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Re: pruning ficus

At 04:11 PM 5/13/97 -0500, you wrote:
>> >This is probably a really basic question, but I'll ask it anyway: What
>> >happens if you prune a Ficus benjamina? Secondly, does anyone have a >good
>list of which plants like to be pot bound.
>> 
>Cami
>
>Speaking of ficus...  I have a benjimina with a branch I'd like to cut
about 18"
>off of.  Is there any way I could use this as a cutting or can I air-layer it? 
>Hate to chuck such a healthy branch that just happens to have grown the wrong
>way!
>
>-Rick
>
Hi Cami and Rick:

Pruning a ficus benjamina will result in many more branches and much thicker
plant.  I have one five feet tall which is in a 18" niche beside the window.
I just keep cutting off whatever starts to spread too much.

Cuttings root well although they take quite awhile.  Rick, I would recommend
just using the tip and discarding the rest as new wood roots faster than old.

As for keeping plants rootbound it depends what you want.  If you want a
plant to get larger keep repotting as soon as the roots reach the edge of
the pot.  Flowering plants seem to flower better if they are rootbound.
When they are stressed they try to reproduce themselves before they die.  

Hope this helps
Ruth Zavitz                                     
rzavitz@execulink.com                            
Freelance Writer & Gardening Consultant
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