorities we need to shock it by removing much of the preferred upper branches.

Most ficus can cope with severe pruning. When you do chop hard, also chop the remaining branches back, otherwise the tree just diverts resources to growing the next highest points.
I assume you chopped the amin trunk where the scar is and left the branch largely untouched? You would probably get a better result by also cutting the branch hard at the same time. There may still be enough growing season in Tx to do another chop now but you can also let it regain strength this summer and chop again next (late) spring to try for low buds again.

Most ficus can be chopped to bare wood, some right to the ground and still sprout new shoots. Ficus benjamina (weeping fig) is one that has a reputation for NOT always growing after hard prune so it pays to know what species you have before making really hard chops.
Also note that a healthy ficus will always respond better to any pruning so only chop trees that are strong and healthy.

What would be the aim of chopping the second trunk? Much shorter trunk and hope for the best or do you have some plan?

The second branch wasn't much to speak of when I chopped iirc, of course this is why pictures before/after major work is helpful.

As for the second trunk, thought process for a chop would be
-Compress overall height. It's a mallsai but if I can eliminate the S bend, rebuild canopy, and get some lower branching, I'd be happy with the tree.
Let's say I didn't chop it, the branching seems awfully high. I'd like a branch on the outside of that first bend, I'm not sure how else to get it.

 

[Srt8madness]

What is the style you are wanting to achieve, spreading broad canopy banyan look, or something more upright and broom look?

For the skinny one, more upright and broom look. Heck I'd be fine with some pads and decent apex.