Hello everyone, I’m new to the page and have had my ficus bonsai for about two years now. There was a time a little over a year ago where the tree did not like where I was living and started to die and lost all leaves. Since then it has grown very strong and is always sprouting new leaves. But I can not seem to get leaves to grow in the lower portions of it and I prune all the new stuff with hopes it will start sprouting lower at no prevail. It is an indoor plant and is grown under a light. Please any help would be great! Thank you I’m advance.
Promoting lower growth help
- Thread starter Gavin1274
- Start date
Gustavo Martins
Omono
Let grow well, fertilize well and plenty of light. Then, by mid summer, chop it back hard.
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
You are dealing with the universal propensity of plants to grow from the parts closest to the mother of all growth: sunlight. Plants that did not do this would perish from the earth because other plants would grow that way and shade them out of existence. Even plants that are "undergrowth" and grow with a need for less sunlight still have new buds emerge in a position to obtain sunlight and in a position that will have sunlight after the older foliage becomes too inefficient to support the plant. Even the positioning of leaves relative to each other on plants supports this ultimate goal of growing leaves where they will be in the best position to gather sunlight and support life. Leaves grow about one leaf's length apart on along a stem, and rotated along that stem so they do not shade the earlier emerging leaves. Growth from the tips of stems, twigs and branches is always favored and plants that favor new growth just at the top of the canopy are referred to as apically dominant, -growing from the apex.
To overcome the natural tendencies of plants we have to prevent new growth from shading the parts of the plant that we want to grow leaves on. We limit the amount of growth at the apex and the tips of branches as described here.
To overcome the natural tendencies of plants we have to prevent new growth from shading the parts of the plant that we want to grow leaves on. We limit the amount of growth at the apex and the tips of branches as described here.
Thank you for your response and I’m depth explaining of it. It is a lot of knowledge to try and comprehend all at once. So in order to promote the leaves to grow a lot lower, I would have to trim the leaves that are above?
Does it matter the time of season since it is an indoor only plant? It is always growing leaves. Sorry might be a dumb question, still learning it all.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Welcome to Crazy!
Time of season matters a bit less for a ficus always growing, though a ficus always indoors is probably better cut hard in summer. On the flip, a ficus grown outdoors in summer may send to many buds, or grow new shoots too thick too fast, so observing your plants characteristics is always best.
It's important to note that the age old catch22 comes into play. You always have to chop the top more, but you want more ramification on older lower branches. Plan for 2 steps back in the apex. maybe even three.
Sorce
Time of season matters a bit less for a ficus always growing, though a ficus always indoors is probably better cut hard in summer. On the flip, a ficus grown outdoors in summer may send to many buds, or grow new shoots too thick too fast, so observing your plants characteristics is always best.
It's important to note that the age old catch22 comes into play. You always have to chop the top more, but you want more ramification on older lower branches. Plan for 2 steps back in the apex. maybe even three.
Sorce
Thank you for your reply. So what is the apex exactly then? When I first got the bonsai it was six years old so now it’s about 8. It was so full before it went through it’s rough patch and almost died completely. Just trying to get it back to that
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
Yes, and that means you don't trim it to look good, you trim it to force growth elsewhere, -you hope where you want growth. Eventually, if it does fill in below you then need to keep it growing in those same proportions of upper verses lower foliage by keeping to about the same procedure of reigning in the upper canopy and not shading the lower canopy(s), so it never really ends. Left to their own, plants return to natural tendencies, and pretty quick. But it gets worse. Branches are not forever and need to be replaced by new vigorous branches, so keep an eye out for older branches that need to be culled and cultivate younger branches in the immediate area that you can encourage to fill-in the space which will be empty when the older branch is removed by you, hopefully before it just up and dies leaving a gaping hole in your design.
Awesome ! So around June would you start to trim? And I would probably cut just about all the leaves off and keep doing so until it starts to grow where I am wanting it? Thank you for all the help
Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Your location? Please post in profile. Once weather reliably above 45-50 degrees F put outside in partly sunny area. Likely will lose leaves but new will grow almost immediately. Cutting back apical/upper growth plus keeping lower areas from shading "should" encourage lower growth. Agreed to diligent fertilizing. Long wait for Spring ensues.
I live in San Diego, California. We almost never go bellow those temps. But where my house is located there isn’t a spot to get sun at this time of year.
Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Very bad. For vast majority of Bonsai subjects need at least partly sunny yard or if tropicals sunny windows. Unless wanting to buy expensive lighting set ups.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
This, "start to trim", sounds like a continued thing that will not work to sprout lower growth.
You gotta just hit it hard once, more, leave it nowhere to grow EXCEPT where you want it.
Then maintain it with trimming.
Sorce
Soup Dragon
Mame
I am sure that you know this, but just to make sure...
Where exactly do you want leaves to grow from? Be aware that your plant has been constructed from two different types of ficus. The roots and thick 'trunk' portion are from one type, and the branches and foliage are from a different type. They have been grafted as the leaves and growth pattern of the second type are more suitable for a bonsai-like plant. If you encourage leaves to grow from below the graft point then they will be different from the ones above the graft point.
If you are aware of this and you want more branching on the long, thin branches above the graft point then you can ignore this post
. All of the advice above is excellent.
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
Ditto on all above. Will/has this been just a houseplant, or will it spend some time outdoors?
Yes that’s why I’m saying. So my question remains the same. Or can I “hit it hard” at anytime.
Just a house plant
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Just a houseplant?
Sorce
Sorce
