As I indicated earlier, many growers like to cultivate a traditional tree shape, complete with a distinct canopy and trunk. However, F. lyrata tends to grow in a columnar or bushy shape when kept as a houseplant.
In the wild, F. lyrata does this on its own by losing its lower leaves and growing into its original shape as a banyan tree.
like the renowned “Wild F. lyrata and ordinary banyan, F. benghalensis, both start out their lives as epiphytes. When a seed falls into another tree’s canopy, it germinates, develops, and eventually strangles its host plant as it descends to the ground.
Your houseplant won’t do this, of course, but the tree shape is attractive. How can a rambunctious F. lyrata be transformed into a tall, graceful specimen?
First off, if you’ve recently acquired a highly sought-after fiddle-leaf, hold off on starting to prune it into a tree shape.
Whatever two-thirds of the intended height means to you within the boundaries of your space, let it grow to that point. The trunk might become strong and thick as a result.
It’s advisable to top the tree out at least eight to ten inches away from the ceiling if you want it to grow tall.
This not only improves the appearance but also prevents the top leaves from bending and slamming against your ceiling.
Say, for instance, that you want to top your tree off at about seven or eight feet and that your home has nine-foot ceilings. You shouldn’t begin trimming for lateral growth until the trunk is at least five feet tall based on these measurements.
Wait until spring or summer when the plant is actively growing before pruning your fiddle-leaf fig to generate a tree form with branching lateral growth. Then, make a cut at least six inches down from the tip of the tree.
You can preserve and grow this cutting! Cut in an internodal space, if possible.
Don’t remove the leaves that are below the cut. So that the plant can photosynthesize and generate energy to grow those lateral branches, you want them to stay.
Within a few weeks, your F. lyrata will start to branch from the cut. Although this tree occasionally produces just one branch, it frequently produces two or three additional lateral branches.
You can remove one or two leaves from the tree’s base once the new branches have developed leaves.
The hue of the leaves and emerging branches will deepen as the canopy ages. Feel free to remove one or two more leaves from the bottom part of the trunk once you become aware of this.
You can continue to prune leaves away from the tree’s trunk as the canopy grows over time. You’ll eventually grow a tidy trunk that supports a Y-shaped canopy.
Note: Some knowledgeable gardeners enjoy using a technique called “creating lateral branches by notching. Using this technique, the gardener carefully cuts through two nodes. This cut is supposed to encourage the tree to generate lateral branches without losing height.
Because of the fast growth of F. lyrata and the fact that we are confident that pruning for lateral branch growth yields reliable results, we advise using this technique to produce that attractive canopy.
After pruning, give your plant the best care possible by providing it with the right amount of water, fertilizer, and light, which will hasten the healing of its wounds.
How should a fig tree be shaped?
Whether you have a fig tree or a fig bush in your backyard garden, pruning it each year will promote growth. Think about some general advice for this procedure.
- 1. In the tree’s first year, prune it. When you first plant a young fig tree or fig shrub that you purchased from a nursery, trim it. When pruning for the first time, you should remove roughly 50% of the branches. This will enable the tree to concentrate its efforts on developing a solid root system.
- 2. During the tree’s first winter, prune it once more. Winter trimming should be done every year, beginning with the first winter your tree experiences. The end of the tree’s dormant season in late winter is the ideal time to use pruning shears. By early spring, new branches will begin to grow as a result.
- 3. Continue to prune your tree every year after that. It’s crucial to prune your fig tree in its first year, but remember to continue pruning it the following year and the year after that. Fresh fruit will start to ripen in early summer if your fig tree is pruned while it is dormant. This will result in a more fruitful growth season.
- 4. Decide which branches should bear fruit. It’s time to go strategic now that you’ve finished your first pruning. Search for five to six exceptionally sturdy branches that branch off from the main trunk as you prune the tree in its second year. Your main branches for fruit production will be these. Remove the rest of the tinier branches from the main trunk.
Why should I Wiggle my Fiddle leaf fig?
Your indoor tree’s trunk can be moved to simulate wind, which will help you become more resilient outside. You can also leave your tree outside for extended periods of time to strengthen its trunk and expose it to the elements. Once you get the leaves inside, be sure to inspect them for bugs.
What are the best growing conditions for an indoor fiddle leaf fig tree?
Know that your fiddle leaf fig tree prefers moderate temperature changes and place it in a sunny spot within the house. The tree should be planted in a container with well-draining soil that is kept humid but not soggy since this might cause root rot.
Why isn’t my fiddle leaf fig tree flowering?
You should be careful not to overwater your fiddle leaf fig because it is prone to root rot. When storing the fig within a container, make sure the bottom has lots of holes to allow for proper drainage.
How do I fix a leggy fiddle leaf fig tree?
Give a leggy or tilted fiddle leaf fig tree bright, filtered sunshine as treatment. Please place your plant in the area of the house that gets the most indirect sunlight, which is usually six to eight hours per day. Don’t keep it in the Sun for too long, though; doing so could scorch the leaves.
