can I re-root a Ficus tree?

Question

can I cut off a piece of my Ficus and get it to grow?

Answer 1

Hello,
My I suggest going over here for some really good info:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/fig/

There is talk about growing from cuttings and so forth of ficus.

Hope this helps, those forums are great for help,

Dave

Answer 2

Oh boy, get your ficus out of that bucket of water ASAP. It will not like being so wet and will drop leaves in protest. Ficus can be soooo touchy. Don't trim any roots. Any little change will make a ficus drop leaves, and trimming roots will harm your plant. I've repotted my ficus several times, and all I do is slip it into a new pot that is about 4 inches larger in diameter than the previous pot. Then fill in around the rootball with more potting soil. Those little roots you mentioned will reach out into the new soil. This method disturbs the plant as little as possible, and when you're dealing with fussy ficus, you want to disturb it very little.

Answer 3

My ficus is now 21 years old and I brought it home from next door as a branch that broke off. I made a good cut on the bottom, put it in some good potting soil in a well lit corner. Kept it moist but not real wet. And now it is 8 foot tall and been through 3 moves, one of which it lost all its leaves to cold. Trimmed it back heavily and it took off again. Take more than one cutting if they all do not take. You might even try to braid them like some folks do. Rooting hormone a plus but not really required.
If you want to do the big one, because it got leggy or something. Just prune the bejesus out of it. It will recover and come back in a year or two.

Answer 4

If you are talking about re-rooting the entire mature plant, it is possible, but chances are 50-50 it will survive. use a well draining potting mix and water heavily. Adding B-1 will give it its best chance to establish new roots and prevent the shock. keep moist (not sitting in water) for the first week then allow the surface only to dry out between waterings. Light source must be indirect bright light.

for a cutting, use an all purpose rooting compound/hormone and place it in sand or perilite until the roots are 2-3" long, then the above directions would apply. Good luck!

Answer 5

Yes. A piece 6 inches would probably root easier than a really tall piece.