Ficus "too little"

[Marlborough Handcraft]

Picked up this Ficus over the weekend, and put it in the pot you see in the pictures. Forgive the small christmas balls, my 3 year old daughter found them and wanted to put them on the tree. I'm wondering if I can prune this now or if I should give it a few weeks to get used to the new environment and pot before introducing new stress? My plan is to keep this tree small and in this pot. I think the type and the leaves lend itself to shohin or mame quite nicely.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I wouldn't prune until its actively growing. I live in the northern hemisphere. We repot in summer here with our tropical.

I've a too-little as well. A few important key things. Never fully defoliate...because its of the Benjamia family. And two...never wire a branch below the horizon line. You will cause it to die.
Mine is under grow lights currently growing like a weed. Mine never skips a beat when coming indoors for winter.

 

[Marlborough Handcraft]

That wiring tip is a great one, thank you. The plan was/is to give this a few weeks to get acclimated, but my scissor fingers are getting itchy. I'll just have to hide them on myself until after christmas. It will give me something to look forward to for the holiday break.

 

[Cadillactaste]

That wiring tip is a great one, thank you. The plan was/is to give this a few weeks to get acclimated, but my scissor fingers are getting itchy. I'll just have to hide them on myself until after christmas. It will give me something to look forward to for the holiday break.

Just remember...a tree that is permitted to get shaggy...becomes stronger and healthier. I just today pruned my dwarf powderpuff back. Taking 8" off. Think about that a minute...our trees are not always perfectly arranged. They need this to remain strong and healthy. To do this...you need to allow them to grow. Again...grow lights 18 hours a day. Gives my tropical a growing season while indoors.

 

[Forrestford]

I wouldn't prune until its actively growing. I live in the northern hemisphere. We repot in summer here with our tropical.

I've a too-little as well. A few important key things. Never fully defoliate...because its of the Benjamia family. And two...never wire a branch below the horizon line. You will cause it to die.
Mine is under grow lights currently growing like a weed. Mine never skips a beat when coming indoors for winter.

@Cadillactaste What do you mean by never wire below the horizon line?

 

[sorce]

Great Size Comparison!

Welcome to Crazy!

Looks like a good start, if you didn't have that Banquet, I'd say too good for a newb, but anyone with such great taste will do a fabulous job!

Seriously though.. this is a decent beginning worth not screwing up. A lot of first prunings make a tree look "good", but pruning should usually make a tree look worse initially.

You see that "trident", that triple fork in back?
Stuff like that needs to be reduced down to 2.
So before you go and trim off the ends of all three, learn about how how fixing that structural flaw is going to make this ugly now, for a prettier future.

Sorce

 

[Colorado]

I would wait to prune until you see 4-5 new leaves on each branch.

Nice start!

 

[Cadillactaste]

@Cadillactaste What do you mean by never wire below the horizon line?

No weeping branches basically. Anything below the horizon line...can risk dieback and loss of a branch. Adam Lavigne shared that with me...as I had wired one branch below that line...and he didn't want me to lose a good main branch.

 

[Marlborough Handcraft]

Great Size Comparison!

Welcome to Crazy!

Looks like a good start, if you didn't have that Banquet, I'd say too good for a newb, but anyone with such great taste will do a fabulous job!

Seriously though.. this is a decent beginning worth not screwing up. A lot of first prunings make a tree look "good", but pruning should usually make a tree look worse initially.

You see that "trident", that triple fork in back?
Stuff like that needs to be reduced down to 2.
So before you go and trim off the ends of all three, learn about how how fixing that structural flaw is going to make this ugly now, for a prettier future.

Sorce

The one coming off the bottom left back side of the trunk? Thank you for pointing that out! And you're right, it's too good for a newb either way. I bought this from a local bonsai nursery, so any good looks are from that.

I would wait to prune until you see 4-5 new leaves on each branch.

Nice start!

Even if I want to keep it small? I'm guessing let it get quite big and then bring it back to where it should be is your meaning? Or 4-5 new leaves is a good signal that the tree is growing well in it's new environment...

 

[Forrestford]

No weeping branches basically. Anything below the horizon line...can risk dieback and loss of a branch. Adam Lavigne shared that with me...as I had wired one branch below that line...and he didn't want me to lose a good main branch.
View attachment 343398

Ok, thanks for that. yeah the reason I asked, this tree is at the Norfolk botanical gardens with a crazy drop branch. I’ve used it as inspiration


really a beautiful tree and I have used it as inspiration to style one of my benjis.
Is this what you mean by below the horizon line?

 

[Cadillactaste]

Ok, thanks for that. yeah the reason I asked, this tree is at the Norfolk botanical gardens with a crazy drop branch. I’ve used it as inspiration
View attachment 343405
View attachment 343406
really a beautiful tree and I have used it as inspiration to style one of my benjis.
Is this what you mean by below the horizon line?

For the most part...you risk dieback on this cultivar. From what many ficus knowledgeable people have said. But that is below the horizontal line for sure. I do know I warned one of theirs in a weeping style. They left it and lost branches. I'm wondering if it grows that way by nature...less chance to lose it. Where as by manipulation you shock it. Honestly...I don't know. I know one here lost branches after not raising branches when I warned them. So... there is that.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Yes, hard wiring into a weeping shape worked poorly for me as in post #1, then to post #19. The tree has recovered nicely, but it ain't weeping anymore.

As to defoliating, 'Too Little' or any ordinary leaf fig does fine, but not F. elastica, but they do best if done in full sun and the growing season. They have to be healthy in the first place, of course.

 

[Forrestford]

Very good info. I noticed that the tree I posted, the branch tips of the drop branch all point up where as @Forsoothe! the tree you posted all the tips are wired down. So maybe that’s the kicker... I’ll keep this in mind and someday post my results. thanks for the heads up @Cadillactaste

 

[Cadillactaste]

Very good info. I noticed that the tree I posted, the branch tips of the drop branch all point up where as @Forsoothe! the tree you posted all the tips are wired down. So maybe that’s the kicker... I’ll keep this in mind and someday post my results. thanks for the heads up @Cadillactaste

Good observation. Makes me curious...but not curious enough to sacrifice a main branch.

 

[Marlborough Handcraft]

Here is a quick update/post first styling on my Ficus "too little". Trimmed alot off, saved all of the cuttings in an attempt to propagate a few more plants. Fingers crossed on that. Anyway, here is a photo of the tree post styling. All critique welcome, I'm a big boy, I can take it.

 

[adam13V]

Marlborough Handcraft, it looks great, thanks for sharing.

 

[adam13V]

I think it would be nice to see at the whole garden of such "too littles".

 

[Marlborough Handcraft]

Thank you @adam13V

 

[19Mateo83]

How did this one do after the chop?

 

[Marlborough Handcraft]

Sadly, this one didn't make it after its trim. This one was lost to the learning curve. My watering habits were not quite up to snuff. Live and learn @19Mateo83