Ficus Natalensis Cut Back. Hard Pruning

[Youngling]

This is mostly a reference to myself and others in my area that have wondered when to hard prune native ficus.
I have always been unsure when to cut back leggy ficus, when buds just appear mid spring-ish or, after first flush.
This Natalensis was allowed to flush out completely then cut back to bare branches (mostly) on 16 Jan 2025.

 

[Youngling]

16 January 2025

 

[Youngling]

10 February 2025

It produced a massive amounts of buds so unwanted buds were scraped of with a blade.

 

[Youngling]

 

[Youngling]

I have had good results cutting when buds appear in spring but seems to mostly produce very aggressive growth. So that approach is probably better in the early stages when growing out the structure.
My Burtt Davyi figs seem not to be bothered at all with multiple hard prunes, in spring and summer. Even repotting at the same time. On vigorous trees that is.
Natalensis seems slow to respond when over pruned. They love wire though and a good bending/wiring tends to stimulate buds along bare branches.
So after growth hardens and there is some substance to the new branches it's a good idea to wire.
My experience atleast.

 

[Snorlax99]

I've found summer to be the best time to do big cuts. Mid December to mid February in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Western Cape you can defoliate 3 even 4 times a season if your fig is healthy.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I think it depends on climate/location. For my ficus...or tropical that's summertime work. I'm also a northerner in the USA.

Love Natalensis Ficus. I've one that used to be Jerry Meislik's. It's a wonderful cultivar.

 

[Youngling]

I think it depends on climate/location. For my ficus...or tropical that's summertime work. I'm also a northerner in the USA.

Love Natalensis Ficus. I've one that used to be Jerry Meislik's. It's a wonderful cultivar.

It's pretty cool seeing more people outside SA appreciating our Ficus. Even Nigel up in Canada of all places. Sweet. Would love to see your Natalensis, care to post pic/link?
I love them for the roots, can basically train and shape the air roots like you would branches. These ones of mine have rather big leaves though and don't reduce much. Would do better as quite big Bonsai.
There are small leaf varieties out there. Still looking.

 

[Youngling]

I've found summer to be the best time to do big cuts. Mid December to mid February in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Western Cape you can defoliate 3 even 4 times a season if your fig is healthy.

Yea like i said, been pretty unsure as to when to cut back to nothing. Don't know why really. Just always scares me, and i've seen similar attitude from other newer growers, just thought i'd put up an example, my experience. Everything will be fine. CUT. It will grow back! lol.

 

[Cadillactaste]

It's pretty cool seeing more people outside SA appreciating our Ficus. Even Nigel up in Canada of all places. Sweet. Would love to see your Natalensis, care to post pic/link?
I love them for the roots, can basically train and shape the air roots like you would branches. These ones of mine have rather big leaves though and don't reduce much. Would do better as quite big Bonsai.
There are small leaf varieties out there. Still looking.

Can you open the direct link to my Instagram. If so you can see video footage of it. It is a wee tree... but I show it at different perspectives and angles...may be a small leaf variety possibly. I don't really defoliate it, as the leaves are small. I prune it back instead.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

An image incase you can't open the link. I enjoy a small collection of tropical.I don't use grow tents. I do what I like to call open air. Where I can see them when they come inside for winter months.

 

[penumbra]

I think it depends on climate/location. For my ficus...or tropical that's summertime work. I'm also a northerner in the USA.

Love Natalensis Ficus. I've one that used to be Jerry Meislik's. It's a wonderful cultivar.

I also have one that was Jerry's. And yes summertime is my preferred time for chopping / heavy pruning on all my ficus.

 

[Youngling]

Can you open the direct link to my Instagram. If so you can see video footage of it. It is a wee tree... but I show it at different perspectives and angles...may be a small leaf variety possibly. I don't really defoliate it, as the leaves are small. I prune it back instead.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

An image incase you can't open the link. I enjoy a small collection of tropical.I don't use grow tents. I do what I like to call open air. Where I can see them when they come inside for winter months.
View attachment 582972
View attachment 582971

Wow thanks for sharing. Yes i can view the vid but no account. That is a trunk and a half, for a second I could swear there was a live snake under the canopy.
Hard to say whether small leaved, think it might just be your pruning practise. I will have to prune mine more often during the growing season. Though the ones in Western Cape are known to not reduce as well. The Northerners here have better results with Natalensis subspecies or varieties.

 

[RaginCajun]

Thanks for sharing. Weigerts has some really cool ficus natalensis fusion projects for sale and I’ve been thinking about buying one.. I see massive natural examples in the wilds of Uganda every time I go. Without the ficus natalensis the people there would have never made it. They made cloth out of the bark of ficus natalensis for bags, clothes, hats, you name it.. “bark cloth” this shirt is made from bark cloth, made in Uganda.

 

[Youngling]

Thanks for sharing. Weigerts has some really cool ficus natalensis fusion projects for sale and I’ve been thinking about buying one.. I see massive natural examples in the wilds of Uganda every time I go. Without the ficus natalensis the people there would have never made it. They made cloth out of the bark of ficus natalensis for bags, clothes, hats, you name it.. “bark cloth” this shirt is made from bark cloth, made in Uganda.

Holy Shmokes thats bark? Never would have guessed if i had seen that and no one mentioned. Crazy. Wonder how they figured that out.

 

[Youngling]

I think Natalensis would be pretty darn happy in Louisiana. Go for it. Fusions can be pretty convincing real quick, especially when you get the vertical aerial roots mixed in there.
I have one that started as 4 or 5 trunks, can barely tell anymore where one starts and the other begins. Will post a pic as soon as i get time to take a proper one.

 

[Youngling]

Wait heres some but not the best background, can see the trunk though. Still working the branches, going for a spreading dome type canopy:

 

[Youngling]