The Complete Guide to Pruning Ficus Trees

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Learn how to keep your ficus healthy with proper trimming
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Whether growing indoors or outdoors, ficus trees are beautiful, low maintenance plants. Routine pruning is a great way to keep your tree strong and robust. By thinning out overgrown areas, cutting back diseased or damaged branches, and encouraging fuller growth, pruning can improve the health and appearance of your plant. In this article, we’ll teach you when to prune your ficus, how to do routine pruning, and the best way to shape the tree.

Best Way to Trim a Ficus Tree

Remove any diseased or dying branches to keep your ficus healthy and cut back any overgrown areas or vertical branches to keep it looking its best. Cut just before growth nodes to promote new growth. Never prune more than 30% of your ficus at a time, and wait until the dormant season in winter for extensive shaping.

Section 1 of 3:

Choosing When to Prune a Ficus

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  1. Outdoor ficuses are fairly adaptable and can be trimmed during most seasons. Anytime from late summer to early spring is ideal, as this is right before and after your ficus’s dormant season. [1]
    • Try not to prune your outdoor tree in early summer, as this can induce an off-season growth spurt and leave your plant more vulnerable to frost.
  2. Indoor ficuses need regular pruning to remove old leaves and shape the plant to its living space. Avoid pruning your indoor ficus in mid-spring, however, particularly when it is forming new leaves and buds. [2]
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  3. For extensive shaping, wait until your plant’s dormant season in winter. During this period, your ficus is least likely to sustain shock from pruning, and, with outdoor plants, you’ll be able to see the branch structure better. [3]
  4. Dying or dead branches can weaken your tree and make it vulnerable to further damage. To prevent this from happening, remove damaged branches as soon as you notice them. [4]
    • If your tree is weak, avoid pruning it unless it’s to trim or cut away damaged areas.
    • Both indoor and outdoor ficuses are vulnerable to a number of pests (like mites, mealybugs, and aphids) which can cause disease and damage. Use an insecticide like neem oil to fight off pests, and dispose of infected leaves and branches immediately to stop the spread of disease.
  5. If you’ve noticed excessively thin areas on your ficus, pruning can encourage branching. Try trimming your ficus in early springtime to encourage branch and foliage growth during the next season. [5]
    • If you've noticed thinning in summer or early fall, wait until the following season to prune.
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Section 2 of 3:

How to Do Routine Pruning

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  1. Most ficus varieties excrete a toxic milky sap that causes skin irritation. To prevent rashes, wear thick gloves and long sleeves while pruning your ficus. [6]
    • Gloves made with latex or thin fabrics will not protect your skin from the ficus’s sap. Opt for thick gardening gloves instead, which are available at most plant nurseries or garden centers.
  2. If your ficus has diseased, damaged, or dead branches, prune them away at a downward slant with your loppers or shears. Cut the damaged branch back to a healthy area to help your tree heal and focus its energy on healthy branches. [7]
    • Dying or dead branches usually lose their bark and have gray or decaying wood.
    • Diseased branches may have brown leaf spots or greasy-looking spots, excessive leaf drop, or yellowing near the veins.
    • If you suspect the branches are diseased, sanitize your shears between each cut with 70% isopropyl alcohol to prevent the disease from spreading to the rest of the ficus.
  3. If your ficus tree has thinned out more than usual, inspect it for scars where leaves used to be. Clip directly above leaf scars to encourage thicker foliage as your plant grows . [8]
    • Leaf scars are small, round marks found where your plant originally grew leaves. They’re usually lighter in color than the surrounding branch.
    • Pruning above leaf scars should ideally be done in spring.
  4. If you prune back large branches or make many cuts, apply cut paste over the clipped area. Pruning essentially creates many small wounds on a plant, and cut paste will help your tree heal and protect it from diseases and pests while it recovers. [9]
    • Buy cut paste online or at most plant nurseries.
  5. Because ficus plants are toxic, their clippings cannot be used as a mulch or compost. Collect the clippings in a trash bag and discard them when you’re done pruning. [10]
    • For an environmentally-friendly alternative, ask local recycling centers if they can make use of your ficus clippings.
  6. Too much pruning can throw your tree into shock and leave it vulnerable to diseases. Limit yourself to removing less than 30% of your ficus’s foliage and branch structure at a time. [11]
    • If damage expands across more than 30% of the plant, hire a professional landscaper to determine the best treatment for it.
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Section 3 of 3:

