Fig Tree question

takumi25

How can I make my tree grow some lower branches? Its just that my tree doesnt have enough trunk taper so I decided to make it a small bonsai tree because of the 6 to 1 rule. But it doesnt have lower branches to make it a small bonsai. Its a weeping fig. Any help will be much appreciated

Thanks!

Advertisement

node

I guess the short of it is, that you don't. The tree is apically dominant so will always show more growth at the top than at the bottom. Additionally, anything low on the trunk will be shaded out by higher branches.

The natural growth progression of a tree is basically exactly the opposite of what you are trying to achive. Lower branches eventually dying off, because of being shaded out by higher ones.

My suggestion to you would be, and this is not easy to judge without having seen any pictures of your tree, to air-layer it. Get rid of the whole bottom part of the tree if you are not invested in its roots, and grow a new root system at the place were the roots of the tree should start given first character branch.

If you want to keep the bottom part as well, and you are very lucky, it will put out new growth, and you might up with two tree instead of one...

Show us a pic or two and we'll give you some more concrete advice...

Stefan

__________________
Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform. - Mark Twain
Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right. - Isaak Asimov
The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way. - Bertrand Russell

saint

If you really want to be extreme you could always graft them on.

Or you could try trimming the top and seeing if the tree will give you a lower branch (not likely)

__________________
Best Regards,

Leslie St. John
Barbados
West Indies


Remember: Opinions are like bellybuttons, everyone's got one

Will_Heath

I disagree.

What you want to accomplish is called "back budding." This happens easily with ficus. I give my ficus a hard pruning first and then when new growth occurs, pinch off all the new spikes (shoots) as soon as the appear. I have produced great back budding in this manner, good ramification, and new shoots all the way to ground level.

A tree may be apically dominant but this can be used to your advantage. A good example is with a ficus cascade I am working on. I do not tilt this or grow it on it's side, I simply pinch the hect out of the upper portions, giving strength and vigor to the lower portions. This is not unlike candling a pine where you remove more of the candle on the stronger apex and tips and less on the lower branches and such.

In short, you pinch back the apically dominant apex and the lower portions will grow stronger.


Will

zenwarrior

Interesting. So you dont even allow the new leaves to fully form? Do you have a rule about how many leaves to leave on a branch?

__________________



Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.

-Morihei Ueshiba

Will_Heath

Yes, when I prune I always leave two to three sets of leaves. However, when I pinch, meaning pinching of the spikes before the unfurl, I already have the number of leaves I want on the branch. By pinching off these "spikes" I get back-budding on the branch I pinch and therefore ramification. When I pinch off all the spikes as soon as I notice them, I get increased back budding not only on the branches but also on the trunk. I use my thumb and forefinger to grasp the spike at it's base and use a slight pull-twist to remove them.

When the new buds form, I pick the ones I want and I let them grow out to thicken, then I prune those back to the first two or three sets once the thickness desired is reached and start pinching afterward. Those that bud where I do not want them I just flush cut off.

This is not the way to go if you do not have the trunk thickness you desire, in fact I only start doing this when a fig has reached the point where ramification is desired. The side effect of this technique is lower back budding on the trunk also.

I am working on a ficus cascade, using pinching to increase ramification and I got three nice sprouts 1/2 inch above the soil line. This allows me now to let one grow out to form my new apex as my original was a bit too far down the trunk.



Will