Help with a plan for these ficus saplings of varying species.

[CatInATree]

Hello!

I found these 3 ficus'. A ficus obliqua, ficus virens and a ficus natalensis, all saplings and I am planning on picking them up for my collection. What are some advice for these ficus' when grown from a sapling stage? How should I go about thickening the trunk? Any advice is appreciated, I was hoping to get a big trunked ficus tree with lots of roots in the future.
Thanks

Ficus Virens:


Ficus Obliqua:


Ficus Natalensis:

 

[BrianBay9]

Let them grow wild, unpruned. Gradually up pot them as they get bigger. Give them as much light, heat and humidity as you can in your circumstance. Fertilize regularly. Once the trunk gets to the thickness you want, then you can make choices and prune hard. No magic here. You just have lots of growing to do.

 

[Lorax7]

Let them grow wild, unpruned. Gradually up pot them as they get bigger. Give them as much light, heat and humidity as you can in your circumstance. Fertilize regularly. Once the trunk gets to the thickness you want, then you can make choices and prune hard. No magic here. You just have lots of growing to do.

I would add: wire them while they’re still young and bendy. Much easier to do it when they’re thin and flexible than to try to do it later.

 

[CatInATree]

I would add: wire them while they’re still young and bendy. Much easier to do it when they’re thin and flexible than to try to do it later.

Okey, thanks. Will the wiring stunt the growth of trunk thickness?

 

[Lorax7]

Okey, thanks. Will the wiring stunt the growth of trunk thickness?

No. Ficus are fast growers, though, so you’ll want to keep an eye on it and remove the wire once the tree has grown enough that the wire is starting to bite into the bark. At that point, the bends should be set so the branches will retain the shape you gave them.