How to back bud on ficus

[Forsoothe!]

It looks bad because it has not been trimmed in years. Leggy is not sick and hurricane season is the growing season in Miami. I reread my instructions, do that now. Afterwards show us all 4 side views and we'll arrive at a style, of which it has none now. It needs to be chopped to some height but it's so overgrown now I can't make a virt.

 

[Cadillactaste]

If this ficus looks like this at the end of summer in florida I would be hesitant to do it. It does not look like it us very happy, not, subtropical happy.

I tend to agree. We don't work weak trees as a general rule of thumb.

I'm up north and my ficus are much more lush. This tree in Florida should be lush green not leggy and sparse foliage.

What is your regiment for fertilizing?

 

[Forsoothe!]

Tropicals are best trimmed hard in the growing season. It won't get better until something is done. Do nothing and nothing will change. There is no architecture to speak of which is why I can't do a vert. It has a trunk much too tall and skinny twigs measured in feet. It is obvious what the problem is. When it has leaves it needs to be repotted next.
This Ficus orientalis has just been trimmed back to two leaves and all tips removed. More was taken off than was left on it. That's because it has been tended 3 or 4 times every year and forced to grow tightly. It has been defoliated twice in the last 12 months. There is no shortage of leaves on the OP, they're in the wrong place at the end of 16" twigs! The number of skinny twigs in the upper half of the tree tells me that one day it was a tight canopy. Look at it and imagine that those twigs were only 2 inches long with 3 or 4 leaves each. ??

 

[Cadillactaste]

Yep, what these guys said. Fertilize, get it nice and strong, then cut back hard. You don't need to leave any leaves. I defoliate my ficus trees every couple years or so, depending on strength, then after they produce back buds I cut back to those buds. Hard cut backs seem to work too.

Agree...feed heavily. This tree needs robust foliage to show it's recovered from the neglect the previous owners care or lack of...offered it.

 

[DonovanC]

Let it grow for a year, let it get really strong. Then hard prune back to the basic structure. It will be fine.

 

[Cadillactaste]

When you work a strong tree in growing season you can accomplish this. You need to have a robust tree. Feed it and allow it to recover. You work a weak tree...you will not see the same response. Bonsai is patience.

I'm up north...you are in Florida. You should have strong healthy trees down there.

* I grasp it was neglected and you got it back. Now let it recover. Even leggy...you should have robust foliage on leggy growth on a strong healthy tree.

 

[leatherback]

Leggy growth here is a symptom, not a cause. The neglect has caused the tree to get leggy.
Sparse foliage is a symptom. It is indicative of a plant not having grown strongly for a longer period of time

If you cut a strong tree, you get backbudding in dozens of places on each branch.
If you cut back a weak tree you get a few buds on most branches. Some branches will just dry out and die

You can get a leggy tree with lush foliage, just at the end of the branches. But growing with heaps and bounds. These do backbud a little by themselves. If you there trim, you get lush backbudding and strong recovery and you will have a full tree fast.

As said, your tree should be lush with young growth. If in my summer my ficus grows a new leaf on every branchti[p every 4-6 days, you should be getting that in optimal climate too. I do not see any of that.

Fertilize, water. Get it used to full sun. Let it do its thing for a few months. Watch it start to pick up steam. Then trim.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

What is your soil? It looks very organic.

 

[leatherback]

up north

that is a nice fig!

 

[Cadillactaste]

that is a nice fig!

Thank you.

 

[Dr_Fud]

I tend to agree. We don't work weak trees as a general rule of thumb.

I'm up north and my ficus are much more lush. This tree in Florida should be lush green not leggy and sparse foliage.

What is your regiment for fertilizing?

the tree was in very poor nourishment for 2+ years. currently I use the the little green balls that I bought from Miami tropical bonsai. lol I withs I could be more precise. I also use their premade soil. so sad they are closed now

 

[Dr_Fud]

Leggy growth here is a symptom, not a cause. The neglect has caused the tree to get leggy.
Sparse foliage is a symptom. It is indicative of a plant not having grown strongly for a longer period of time

If you cut a strong tree, you get backbudding in dozens of places on each branch.
If you cut back a weak tree you get a few buds on most branches. Some branches will just dry out and die

You can get a leggy tree with lush foliage, just at the end of the branches. But growing with heaps and bounds. These do backbud a little by themselves. If you there trim, you get lush backbudding and strong recovery and you will have a full tree fast.

As said, your tree should be lush with young growth. If in my summer my ficus grows a new leaf on every branchti[p every 4-6 days, you should be getting that in optimal climate too. I do not see any of that.

Fertilize, water. Get it used to full sun. Let it do its thing for a few months. Watch it start to pick up steam. Then trim.

the route I am currently taking! thanks!

 

[Dr_Fud]

Bump bump did a major cut back, and a tiny bit of wire today. Lots of buds in March, I’m expecting it to fill up substantially this season. Thanks guys @DonovanC @leatherback @Forsoothe! @sorce

 

[leatherback]

Bump bump did a major cut back, and a tiny bit of wire today. Lots of buds in March, I’m expecting it to fill up substantially this season. Thanks guys @DonovanC @leatherback @Forsoothe! @sorce

Fingers crossed. Looking forward to an update in 2 weeks!