Sooner or later, you’re going to want to understand how to assist your fiddle leaf fig in branching if you want it to take on the desired tree-like shape.
A plant’s natural tendency is to climb upward so that it can compete with other plants for more sunlight. Therefore, sometimes it requires a little human assistance to motivate them to branch outward.
If you’ve ever pruned a hedge or vine-like plant, you know how important it is for getting lush, bushy growth. That also holds true for your fiddle leaf fig! When a stem, branch, or trunk is cut back, several stems are likely to emerge in its place.
In order to encourage your Fiddle Leaf Fig to branch, apply the following three techniques. Also, watch the video below to see me prune my own Fiddle Leaf Fig.
Can you sever a fiddle leaf fig’s branch?
It’s a good idea to spread out a few sheets of newspaper around your plant before you begin so that it will protect the flooring from any falling debris and the milky latex sap that will unavoidably leak out.
Keep the poisonous latex away from your skin and out of children’s and animals’ reach. It is advised that you wear long sleeves and gloves.
Additionally, it’s crucial to use a fresh, well-kept pair of pruners. Clean them with soap and hot water if you aren’t sure if you cleaned them after the last time you used them. Prior to usage, properly dry them.
Working with the main trunk or stem is how you prune a plant that has grown too tall. This branch can be the only one the tree has, depending on how your plant is shaped.
Find the area of the branch you wish to trim before making a cut. After that, lean in close to inspect the trunk. An internodal space, or a location on the trunk that is between two nodes, is what you’re looking for.
Nodes, which grow into leaves or branches, are merely slightly elevated rings in the bark of an F. lyrata tree.
Make a diagonal cut directly between the two nodes, and then use a damp cloth to clean away the sap. Expect to observe fresh lateral branches emerging from the node immediately beneath your cut within a few weeks.
It is well known that F. lyrata reaches for the light. If you want to prevent having a lopsided plant, be careful to rotate the planter every few days. Unfortunately, we occasionally forget to do this and our plants end up excessively leaning to one side.
Or perhaps you need to remove some lateral branches because the foliage is too dense.
You may encourage greater airflow between those lovely, gigantic leaves by cutting back on a few branches, which will help you prevent insect and disease problems.
Make sure, however, that you never remove more than 10% of the fiddle-leaf fig at one time.
Cutting too closely to the trunk increases the chance of injuring the branch collar’s tissue, which could then allow disease germs to enter the trunk.
If the branch is cut too close, it may remain attached and rot, possibly leading to the degradation of the branch collar and opening the door for infection.
Simply clip them off at the base with your pruners if you only need to remove a few sick or dead leaves from your plant here and there.
A fiddle leaf fig should have how many branches, exactly?
You can try cutting up to 2 or 3 notches on a smaller tree. You can attempt up to five or six on a larger tree. Although it’s likely that not all of them will succeed, this should guarantee that your fiddle leaf fig gets at least 2 or 3 additional branches.
Single-Cut Method Notching
With the single-cut notching technique, all you have to do is make a single, 1/8-deep cut—or a 1/4–1/3 cut—through the branch with your shears. Just above the node where you want your tree to branch, make a 45-degree cut up or down.
Double-Cut Notching
In order to create a little wedge out of the trunk using the double-cut approach, you must first make your 1/8 deep cut at a 45-degree angle as you would for single notching. However, you must also make a second cut above or below that one at an opposing 45-degree angle.
How Long Does Notching Take to Work?
According to our observations, notching normally has a 30–50% success rate. However, if it’s going to work, results ought to be visible in 6 to 8 weeks. After two months, you might wish to give it another go if you still don’t notice any new growth.
Does Notching a Fiddle Leaf Fig Work?
There is no such thing as a guaranteed thing when it comes to plants! It’s a good idea to notch fiddle leaf fig trees to promote branching, but don’t be shocked if it takes a few attempts. According to our experience, you can anticipate a 30 to 50 percent success rate, or roughly 1/3 to 1/2 of your notching attempts to provide the desired results.
How does notching cause a tree to develop new branches?
Yes, you can use notching to encourage branching if you purchase trees from a nursery that have few branches (feathers). This is crucial to eliminate or lessen the likelihood of blind wood in trees meant for high-density training systems (such tall spindles). The response of younger trees to notching is greater than that of older trees. As illustrated in the accompanying figure, you can make a notch above the bud using a hacksaw or a tiny knife. Without harming or destroying the wood, we remove a very small bit of bark when notching. By inhibiting the hormone (auxin) that blocks the growth of lateral shoots, this encourages branching. For notching, you should concentrate on the region between 30 and 60 inches above the earth surface. Even while you can begin notching as soon as the seeds are planted, waiting until the new shoots are between one and three inches long would be preferable since you can more clearly identify the buds that did not break.
ideal for PGR and notching applications. Continue doing that up until it’s finished.
I would advise you to remove a couple of huge branches during dormant pruning by making a bevel cut, followed two weeks before bud break by notching and PGR sprays. Leaving a lot of huge limbs on the tree prevents any new branches from growing in the leader, which results in blind wood by sapping the main trunk of its carbohydrate supplies.
