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japanpsyhic
- Cool Member
- Posts: 62
- Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:17 am
- Location: Monroe, Connecticut
Branch planting??? don't know special term
Okay. My mom has a large ficus, and I want to know if taking a single branch off, then planting it in soil, will it sprout roots? Is there a special way to make it sprout? It is too large to turn into a bonsai, and my mom wants it. So, I want to know if I can take a branch and plant it, or how to get seeds from it possibly?
I personally haven't been very successful with propagating ficus, but I seem to be the exception. They are supposed to be very easy. What you want to do is cut off a 4-6 inch piece, strip the leaves off the lower third, dip it in a bit of root hormone (not neccessary but it helps), then put it in a free draining soil. After that the best way to get it to root is to have some way of keeping it humid (a cut plastic pop bottle, turned upside down with a few sprays from a spray bottle works well), and try to keep the it in a warm location, especially the pot. After that you would just want to lift the bottle every day to give it fresh air, spray it again and replace the bottle. If it grows then it has roots, if not just leave it be until it either sprouts new growth or dies completely. Don't try to check it for roots.
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maveriiick
- Senior Member
- Posts: 154
- Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:06 pm
- Location: Toronto
If the branch is small and made of newly grown green-wood/stem then remove most of the leaves except the top 2-3 and place the cutting a glass of water cover with cling-wrap to increase humidity. Give it 2-3 weeks for roots to sprout and then transfer to a pot, once roots are well established, with fast draining soil mix.
If the branch is older variegated wood then you will have to do air-layering. Basically remove all the bark in a 1-2 cm area below the branch you wish to remove, exposing only the wood below. Then you need to apply some rooting hormone (buy at any hardware store) to the bottom of the bark of the branch that will be removed. This will stimulate the bark to produce roots over time.
Then get some peat moss and soak in water and apply it around the wound you have created and cover this complex with plastic wrap and tape it securely. Then over the days apply water to the peat moss from above and let it drain form the bottom, within 2-4 weeks you should see roots and once there is an adequate rooting system established you can cut the branch from the tree and plant the cutting into good draining soil.
If the branch is older variegated wood then you will have to do air-layering. Basically remove all the bark in a 1-2 cm area below the branch you wish to remove, exposing only the wood below. Then you need to apply some rooting hormone (buy at any hardware store) to the bottom of the bark of the branch that will be removed. This will stimulate the bark to produce roots over time.
Then get some peat moss and soak in water and apply it around the wound you have created and cover this complex with plastic wrap and tape it securely. Then over the days apply water to the peat moss from above and let it drain form the bottom, within 2-4 weeks you should see roots and once there is an adequate rooting system established you can cut the branch from the tree and plant the cutting into good draining soil.