stimulating side branch growth in rubber plant

last year

last modified: last year

last year I was gifted a varigated rubber plant.it seemed to be a previously prunned plant and all the growth I had was actually on a side branch while I liked it to have an up right,straight trunk but anyway.after a short while it's lower leaves started to turn brown from the sides and drop.when it lost some of it's lower leaves I was paniced that I might lose it so I chopped it to propogate and left just three leaves on the main plant. unfortunately none of the propagations made it (one is still alive and has lots of roots but no new growth yet after 10 months!). the leaves on the main plant kept turning brown and I didn't think it's going to survive but I repotted it and applied fungiside to it's soil and it amazed me by surviving. no brown leaves anymore and it started to grow a new branch and produced new leaves which gradually got bigger. I love this plant because it's a surviver and it's a very fast grower. but it doesn't look really nice because it's stem has angels due to being prunned and branched twice. I decided to wait until late spring, then try to grow some arial roots on the branch which has leaves and after seeing enough roots, chop the branch and pot it seprately to have a plant with straight trunk.But then I discovered there's a tiny bud on the other side of the prunned stem. it's as if it wants to grow a second branch! if the second branch grows I might not grow arial roots from the leafy branch. I will wait until the second branch grows a bit and then decide what to do. but I'm worried the bud would never grow to a real second branch. it's been a few months and I see no growth.Is there a way to stimulate the bud(second branch) to grow? right now my rubber plant sits 20 centimeters away from a southern window which has mattifier on it's glass. I feel it likes it's place because it grows huge leaves so rapidly. unfortunately I can't move it to outside because I have no yard. just a little southern balcony which I guess has a very harsh light(I live in a hot and dry climate). I have just a Yucca, a Madagascar palm and some Cactus in my balcony and they seem to like it but a varigated rubber plant might be different.I don't know what type of fertilizer is good to stimulate the bud of second branch to grow without losing the leaves varigation(I mean a high N, or P, or K? or a balanced one?). I asked a plant seller and he said I have to water the soil with a liquid cytokine they sell but I'm not sure it helps. I appreciate any suggestions.
BTW I wanted to add pictures but I don't know how. I'm new to this website and I can't see any option here to add pictures so I add them in comment section

Featured Answer

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

last year

Hi, Lili. I noticed you've been reading up on your plant and trying to define the best path forward. I can help you with that, but let me hit some of the high points in what you said above, and we can go forward from there.

First, let me say there's a high probability the initial spoiled foliage was related to over-watering. That's not a diagnosis, only a guess based on the odds that highly favor too much water as the cause.

If the propagule that rooted is a leaf only, it's a near certainty it will eventually fail. However, if the cutting included a node, and it has roots, as long as you can unsure it remains viable, it will produce a stem from the node.

That you can see a tiny bud is not enough to unsure it is or will be activated w/o your intervention. There is a chemical/ growth regulator/ hormone (auxin) which is synthesized primarily in the growing tip of the branch (its apical meristem). One of this growth regulator's jobs is to suppress growth of lateral buds in leaf axils (crotch formed by leaf and branch it attaches to) along the stem/ branch. When you prune just distal to that bud, it will shut off the flow of the suppressing growth regulator, which allows another growth regulator (cytokinin) to become dominant. One of cytokinin's jobs is to stimulate lateral growth along the stem/ branches. Your tree is apically dominant, so cytokinin remains largely subordinate to auxin until the source of auxin is removed.

Your tree will show its appreciation if you provide supplemental nutrition when using a fertilizer with a 3:1:2 RATIO. A fertilizer's ratio is not the same as it's NPK %s. Example: 24-8-16, 12-4-8, and 9-3-6 are all 3:1:2 ratio fertilizers. Look for a fertilizer that contains about 3x as much N as P, and about 3/5 as much K as N. If you can get it where you live, Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 would be a very good choice for nearly anything you might choose to grow in a container.

You have several options available to you if you want a tree with a straight trunk. If you want a perfectly straight trunk, you'll need to start a new tree, or cut the existing tree back to a stump. When it back-buds, you can guide the new branch/ trunk so it's positioned vertically. You could also air layer the top of the tree off. Then, when the air layer is removed, the stump will back-bud.

I sort of touched on several topics. Feel free to ask specific questions about how to get from point A to B.

