Sacrifice Branch on Ficus

[FrankP999]

Does the technique of a sacrifice branch work well with ficus ? I just repotted and root pruned a ficus salicifolia. It is popping a lot of adventitous buds at the base and within an inch of the soil level.

What can I do with these? Can I point them downward to become an aerial root?

Can I let some grow upward and unpruned to become a sacrificial branch to fatten the trunk?

Thanks for your ideas.

Frank

 

[jk_lewis]

Sacrifice branches work on every tree species I know of.

As for them becoming roots. That won't happen directly (branches don't turn into roots - those are different kinds of stem tissue) but you could possibly do a ground layer, then cut off the branch past the rooting area. I'm not sure, howver, what that would look like.

If it looks like I suspect it will look, you can always treat tht as another sacrifice branch, then cut it off as a new plant later on.

Regarding sacrifice branches, however, if they get too fat, they will leave quite a scar when cut, and those scars do take a while to vanish.

 

[stacy allen muse]

I agree with JKL, I would definitely keep the lower growth and make a sacrifice branch... it will thicken the trunk drastically and latter on it could be cut off or incorporated. I always find with ficus it is better to keep more than you need, at least in the early stages of development... if nothing else it makes the whole tree grow faster. I often let mine grow way out of control, then defoiliate, and cut them back hard !!! The only exception to the rule I find is with benjamins... they die back way to far, when cut hard. I usualy clip as I go with them...