Yet another Ficus....

[Redwood Ryan]

Why did you cut the leader? Seems to me that it would be best to let the leader grow unchecked to smooth the transition above the chop. I would also wire the leader or trim it back to a bud that will bring it back vertical to continue the current trunk-line. Also I agree with the previous poster who suggested trimming the upward growth on the first branch on the left. That branch needs to grow at about the same rate/proportion (slightly slower actually) as the new bud you choose on the right, which will end up as your primary (thickest) branch. You may have a different vision for the tree completely, and in that case just ignore me, but those are the thoughts I had when I read through this thread. Thanks.

Ross

I really just trimmed it back because it was getting too tall for where it was. I will definitely trim that branch on the left and allow the bud on the right to get all the energy though.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Just an update so I can track how it's growing where I've got it:

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Hard to believe how much it's grown in just a week...

 

[KennedyMarx]

Nice aerial roots you've got going. Are you going to keep those?

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Nice aerial roots you've got going. Are you going to keep those?

Thanks. I may let them harden off and start growing, then graft them into the thicker roots, or fuse them, or do something involving the base with them.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Here's this tree after a brief trimming today:

 

[linlaoboo]

what happened to the arial roots?

 

[Redwood Ryan]

what happened to the arial roots?

I actually ended up removing them, as a nasty bump was beginning to form there. That branch is too thick in comparison with the ones on the right anyway, so I don't need anything accelerating its growth.

 

[nathanbs]

May I ask why do you prune the skinny branches that clearly have some catching up to do instead of just letting them run out and thicken up? Same question goes for your apex.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

May I ask why do you prune the skinny branches that clearly have some catching up to do instead of just letting them run out and thicken up? Same question goes for your apex.

I cut them back to get more buds to sprout on them, then let those buds grow out and thicken. It's what was suggested to me a while back and is how I normally go about it.

 

[ericN]

etting them run out and thicken up

That's what I would do. Cutting small branches that needs thickening just slows the process considerably.

Ryan loves to use his scissors a LOT! LOL

Hope that helps
Eric

 

[Redwood Ryan]

That's what I would do. Cutting small branches that needs thickening just slows the process considerably.

Ryan loves to use his scissors a LOT! LOL

Hope that helps
Eric

LOL yeah, right

I talked to the Meehans about this topic, and Mrs. Meehan actually recommended I cut back the growth to allow for more shoots, then let those grow, so that's where I'm getting it from.

 

[bradisarobot]

"Mrs. Meehan actually recommended..."

Oh what does Martha know, lol. ;-)

 

[Redwood Ryan]

"Mrs. Meehan actually recommended..."

Oh what does Martha know, lol. ;-)

LOL well figuring they've grown all their stock, I thought she'd know a thing or two. Maybe not....

 

[nathanbs]

I cut them back to get more buds to sprout on them, then let those buds grow out and thicken. It's what was suggested to me a while back and is how I normally go about it.

I may be mistaken but Im pretty certain its been proven and I definitely see it first hand in my trees growing in the field that the fastest way to thicken any branch/trunk is to let it grow unrestrained. When it gets near the desired thickness you cut it back, and this will cause back budding that will become your future branches. Remember to wire these branches for movement before they get too thick.
The way you are doing it will work in the end but will definitely take longer without any added benefits

 

[bradisarobot]

" I thought she'd know a thing or two. Maybe not...."

I was being sarcastic of course. She's really awesome and super nice, very generous with her knowledge. My daughter (who is 9 now) has had some really nice exchanges with her over the past few years - at a club meeting, and out at the nursery. She was really patient with my daughter's questions and gave really thoughtful answers. It meant a lot to me, and speaks a lot about her!

As to this particular issue, I don't know one way or another but nathanbs's point seems to make sense. It would be interesting to hear how she would respond.

 

[thams]

She is an extremely nice and giving person - every interaction I've had with her has been awesome!

I've heard her give similar advice as what Ryan mentioned, but in a slightly different context. I asked her how she developed her two really fat-based olives from an originally much smaller root base. She said that she kept the branches trimmed to a relatively cone shaped style. In doing so, the base swelled to accomodate the foliage sprouting from the branches attached to the base. So in turn the base swelled all the way around instead of concentrating growth at the apex. It's difficult to explain without showing the trees' structures.

I can't speak to what she's said about thickening of branches, but it makes sense in the context of her olives for what she was trying to accomplish.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

I may be mistaken but Im pretty certain its been proven and I definitely see it first hand in my trees growing in the field that the fastest way to thicken any branch/trunk is to let it grow unrestrained. When it gets near the desired thickness you cut it back, and this will cause back budding that will become your future branches. Remember to wire these branches for movement before they get too thick.
The way you are doing it will work in the end but will definitely take longer without any added benefits

That's what I always thought too, but, as I said, when I asked her which way would work out better she suggested this way. So that's why this happened.

" I thought she'd know a thing or two. Maybe not...."

I was being sarcastic of course. She's really awesome and super nice, very generous with her knowledge. My daughter (who is 9 now) has had some really nice exchanges with her over the past few years - at a club meeting, and out at the nursery. She was really patient with my daughter's questions and gave really thoughtful answers. It meant a lot to me, and speaks a lot about her!

As to this particular issue, I don't know one way or another but nathanbs's point seems to make sense. It would be interesting to hear how she would respond.

Oh I know, I was too

She's a great person and always gives fair prices when her husband isn't around

She is an extremely nice and giving person - every interaction I've had with her has been awesome!

I've heard her give similar advice as what Ryan mentioned, but in a slightly different context. I asked her how she developed her two really fat-based olives from an originally much smaller root base. She said that she kept the branches trimmed to a relatively cone shaped style. In doing so, the base swelled to accomodate the foliage sprouting from the branches attached to the base. So in turn the base swelled all the way around instead of concentrating growth at the apex. It's difficult to explain without showing the trees' structures.

I can't speak to what she's said about thickening of branches, but it makes sense in the context of her olives for what she was trying to accomplish.

That's what I'm thinking too. Either way it's no big deal, it will still accomplish the same thing.

 

[bradisarobot]

Well, and this was advice for a ficus... maybe it accounts for a specific quirk of ficus growth that defies what you would normally expect to do on other species.

Tropicals are weird. Ficus can be weird. And she does seem to be pretty familiar with tropicals, so maybe this was species-specific advice?

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Anyone ever thread grafted Ficus? I'm considering thread grafting cuttings through the thick roots of this guy, but I've never thread grafted before so I want to read up a bit.