Shaping the Ficus Tree

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  1. Ficuses are not ideal plants for extensive shaping. When pruning your tree, keep its initial shape in mind and aim for a trimmer, better-maintained version of its original pattern. In many cases, when a plant has been properly pruned, it’s difficult to tell that it’s been pruned at all. [12]
    • Ficus trees are usually round and widest at the bottom.
    • Plants that are pruned according to their natural shape typically require less maintenance than those pruned into an unusual shape. [13]
  2. Inspect your tree for branches that jut from the plant’s natural shape or overlap other branches. Cut these away with shears or loppers (depending on the size of the branch) directly above a node or where another stem branches off to minimize damage. [14]
    • Thinning out your ficus’s foliage helps light penetrate the tree, which can make the plant look fuller and give it better air flow.
  3. Vertical branches can give your tree a bulky, awkward shape. Inspect your tree for any branches growing upward and prune them away with loppers or sheers to keep your ficus looking its best. [15]
  4. The lower leaves and branches bring essential nutrients to the trunk, and a strong trunk is essential for holding up the ficus’s foliage. [16] Thin or shape the lower branches lightly to keep your tree strong, but don’t remove them completely.
    • This is especially true for smaller ficus trees like rubber trees and fiddle leaf figs.
  5. If you have low ceilings or keep your ficus in a confined space, trim the roots in addition to the branches to keep your tree from growing too large. Unpot the ficus and remove most of the potting soil from the rootstock. Use clean pruners to trim no more than â…“ of the root system and remove any diseased or damaged roots. Then, repot the ficus and freshen the soil if needed. [17]
    • If you decide to prune the roots, it’s essential to prune the branches as well. Otherwise, the plant would be too top heavy.
    • While you don’t have to trim the roots to prune your ficus, it helps prevent the plant from producing leaves as quickly.
    • If done incorrectly, root pruning can damage the tree, so only do this if you’re comfortable trimming the roots.
  6. If you’ve cut back about 30% of your ficus and it is still too large for its pot or your backyard, try repotting or replanting it somewhere else. This can give your ficus more room to grow without sending it into shock from excessive pruning. [18]
    • Avoid transplanting trees with a trunk diameter wider than 2 inches (5.1 cm). Hire a landscaper or nursery professional to replant large ficus trees. [19]
    • When repotting or replanting a ficus, be sure to use a well-draining, fertile soil. Soil-based potting mixes often work well and provide all needed nutrients. Avoid acidic soils, like those used for roses or azaleas.
    • If you move your ficus, keep it in an area with a lot of light, but avoid placing it in direct sunlight, as this could scald the leaves.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    Why are the leaves on my ficus tree turning yellow and falling off?
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Expert Answer
    This is an indication of not enough water. Or, the humidity in the air may be too low.
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  • Question
    How often do you water a ficus tree?
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Expert Answer
    During the spring and summer, you can water them a modest amount. During the winter months, they only need a little water.
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  • Question
    Why is my ficus tree losing leaves?
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Typically, this is from bad watering. You may be either underwatering or overwatering the ficus.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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      Tips

      • Sanitize any tools you use before and after you prune each plant. This helps prevent the spread of disease. [20]
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      • If your plant loses leaves after extensive pruning or transplanting, don't worry. Ficuses often shed leaves after these events, and your tree should grow more after several weeks.
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      • Be careful not to overwater your ficus. Water ficuses only when the top 2 inches (5 cm) of soil is very dry. For indoor trees, water until it runs out of the draining holes at the bottom, and for outdoor trees, water once or twice a week with about 1.5 to 2 inches (3.8-5 cm) of water.
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      Warnings

      • Do not use household scissors or knives to prune your ficus tree, as these can damage the plant's tissues. Using gardening shears to trim the ficus will keep it healthy and strong.
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      • Never prune more than 30% of a ficus at a time, as too much pruning can weaken the plant. [21]
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      • Ficuses respond to stress by losing leaves. Stress can be caused by drafts, pests, over- or underwatering, too little light, low humidity, or a change in temperature. Be sure to monitor your ficus for any of these issues.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://greg.app/how-to-prune-ficus-benjamina-exotica/
      2. ↑ https://greg.app/how-to-prune-ficus-benjamina-exotica/
      3. ↑ https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ficus-carica/
      4. ↑ http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/yard/2004/030604.html
      5. ↑ https://extension.unh.edu/resource/basics-pruning-trees-and-shrubs-fact-sheet
      6. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6340245/
      7. ↑ http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/yard/2004/030604.html
      8. ↑ https://www.uwsp.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/leaf-winter-tree-id-key.pdf
      9. ↑ https://kats-garden.nz/blog/pruning-paste
      1. ↑ https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ficus-lyrata/#poison
      2. ↑ http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/yard/2002/083102.html
      3. ↑ https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/pruning-trees-and-shrubs
      4. ↑ https://extension.unh.edu/resource/basics-pruning-trees-and-shrubs-fact-sheet
      5. ↑ http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/yard/2004/030604.html
      6. ↑ https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/pruning-trees-and-shrubs
      7. ↑ https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST254
      8. ↑ https://www.bartlett.com/resources/root-pruning.pdf
      9. ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/repotting-houseplants
      10. ↑ https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2009/3-11/transplanting.html
      11. ↑ https://extension.unh.edu/resource/basics-pruning-trees-and-shrubs-fact-sheet
      12. ↑ http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/yard/2002/083102.html

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      Ficus trees are beautiful and easy plants that will grow strong with routine pruning. Prune your ficus in the spring, summer, or fall. For more extensive shaping, wait until the winter, when your plant is dormant. You’ll also want to cut away diseased, broken, or dead branches whenever you notice them. Since most ficus trees excrete a toxic milky sap that can irritate your skin, wear thick gloves when pruning. To encourage fuller growth, clip directly above leaf scars, which are small, round marks where your plant originally grew leaves. If you prune back larger branches or make several cuts, put cut paste over the clipped area to help it heal and protect it from disease and pests. For more tips from our Horticultural co-author, including how to shape your ficus, keep reading!

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