I have a ficus tree in my house during winter and in shade out side in the summer. It already rubs the ceiling.
Any advise on how to prune it and when?

Ficus trees are fast growers. Is it Ficus benjamina or another variety? Whichever variety it is, don't give it a major pruning all at once. Proceed slowly. Don't prune more than one-third of the tree which could cause plant shock or open it up to disease.

Capmansgir

Welcome to ATP! When cutting, know the sap inside the plant has latex, which can give some people a miserable rash like poison ivy. Avoiding contact with that is best, but wash it off well if you do get some on your skin, and make sure you don't rub any into your eyes.

If you are able to add a pic of your tree to this discussion, you could get more specific opinions about where to cut, if you're unsure. The removed pieces can be used to make new baby trees.

Thank you for an important piece of advise. I will get a picture of it.

Ficus fig tree: I need help on how and when to prune it?

It looks like you have the 'Benjamin' ficus tree. I am sending you a T-Mail.

Yes, that is definitely Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina) I used to grow a few of those in containers in my screened pool area and on my screened porch. They would grow so tall they's hit the roof and bend over ; I was forever having to chop the tops off and I finally got tired of them and threw them all out. An elderly neighbor took a couple and planted them in their yard but I don't know if they survived or not because we do get freezes in this part of Fla. They are used as landscape trees and pruned hedges in the southern part of the state. They can be pruned and the cuttings stuck in soil will root for additional plants. I'd say you could just do a little trimming of the top or if you prefer or you could reduce the height by cutting it back hard. As long as it gets the proper water and light it will survive pruning.

In my opinion, you did the right thing, Lin. Benjamin Ficus trees are nothing but trouble. Not only do they grow fast and constantly need hard trimming, they also tend to get lanky with age and no amount of trimming seems to solve that problem. Add to this their tendency to drop their leaves IF you just look at them the wrong way (I am being a little facetious here, but not much!) and they simply don't make a good houseplant. There are other ficus trees with much better "manners" and much better aesthetics.

Ken, I know what you mean about the Ficus benjamina dropping their leaves if you even look at them the wrong way. I could move my trees from one side of the screened area to a spot two feet away and they would start shedding leaves like crazy! They are very pretty trees though (as the beauty in Susans photo) and many folks enjoy growing them as houseplants. I do still have a variegated F. benjamina that has been suffering the past few years. It's pot/root bound and not happy at all. I thought about planting it out in the yard and just letting it do it's thing, live or die but still haven't done that yet. I've only kept it around because I purchased it as a tiny little plant from a friends nursery back in the 80's shortly before she passed away; so it has a bit of sentimental value. The photo below is from about eight or ten years ago, I wish it looked so good today.


The Ficus elastica's: http://garden.org/plants/searc... and Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata) get huge down here in Florida as well, some folks grow them as landscape trees but there are many who enjoy them as houseplants even though they grow quickly and need almost constant repotting and pruning too.

To me, the variegated Benjamin is by far the best but as I said about the "regular" one, they do decline and get leggy with age, at least those kept as houseplants. I have never lived in subtropical areas and don't know how they do outside, full-time.

I have a "Mother" fiddle leaf that I air-layer. I sell every single division I can obtain and generally have a waiting list of people who want them. My mother fiddle is at least 25 years old and she has been in the same pot for at least a decade. Needless to say, she is extremely root-bound but it does not seem to bother her. As you say, she has to have a "hair-cut" twice a year, and I take a foot off her each time. That's done just so I can get her through my double-doors. I keep her in an enclosed porch (winterized in October and then going back to a screened-porch in April). Air-layering her branches twice a year creates the same end-result as simply trimming her back.

That is a very pretty variegated ficus. I've had mine for at least 17 years. I almost lost it once but was able to see it through. Many times it has lost lots of leaves. But still love it. Surprisingly enough, we moved two winters ago and it barely lost any leaves. I had read some where that if you move it and or it starts dropping leaves, to feed it Mir-acid. It's always worked for me.
Thanks for the advise on cutting back. I'm gonna give it a try, wish me luck 👍

for all the help you guys. Glad I found this site.

Hi Susan,

I care for lots of Ficus benjaminas that are kept indoors. I see you are in Zone 6b so you have to keep yours indoors in winter. These trees do usually drop lots of leaves whenever there is a significant change in light. That's why I often recommend finding a good, sunny indoor location for a Ficus and leaving it there year round. That spares the twice annual acclimatization process. Outdoors, the light is much more intense which encourages heavier growth. However, in your case, I'm not sure that is desirable as your tree is already too big.

Ficus trees respond very favorably to pruning at any time of the year. You really cannot go wrong in pruning a Ficus. Think of it as being like cutting hair. You can prune to any size or shape that you prefer. No matter how far back you prune, new growth will emerge just below each pruning cut and grow outward from there, So even if you prune back too far, you can be confident that it will fill out with a little time. I suggest that you be bold and experiment by pruning back more that you are initially inclined. Then watch how it grows back in and continue to prune to get it (and keep it) at the size and shape you prefer.

Pruning a Ficus tree is not so much a horticultural matter as an aesthetic one. Go for it! http://garden.org/i/s/hurray.g...

I have written detailed articles on pruning indoor plants and caring for Ficus trees as indoor plants that I can email to anyone who requests them by email or posts an email address here.

~Will

When I lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I had a great room that had 24' ceilings. I built a tiled in plant area that was 10x10', with water and drain, and 6" side walls enclosed it all in. I had numerous large plants in there and in the center was a Benjamin ficus. It was growing in a large, 1/2 whiskey barrel. That tree finally got about 15' tall. It was never moved and the light only changed some with the season, since the entire south wall was glass. There was never a time that my wife and I were not picking up leaves.

Each to their own, but I'll never have another one. There are many "well-behaved" ficus trees available.

Change in light is certainly not the sole reason for Ficus leaf drop, just the most common. Improper watering is another common cause. In addition, these trees when grown indoors can support only a finite number of leaves determined by the available light. Once they max out, which happens when they are allowed to grow unchecked, they will start to shed older leaves so that they can continue to support new growth. This is why many inadequately pruned indoor Ficus trees look rather sparse in their interior portions.

In general, the larger the indoor plant, the more maintenance is involved. If you don't like the extra work, stick with smaller plants.

Or stick with plants that simply are not so damn temperamental, regardless of size. After all, and staying within the same family, fiddle leaf and Alii' are far easier to manage. I have grown them all, inside and outside.

I love my ficus trees. I have had them for over 20 years. I baby them outside and protect them in the winter. I deal with the winter leaf drop and I understand it. I fills out every spring. This summer I have a 10 foot trees with a spread that will help cover my greenhouse, enhancing it's beauty and keeping it covered from the HOA.

Ten foot trees are whoppers. I couldn't get them through my doors. That's why I keep my 25 year old fiddle leaf a manageable 7-8' tall and 4-5' wide. She has to get through double doors on my porch, which I enclose in the fall.