Should I remove the fiddle leaf fig’s bottom leaves?
You should be aware of what those bottom leaves do before selecting when to remove them.
Lower foliage has the same function as that fresh, vibrant growth up top: the leaves work to mix that green chlorophyll, commonly known as “the meat of the leaf,” with sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce sap, the plant’s own sweet food.
So let them alone if you want the trunk, roots, and new growth to continue receiving energy from the sun through the foliar producers and absorbing it.
Another advantage of the lower leaves is that this is typically where the most frequent watering issues show up. To put it another way, many owners of fiddles may detect overwatering and underwatering based on early warning indicators from these bottom leaves. You lose access to one of the plant’s early warning systems if you remove them.
Keep in mind that the lower leaves should be saved for the very last stage of shaping because they AID in giving the tree its characteristic shape.
Once more, deciding whether or not to remove these lower leaves depends on what they do for the plant.
Should I remove the fiddle leaf fig leaves that are broken?
We advise always removing the damaged portion of a leaf or, if it is completely brown, the entire leaf. The plant recovers and looks its best with the help of removal of the dead leaf or damaged parts. Pruning shears or extremely sharp scissors are required.
Instructions for proper removal of damaged or dead leaves
1. Use clean shears to remove any brown leaf tips or patches. To prevent harming the plant’s remaining good foliage, merely remove the damaged tips or areas, leaving a very small margin of brown. 2. Remove individual leaves at their bases if the entire leaf has turned brown. Gently tug the leaf; it might fall off on its own. Gently lifting the leaf should cause it to detach; if not, use clean shears to cut through the stem.
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What happens if the top of a fiddle leaf fig is chopped off?
Your fiddle leaf fig probably has no other branches that will allow it to transition from a fiddle leaf shrub to a fiddle leaf tree. In addition, bear the following in mind before proceeding:
The amount of regrowth that results from pruning depends on how severe it was. The reason for this is that the plant is trying to grow again in an effort to balance the root system below with the shoot system above, which is now designed to support the plant at its bigger size before trimming.
Usually, the most active shoot growth takes place 6 to 8 inches after the pruning cut.
Make the cut on your fiddle leaf fig
Make a decision regarding the size of the Ficus lyrata cut. Once more, the branching will be more noticeable the longer a part is clipped. (And the less the plant will grow in height, at least for that shoot.)
Your fiddle leaf fig won’t be encouraged to generate as many lateral branches off of the main trunk if you simply pinch out the fresh buds at the top with your fingers.
If you want to encourage a little lateral development to make your plant appear fuller near the top, pinching is more helpful.
On the other hand, you’ll see a lot more branching if you remove 12 of the top shoots.
Choose the node that you want to cut above. The spots on stems known as nodes are where leaves, buds, or branches can grow. However, not every node has leaves or branches; some nodes may only have a mark and a little thickening of the stem. Internodes are the parts of the stem that lie between the nodes.
3. Make use of a clean pair of pruners. Make the incision slightly above the top of your node. Cut just above the node rather than into it, which would harm it.
Any plant in the fig family, including your fiddle leaf fig, will exude an oozing, milky, white sap when cut. Simply avoid eating it, getting it in your eyes, or letting it land on the carpet because it can be annoying.
4. As a final piece of advice, wait to remove leaves from the trunk of your fiddle leaf until the new branches have begun to grow. Your plant should be as robust as possible because those leaves aid in the development of the new lateral buds.
(Are you wondering what to do with the plant pieces you pruned? Why not cultivate a second fiddle leaf fig?
I’m done now! Now, give your new lateral buds, which will eventually grow into branches, a few weeks. While the exact length of time varies on a number of variables, your chances of success are higher if you attempt this in the spring, when fiddle leaves are actively growing, as opposed to the winter, when they are largely dormant. In comparison to winter, when the plant will need more time to heal the cut and form new buds, springtime will see rapid new development.
How may new branch growth be encouraged?
One of the finest strategies to promote a tree branch’s growth is pruning. A branch can grow more quickly if upper-story plants are pruned and thinned to provide room for more light to reach a struggling understory tree or bush.
How are ficuses made to branch out?
Although it’s quite simple, getting your Rubber Plant, Fiddle Leaf Fig, or other Ficus to branch out can be emotionally challenging. That’s why I’m here to walk you through the process step by step.
Many ficus species, including the Rubber Plant and the Fiddle Leaf, do not naturally branch. You must have seen them as they develop into tall, solitary columns from a single stalk.
But it’s really easy to make them branch. You only need to cause a small amount of harm. I’m here to help you through it since it feels like you’re raising your plants like you’re the meanest plant parent in the entire planet.
Making sure that your plant is healthy from the start is crucial. An unwell plant can experience too much stress and die if you try to do this to it.
How does it work?!
Nodes are the little bumps that grow on plants. New growth develops at nodes. The node on a ficus is directly above each leaf. They are simple to identify because the stalk has a thicker ring running around it at the same location as the node.
The node(s) closest to the top will begin to grow and develop into a branch when the new growth is removed.