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Comments (21)

lili sahm
Original Author
last year
this is my plant when I first recieved it

this is my plant after chopping

this is my plant today

and this is the bud I assume might grow to the second branch
lili sahm
Original Author
last year
this is my plant when I first recieved it

this is my plant after chopping

this is my plant today

and this is the bud I assume might grow to the second branch
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Hi, Janice. FWIW, and it's not a criticism, your tree looks like it is very rootbound, and would benefit from a repot, which is much more extensive than potting up. The tight-roots symptom that first jumps out at you is the fact that most of the foliage is growing toward the ends of branches. Now about the pruning/pinching .......... for our purposes, there is no difference between a branch and a stem. They react to pruning/pinching in the same manner. You can prune a branch back as far as you want if your tree is reasonably healthy. This isn't true of all species of Ficus, but it is very true of F elastica (rubber tree). It's good practice to prune so there is at least one leaf on the branch at the end. After you prune the branch, cut that last leaf in half across the veins and remove all foliage proximal (toward the roots) to that half-leaf. Your tree will look like an assortment of leaning flagpoles with half a flag at the end of the staff serving as the only foliage. For your situation, I would eliminate some of those trunks, keeping 3 or 5 of varying thicknesses. Pick the ones that make for an evenly spaced clump. Then, make the thinnest trunk the shortest. From there, the next thickest trunk will be the next longest, all the way up to the thickest being the tallest. That looks most natural. You should see new buds popping within 1-2 weeks after you prune. Repot at that time. In preparation for the pruning, flush the soil and fertilize at least a week before you prune. I use defoliation as a tool every day during the summer. I'm always snipping leaves off overly strong branches to free up energy flow to the weaker branches - usually the lower ones that are being shaded from branches above. Most of the growth regulator that acts to keep buds dormant is synthesized in the apex of the branches/stems. The apex is the tip of the branch where extension growth takes place. Most of the rest of the growth regulator is synthesized in leaves (particularly in young leaves), so removing the apex AND almost all leaves nearly eliminates all bud suppression. The result is copious back-budding. While back-budding will occur if you prune hard, whether or not you repot, your tree won't hold onto leaves on the new branches any better than it does now if you don't (repot). Al
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lili sahm
Original Author
last year
Thank you very much for commenting🙏🏻🌹I have read some of your comments on other topics and always find them very helpful.

About the problems leaves used to have, your guess might be right. the leaves already had the brown edges when I recieved the plant and the repotting I did after pruning might have saved it because I use a very porous mix for my houseplants which dries quickly and makes root rot very difficult to happen.

Is pruning the distal leaf bud, the only way to activate the tiny bud on the main stem? because I'm afraid even if I prune the distal bud the branching would happen on the pruned stem and not on the main stem. do you think watering the plant with cytokinine can active that tiny bud?(they sell bottles of cytokinine hormone for plants where I live)

Thank you for fertilizer suggestions. I thought a fertilizer with higher nitrogen ratio can reverse the varigation so I was undecided what type of fertilizer to use for my varigated ficus elastica. I'm going to try to find a 3:1:2 ratio fertilizer which might be a bit difficult to find where I live. most of fertilizers are either 1:1:1 here or have higher ratios of P or K. but I think I can manage to find a 3:1:2 if I search.

If I don't find a way to activate the tiny bud, then I will try air layering and start a new plant by cutting the top after roots emerged to have a straight,no branch plant. but if the tiny bud grows I want to air layer and grow the roots from the main stem to start a new plant with a straight main trunk and two branches.
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last year
Is pruning the distal leaf bud, the only way to activate the tiny bud on the main stem? because I'm afraid even if I prune the distal bud the branching would happen on the pruned stem and not on the main stem. do you think watering the plant with cytokinine can active that tiny bud? (they sell bottles of cytokinine hormone for plants where I live)Pruning the branch immediately distal to the currently inactive bud in question is the only SURE way to activate that bud. Note what occurred when this Ficus cutting was pinched/ pruned immediately distal to a bud:

Buds that were inactive when the cutting was pinched were immediately activated by effectively shutting off the lion's share of the flow of auxin, the hormone/ growth regulator which was suppressing activation of the new branches in the leaf axils.

If you have the patience, you could begin an air layer above that bud, on the branch that moves to the right in the image. When you separate the layer, you would then be activating the bud, unless it decided to break (activate) in the meanwhile. While fertilizing at luxury levels and plenty of light and air movement are conducive to back-budding, the pattern is seemingly random, so there is no guarantee the bud in question will break. alternately, you could use the top for cuttings. I can talk you through blanching the cuttings (before they are taken) and using a rooting aid to predispose the stem tissue to produce roots, which should pretty much ensure success.

While I understand the function of cytokinin and its interaction with auxin, I don't have the practical experience (using it) to provide meaningful information re the likelihood you would be successful in activating the bud in question through its use. THIS should be helpful

You can also try notching the stem immediately distal to the bud. The notch will reduce the flow of auxin, which is often enough to cause activation of the bud below the notch. This works for latent buds in leaf axils as well as those above leaf/ bundle scars left after a leaf is shed.

