Ficus Retusa - The Apex Needs To Decide It Is

[Firstflush]

Do I need to wack the laterals hard to get the apex to decide it is the apex? Kind of languishing, tossing out a side branch here and there.
it does not want to take over. Any advice?

 

[Forsoothe!]

All growth is terminal. You trim the terminal buds on any stem/twig/branch/trunk that you want to back-bud at the expense of lengthening, and leave the terminal buds on any branch you want to extend at the expense of less back-budding.