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Houseplant help? Save a massive Ficus Benjamina

i10ki10k Posts: 23
in Problem solving
Hi all!

I just recently rescued an enormous Ficus Benjamina and want to give it a bit of immediate TLC and get it set to enjoy the rest of its life cared for in my home.

Before I do anything, I thought I'd seek some advice here - hopefully someone can help!

I plan to repot it asap - will buy a larger pot and get it settled with some good quality fresh compost, teasing away as much of the old stale (and dry!) stuff from the roots as I can.

As you see from the photos it needs a haircut (please excuse the mess - I've placed it in the corner of the kids' playroom until I attend to it at the weekend) it's rather unruly and has been badly pruned in the past, so I'd like some advice on how best to tackle this - what is the best way to sensitively prune this magnificent tree to bring it back to it's best without too much of a shock?

Any and all advice gratefully received!

Thanks in advance.


Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    repot it by all means, but I'd not worry about pruning it. 
    IMHO it'll look worse, not better.
    Devon.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I have one of these which I've had when it was teeny, 35 years ago.   Now that we live in warmer climes I put it outside for the summer - out of direct sunlight but in good light - but once nights dip below about 12C I bring it back indoors and put it in a bright, east facing window till things warm up again.   

    It always loses leaves and some of the small stems die so, sometime in late Feb or early March I go thru it and snip off all the little leafless twigs.   I have, in the past, thinned the stems too to reduce density and make it less top heavy.

    Spring is also when I re-pot tho not every year and not anymore.  It's best to use a good loam based compost such as John Innes no 3 so it doesn't get water-logged.   I can't manage a bigger pot now so it will be top-dressed.   I have it on a stand with wheels so I can take it thru to the shower once a month or so to remove dust from the leaves and give the compost a good soak and then let it drip and drain. 

    I feed it with those little sticks you push into the compost and which release nutrients when watered.   I water it once a week thru winter.    When it's outside I water it once a week as a minimum but more if it's been really hot.   It seems very happy. 
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I do the same as @Obelixx - prune off any twigs/branches that have no leaves at all on them. It's basically a tree, so the lower/inner foliage tends to die off and most of the leaves are on the outer ends of the branches. I also shower my houseplants from time to time. They don't get holidays outside, but I sometimes put them outside on a wet summer day to get rained on.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • i10ki10k Posts: 23
    Thanks all for the advice so far.  Once it's settled in fresh compost I'll carefully trim off all the whippy little stalks inside the bulk of the tree which don't bear any leaves.

    Should I be concerned about the shape of it?  It looks to me like the top has been hacked off previously, and the growth all leans one way - see third photo - I feel like I ought to prune some shape into it..?
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Wait till you see what it looks like with all the dead twiggy bits removed and then leave it a month or two after re-potting to see where any new shoots form.   Then walk round and look at it from all sides before you prune any further to get a more balanced shape.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    It's probably been growing towards the light, and possibly up against a low ceiling or top of a window recess. Some people say that moving Ficus benjamina makes them drop their leaves so you shouldn't turn them, but I haven't found that. Mine get turned fairly regularly so that the same side isn't always towards the window.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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