Will wiggling my fiddle leaf fig tree weaken its roots?
Every one to two weeks, wiggle your fiddle leaf fig tree for 1.5 to 2 minutes to significantly thicken the trunk. Beginning with light shaking, progressively build up the force. If your plant is stake-supported, move it about at first with the support in place. You can take the stake out once your fig tree has gotten used to this practice.
How are bushy fiddle leaf figs made?
The quickest and safest approach to encourage your fiddle leaf fig to branch out is without a doubt pruning! It entails cutting your Fiddle Leaf Fig’s stem off at the height you want branches to emerge from. Remember that you may always propagate your Fiddle Leaf Fig and grow a brand-new plant from the clipped portion!
Pruning works by reawakening buds that are dormant beneath the incision. The growth hormone (auxin) is redirected to the buds that are typically closest to the cut because it can no longer move up the stem, which causes this to occur.
Usually, if you want your plant to branch, you want it to have at least a few branches, if not more. Pruning above a cluster of leaves will give you the highest chance of getting many branches. Or a cluster of closely spaced leaves.
Where the leaves and stem meet, dormant buds can be found. You should therefore aim for a region of your FLF that contains buds close together if you want to have the best chance of awakening several latent buds. Don’t panic if you can’t see them; sometimes they are tiny and difficult to see. They will be present!
The distance between the “nodes” is another item to watch out for. These locations can also produce buds. On your fiddle leaf fig, nodes—which resemble little rings around the stem—are frequently where the crunchy, browned leaf casings are located.
Within a week or two, you should start to notice buds getting bigger. Nevertheless, depending on the climate, it may take longer and even longer for the new leaves to bloom.
Since you’ll be removing a portion of stem, pruning is best done when the plant is taller than the height you’d like it to branch at. For instance, if you want your FLF to have branches that are around 3 feet high but it is 5 feet tall, you will need to prune the plant to make it only 3 feet tall.
See the section on notching if you don’t want to reduce the height of your plant.
Tips for Pruning:
- Use a set of cutters that are well-kept and razor-sharp.
- Make an angle cut in the stem.
- Remove any sap by using a fresh paper towel.
- Dormant buds (nodes) are located where a leaf meets the stem; therefore, you should prune just above a leaf. At this point, you might be able to notice a tiny brown (or occasionally green) bump.
How can branching be promoted?
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.
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. Just above the top of your node, make the cut. 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 can a fiddle leaf fig develop numerous branches?
Our first achievement is the tree you can see here. We cut back the lower leaves to reveal the primary trunk after the branches sprouted. Since then, we have had a 100% success record in producing several branches on three additional trees we chopped in similar manner.
The most crucial tip is to clip a Fiddle Leaf Fig stem lower, to the area that is most woody. Your fiddle leaf fig’s main stem or trunk needs to be at least 3 tall to accomplish this.
Since we don’t want to lop our lovely plants in half, the majority of us simply pinch off the very top tips or cut a tiny section of the branch off at the top. However, we must prune the Fiddle Leaf Fig at a distance of 18 or more inches from the top of the stem in order to reach the woody area in order for it to sprout several branches.
Buds develop significantly more slowly when a stem is cut at a lower, woody point than they do when the plant’s top, green portion is clipped. This prevents a bud that is growing extremely quickly from taking control and gives the chance for other buds to form at once.
As you can see, within a few weeks, this tree sprouted 6 new branches after we nearly cut our extremely tall Fiddle Leaf Fig in half at a particularly woody region.
Can I chop my fig tree’s top off?
If a fig tree is left to grow on its own, it develops into a charming and romantic figure with a strong, twisted trunk that rises 50 feet in the air and thick, robust branches that span the same distance horizontally. You must begin training the tree as soon as possible if you want something more manageable and compact. A fruit tree is trained when it is young to develop a structure that produces copious amounts of fruit that is simple to harvest. Fig trees typically have an open center structure with no central branches, enabling more sunlight to enter. Cutting off the top of the young tree is the first step in the procedure.
Remove the newly planted fig tree’s top 24 inches or so from the ground. Act before the first buds emerge in the late winter or early spring. All remaining branches should be cut back to 6 inches.
Early in the summer, keep an eye out for quick new growth. Choose three healthy shoots from the new branches at the end of June to act as the main scaffolding branches. Select branches to be evenly spaced around the trunk, up to 8 inches vertically apart, with the lowest branch being 20 inches or so off the ground. Avoid branches that are attached to the trunk at tight angles; instead, go for angles of about 45 degrees. Use paint or ribbon to identify the scaffold branches so you won’t confuse them.
When the scaffold branches are longer than 30 inches, trim them back to 20 inches. On each scaffold branch, pick three or four auxiliary scaffold branches. Reduce all other shoots to a height of 6 inches.