The formation of the crown of ficus Benjamin

Ficus Benjamin is one of the most popular house plants in our country. This is due to many factors: it does not require special care, is very attractive in appearance and has high decorative properties. The main thing that is required of the owners is to timely form the crown, then the flower will appear in all its glory.

Formation of the crown of ficus Benjamin

Basic rules

Before starting the process, it’s necessary to wait until its shoots begin the stage of active growth. Usually this happens in the spring. Even the slightest opening of the side buds on the trunk suggests that the plant can be cut.

In order for the flower to continue to grow evenly, it is necessary to correctly configure lighting in the room where it is located. Trimming should be done only with a sterile, perfectly ground tool. For this purpose, a kitchen knife or secateurs for the garden are great. Each drop of milky juice secreted on the slices must be carefully removed with a napkin, after which it is necessary to treat the slices with powder from crushed tablets of activated carbon.

The process of forming a crown

There are several ways to form a crown of ficus Benjamin, depending on the purpose.

Sanitary

The procedure is carried out regularly as necessary. Sanitary pruning removes all dried, broken and slowly developing shoots from the bush, especially if there is a risk that diseases can be transmitted to healthy areas of the plant.

Anti-aging pruning

Frostbite dwarf ficus, just like plants with a dried crown top, must be cut to the stump. This procedure allows the plant to recover quickly and become even more beautiful, thanks to the growth of new root shoots.

Pincing

This is done to make the crown lush and beautiful. To do this, it is necessary to shorten the grown shoots as necessary. Tweezers are called pinching of the tops of shoots, after which the development of the bush on the sides of the trunk is activated. Dive must be carried out every spring and summer. If a very active growth of the plant is observed, the procedure is allowed at any time.

Grafting

This technique of formatting the crown is most favorite among flower growers. It is carried out easily and in a short time allows you to hide one of the main shortcomings: the absence of any one branch or even several, which is very eye-catching.

You can give a neat shape to the crown of Benjamin’s ficus not only by shortening the bush and tweezing it. As an alternative fixture, giving the crown a beautiful shape and personality, the usual pieces of wire that are in every house, or special purchased spacers, are often used.

Shaping the trunks

You can give the flower an interesting shape

To give the ficus trunk its original appearance , first you need to plant several identical plants in one pot at once, and then bind them in one of the possible ways. The trunks should be not only of the same species, but also of approximately equal age. The required shoot length is 16-20 cm.

A popular way to form the trunk of Benjamin’s ficus is a scythe. For this, three young plants are planted nearby. As they grow up, they are weaved in accordance with the intended plan. For those who want to twist the ficus with a spiral, 2 copies are enough.

By weaving the trunks, they necessarily remove all young shoots from the sides. You should not weave very tightly and firmly: because of this, the thickening may be disturbed, and the trunks will begin to develop inharmoniously. At each stage of weaving, the result is fixed with a soft woolen thread. At the same time, they try to withstand an angle of 45 ° C and not transmit the trunks.

Every 2-3 months, replace the old fixing threads with new ones. It is advisable to additionally provide a trunk for each plant.

Varieties of the crown

Creating a crown of ficus is a fairly simple procedure that can be done by anyone, even a beginner grower. This can be done in different ways.

Bushes

This form is achieved due to periodic pinching of the main branches, after which the development of lateral buds is activated. As soon as the lateral shoots reach a length of 10 centimeters, they must also be pinched. After a while, it will be possible to form a very thick beautiful crown.

Sculptures

The sculpture of the bush looks best on plants with a shallow crown, which Benjamin belongs to. Proper regular cropping will allow you to make a crown of almost any shape: from simple geometric shapes to the outlines of people and animals.

Braids

It will not be easy to achieve the desired shape, but the appearance of the crown will exceed all the expectations. You can beautifully braid the trunks with a pigtail and at the same time collect the shoots with a net or a fence.

Stems

In order to form a crown in the form of a stem, you should choose the stem of a young plant with a strong main shoot . Only 5 of the most beautiful upper branches are left on it, the remaining processes are regularly cut off.

The procedure is performed until each branch grows to the desired size of the stem. Then, without stopping the pruning of the lateral shoots, pinch the upper buds.

Crohn’s stem is of several varieties. Often, when asked about how to form a ficus, they answer that the longline stump is the best crown shape for such a flower.

Benjamin’s ficus bonsai

If desired at home You can make bonsai from Benjamin’s ficus, you just need to follow simple recommendations.

Instead of a deep flower pot, choose a shorter container, always with legs and holes for drainage.

Bonsai at home is created in the following order:

• To begin the formation, it is necessary to obtain several young trunks 12-15 cm long and root them in containers where the drainage layer and high-quality soil mixture were previously filled. Cuttings should be planted as close to each other as possible.
• As the trunks grow, they are intertwined, as you like, for example, with a pigtail (it is advisable to draw a diagram in advance and stick to it). Do not forget to fix each connection with woolen threads.
• Once the root system is well strengthened, the top of the soil is carefully removed, exposing some of the roots. To give the flower additional decorativeness, use stones or a piece of wire.
• As soon as the plant reaches the desired height, begin the process of pinching the tops and thinning the foliage to form a crown.

To increase decorative, many flower growers use moss and other attributes. Care for the bonsai must be the same as for the usual ficus. It should be periodically fertilized, protected from fatal drafts.