How to Trim a Ficus Tree

Ficus trees can be trimmed at any time of the year.

The ficus tree is also known as the weeping fig and Chinese banyan. Trimming, or pruning, a ficus tree is done for several reasons. It helps control the shape and size of the tree; it promotes growth; it removes any dead or diseased branches; and it allows more light and air to circulate around the tree.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears
• Newspaper

Instructions

1. Trim your ficus tree any time of the year, but look for a rest period between growth spurts. This is the best time to prune the tree. Look for several leafy shoots on the tree as a signal that it is time to prune. For indoor trees, this usually occurs during the spring.

2. Make sure your pruning shears are sharp. Dull shears can tear the branches and leave them vulnerable for infections and disease.

3. Place newspaper underneath your ficus if trimming your tree indoors. Ficus branches can drip sap after being trimmed.

4. Locate the branch collar on any branches you are considering trimming. The branch collar is the enlarged area at the base of the branch where it joins the stem. All cuts should be made at a slight angle so the cut ends at the outside edge of the branch collar.

5. Trim back the largest limbs to where they join smaller side branches, instead of trimming all the branches equally. This is known as thinning.

6. Remove any dead, diseased or pest-infested branches first. Make sure you dispose of them in a location where the branches won't reinfect your tree.

7. Remove any crowded branches, branches that rub or cross, branches that compete with the main leader, or branches that grow inward, as well as any branches that you feel disfigure the tree.

8. To make a branch grow in a different direction, trim it back to a leaf. The branch will then grow in the direction of that leaf, according to Brian's Garden.

Resources

• Brian's Garden: Pruning Ficus
• New Mexico State University Issue: October 4, 1999
• Q&A: Pruning Ficus Trees