How to Prune an Amstel Ficus

Ficus trees can grow quite large if they are allowed to.

The ficus Amstel tree -- while it is a handsome addition to a yard and also often used as an indoor decorative plant -- can be a difficult tree to prune. Not because the pruning procedures themselves are especially complicated, but because the ficus tree's sap is composed of latex, which is a product in natural rubber products and which will stain and stick to almost anything it touches. The tree will ooze latex as you trim it, and you will have to pause to dab away the latex until it stops before continuing to prune the ficus.

Things You'll Need

• Cutting implement
• Gloves
• Eye protection
• Cloth rag

Instructions

1. Put on your protective gear and -- if you are pruning an indoor tree -- lay drop cloths around the tree so that none of the sap will fall on any nearby carpet or furniture.

2. Cut away any dead or diseased wood from the ficus tree. Make sure you make the cuts below the diseased or dead wood, so you will actually be cutting into healthy wood. This is to help minimize the spread of disease or decay.

3. Dab away the latex with your cloth rags after each cut.

4. Cut back the desired branches back to another healthy branch that is roughly 1/3 the size of the branch you are cutting.

5. Cut the branches back to just above a bud. Do not cut too far above the bud, as this will result in the wood above the bud dying and potentially rotting back.

Tips & Warnings

• If you suffer latex allergies, the sap of the ficus tree could be very dangerous to you. Make sure you wear sufficient protection -- at the very least, gloves and eye protectors -- when trimming your ficus.

• If the latex comes in contact with your skin, you may need to use rubbing alcohol to get it off.

References

• Plant Care: Ficus Tree - Pruning Time
• Plant Care Guru: Ficus Alii
• New Mexico State University: Pruning and Braiding Ficus Branches