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Oct 9, 2016 3:08 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Kristi
South Bend, IN (Zone 5b)
Houseplants
Hi! I am in the process of bringing in my plants for the winter - I live in Northern Indiana. I have a beautiful Ficus Benjamina - probably 20 years old. It LOVES going outside for the summer, but the fun is over, cold weather is coming. I was preparing it by trimming up the wild sprouts and dead wood, and I see that my tree has some nice new growth near the bottom. I know I can root small cuttings, but is a little branch like this too large? It is growing off a large branch that was trimmed a year ago, and I was wondering what I should do. It is a healthy 12 inch tall baby and I thought it would make a beautiful plant if I could root it somehow. Could I cut off the small branch that sprouted out of the larger stump and try to root it in water . . . or could I trim off that little section of stump and the little branch and try to root that whole thing? Or should I just trim it off, toss it and forget about cuttings with it.

Thanks for any suggestion . . . here is a picture and I circled the part in question:

Thumb of 2016-10-09/grafiti4u/fa55c3
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Oct 9, 2016 4:11 PM CST
Name: Will Creed
NYC
Prof. plant consultant & educator
Green tip cuttings less than 5 or 6 inches in length can sometimes be rooted in small pots of damp soil or water. However, larger woody-stemmed cuttings that you are asking about really have to be air layered if you want to propagate them. Air-layering is a bit complicated and may be something you would rather not do.

Your tree looks terrific after its summer outside. Now is the time to prune it back sharply - as much as you can stand. The pruning will help it better fit inside your home and also help it adjust to the greatly reduced indoor light. You may also consider pruning out the interior small stems as they are shaded by the outer canopy of leaves and are the first to fall in reduced light.
Will Creed
Horticultural Help, NYC
www.HorticulturalHelp.com
Contact me directly at [email protected]
I now have a book available on indoor plant care
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Oct 9, 2016 10:34 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Kristi
South Bend, IN (Zone 5b)
Houseplants
Thanks Will! I did that for the first time last year when I brought it in and it really made a difference! It had gotten so big, it was taking over my room. I was nervous to do it, but I just started pruning away until it looked like a managed tree, not a wild bush. And it looked so nice in the center of all my other house plants, it gave them all a nice balance. You are right, it fit so much better in the house and stays a very healthy tree. I think I will just go ahead and clean it up good again and maybe just root some smaller 6 inch lengths from the trimmings. I have looked at air layering before and ... how did you know it is something I would rather not do!

Thanks again, Will!
Kristi
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Oct 10, 2016 7:07 AM CST
Name: Carter Mayer
Houston, TX (Zone 9b)
Adeniums Tropicals Plant Identifier
You can try to root that branch in question - it certainly won't hurt anything! I would prune that whole section you have highlighted off, and then only try to root the offshoot part. F. benjamina tends to root pretty easily. It's the wrong time of the year for cuttings, but with some additional bottom heat, and a little rooting hormone you could easily do it.
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Oct 10, 2016 10:37 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Kristi
South Bend, IN (Zone 5b)
Houseplants
You know, that is what I was thinking Carter - I didn't think it would hurt anything to try. So are you saying prune that whole 'stub' off, with the little shoot coming out of it, then trim off that 'shoot' and just try and root that only? Would you simply root in water? I have to get some rooting hormone, I have never used it before.
thanks!
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Oct 11, 2016 3:31 AM CST
Name: Laurie b
Western Washington (Zone 7b)
Houseplants Orchids Region: Pacific Northwest Region: Mexico Sedums Tropicals
http://www.gardenguides.com/12...

Here is a nice little link telling how to propagate your tree. Good Luck. It is said to be difficult to use hardwood, but your little sucker could be greener than one would assume.

I propagated about a dozen of these this summer, and they are just adorable now. I have no idea how I will train and prune them into trees. I am just going to let them go for a year or two.

Good luck. Nice nice tree. How is your Draceana tree doing?
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Oct 11, 2016 7:01 AM CST
Name: Carter Mayer
Houston, TX (Zone 9b)
Adeniums Tropicals Plant Identifier
grafiti4u said:You know, that is what I was thinking Carter - I didn't think it would hurt anything to try. So are you saying prune that whole 'stub' off, with the little shoot coming out of it, then trim off that 'shoot' and just try and root that only? Would you simply root in water? I have to get some rooting hormone, I have never used it before.
thanks!


Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. Thumbs up The whole stub just for cosmetic reasons - but that's not necessary if you don't want to. Definitely the new shoot portion if you want to root that. It may well root in water, I'm not sure. Honestly, when I've rooted my ficus, I just stick them in dirt and run with it, haven't ever tried water. Rooting hormone isn't necessary, just figured it would give a little extra oomph to root. Just make sure to change the water every couple of days to keep it fresh.
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Oct 11, 2016 7:34 AM CST
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
I like for a cutting to be at least a foot tall. That allows for enough stem to be submerged in the soil so it's not wobbly, and then still have a decent size entity visible above the soil. I've put all of my Ficus cuttings right into pots, don't own any packages of hormones.
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
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The only way to succeed is to try!
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The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
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Oct 11, 2016 8:09 PM CST
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
I trim my tall old (outdoor) ficuses every year. The cuttings are so easy to root, it pains me to throw any cuttings away. It's like throwing away trees! I've given so many away. I kept one and it is 8 feet tall after only 3-4 years. It seems that the brown wood takes fastest. I literally stick them into some soil and keep them moist. No special treatment at all.
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Oct 11, 2016 10:09 PM CST
Name: Laurie b
Western Washington (Zone 7b)
Houseplants Orchids Region: Pacific Northwest Region: Mexico Sedums Tropicals
Wow, I love this news. I wonder if the ficus at work would look ok with one huge branch missing. Hehe
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Oct 12, 2016 11:15 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Kristi
South Bend, IN (Zone 5b)
Houseplants
Well, I gave 'Benjamin' a good haircut and he looks really handsome now! I had all kinds of cuttings, so I am giving it a go at rooting a bunch of them, so I am sure to get a couple! I didn't think I could just stick them in dirt, so I am rooting them in water with the rooting hormone stuff (I am such a sucker and trying new things - ran out and bought a little bottle of it yesterday). But I may take half of my cuttings and stick them in dirt too - just to see what works!

Thanks for all the input!
Kristi

ps I wondered if anyone had a problem getting a notification in their email box when someone replies to their posts. I double checked my email in my profile, but I never get any notifications, I have to log into the forum to check if I got any responses. I wondered if I didn't set something up correctly . . .
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Oct 13, 2016 4:39 AM CST
Georgia (Zone 8a)
Region: Georgia Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Dog Lover Cactus and Succulents Annuals Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Hummingbirder Butterflies Bee Lover Composter Garden Art
Does it say, "You have a new system message"? If so, someone gave you a thumbs up. Thumbs up
Last edited by Hamwild Oct 13, 2016 4:41 AM Icon for preview
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Oct 13, 2016 12:57 PM CST
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
I think email notifications go to your regular off-site email address. To find new additions to discussions in which you're involved, click the little person at the top right, then "your posts." Any with a red "NEW" have new comments since your last view of the discussion.
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯
The only way to succeed is to try!
🐣🐦🐔🍯🐾🌺🌻🌸🌼🌹
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧🍁🍂🌽❀☀ ☕👓🐝
Try to be more valuable than a bad example.
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Oct 13, 2016 1:17 PM CST
Georgia (Zone 8a)
Region: Georgia Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Dog Lover Cactus and Succulents Annuals Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Hummingbirder Butterflies Bee Lover Composter Garden Art
I get a little box that shows the tree mail's subject (it looks different than a system message). If you see a red bell at the top left, that's a system message, a red email, that's a tree mail. Smiling
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Oct 13, 2016 9:07 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Kristi
South Bend, IN (Zone 5b)
Houseplants
Thanks! I just got another reply from someone saying I would only get an email from a response to a question I ask, in the 'Ask a Question' forum - not the other forums. That's fine, I enjoy checking out the other posts in here!
Kristi
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Oct 13, 2016 9:17 PM CST
Name: Laurie b
Western Washington (Zone 7b)
Houseplants Orchids Region: Pacific Northwest Region: Mexico Sedums Tropicals
If you mention someone just put an @ sign before their name, like this @grafiti4u
This prompts this system to let the person receive a system message you mentioned them, and where. It's a nice way to ask or encourage or whatever someone without tree mail. Tree mail is also great. Just another option the forum offers here. You find your system messages by clicking on the Bell icon in the top right, between the envelope icon and the person icon. Group hug
Avatar for emacertgsa
Jan 12, 2021 8:19 PM CST

Would any of these methodes work for a 10-12 inch Ficus Microcarpa branch? How would you warm it to try and root it in cool weather?
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