Remember, 24-8-16, 12-4-8, and 9-3-6 are all 3:1:2 ratios. It doesn't matter what the % of nitrogen is, as long as the fertilizer has about 3X as much P as N and about 2/3 as much K as N. The more concentrated fertilizers will require more water to make the solution appropriate for application. E.G, 24-8-16 will require twice as much water, compared to 12-4-8, to make the same strength solution. If there is any way you can acquire Foliage-Pro 9-3-6, I strongly recommend it. It is a complete nutritional program from a single source, containing all nutrients essential to normal growth in the ratio at which most plants actually take up the nutrients.

Al
lili sahm
Original Author
last year
thank you for taking your time to answer all of my questions🙏🏻🌹

If I prune the branch distal to the bud there will be no leaves left on my plant(other than the inactive bud) and I'm afraid it might not survive that way without any leaves to do the photosynthesis and if I keep a few leaves on the branch then I guess the branching might happen on the branch not the main trunk.

I'd like to first try notching the stem immediately distal to the bud and if it didn't work try the air layering but I don't know if it's the right place to do the notching?

BTW I also have some adeniums that I pruned hoping for them to branch. I thought they would at least give me two branches because they seemed to have a couple of inactive buds. but in most of them just one branch is growing which I know is going to make them look very bad after a while. do you know why this happens (growing just one branch after pruning) and how I can encourage them to grow more branches?
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last year
last modified: last year
I don't want to push you out of your comfort zone, but chopping the plant back immediately distal to the bud will not only activate the bud we're discussing, it will awaken other buds located above leaf scars as well. I've worked on a lot of F elastica specimens and they have always proven to be proliferous back-budders.

All images are Ficus:

F microcarpa:

F microcarpa:

F benjamina (2 images):

Above and below are same tree, before and after defoliating

F salicifolia:

F microcarpa:

As you can see, I have no reservations when it comes to chopping or defoliating healthy Ficus.

I don't know if it's the right place to do the notching? Notching: The flow of the growth regulator/ hormone (auxin) that inhibits lateral branching is polar. This means it only flows downward. The purpose of notching is to disrupt the flow of auxin, which eliminates suppression of inactive buds. The notch should be about 6-8mm distal to the bud or leaf scar, and should reach about 1/3 as wide as the branch/ stem circumference. Make the first cut 6-8mm above the bud/ scar/ node, and another about 4mm above the lower cut. Then, remove the phloem and cambial tissue all the way to sapwood. There will be a white layer between the cambium and xylem (vascular cambium) which should also be removed. Use the sharp edge of a knife held at 90* to the central axis of the branch/ stem.

This is an air layer prep, but note the bottom cut. Your cut should look like the bottom cut and it should extend about 1/3 of the way around the stem. The second cut would be about 4mm above the lower cut and the same width as the lower cut (1/3 of the branch circumference). Most notching efforts fail because the grower was too timid and didn't cut deep enough or wide enough to force the auxin to detour around the bud or node.

I thought they would at least give me two branches because they seemed to have a couple of inactive buds. but in most of them just one branch is growing which I know is going to make them look very bad after a while. do you know why this happens (growing just one branch after pruning) and how I can encourage them to grow more branches? Timing is a critical factor when it comes to how enthusiastically a plant responds to pinching or pruning. Best results are achieved A) when the plant is in an elevated state of vitality (it's healthy), it has plenty of stored energy reserves, and its current ability to make food (carry on photosynthesis) is at or about to peak. It also helps if the plant is being fertilized at luxury levels (especially nitrogen), and gets plenty of light and air movement. Plants on unhealthy roots and rootbound plants can generally be counted on to respond insipidly.

Al
lili sahm
Original Author
last year
Thank you very much. I'm going to post photos after going through any pruning or notching and post updates if branching
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last year
My pleasure, Lili. Please do let us know how you fare, or if you have other questions which need answers.

Al
lili sahm
Original Author
last year
Today I notched my varigated ficus plant from two spots. I did the first notch above the half-active bud. I was afraid of disturbing the bud and also there was just one inche of stem above it so I did a tiny notch. I did the second notch above another node. because I thought if my rubber plant branches from there, the angle of new branch will look good.

I hope I did it right and I cross my fingers it works. I'm going to fertilize it more regularly and try increasing my plant's light by removing the mattifying layer from my window's glass(it's a south facing window).I wished I could put it in balcony for recieving even more light but our balcony is south facing and I'm afraid it might be too hot and the light there might be too harsh(the days are around 35°C/94 F° here)

I'm also really tempted to use the Cytokinine hormone I have at home but I'm not sure if it's better to water the soil with it or spray it on the notches I made(it's written on it's bottle that you can either mix it in water and water the soil with it or spray it on your plant). I had used it on my ZZ plants to stimulate new growth and for them, I water the soil with the hormone (it worked like a dream in that case. I have three ZZ plants and in all three, new growth emerged after a few weeks.)

I'm also going to try to stimulate branching in my other rubber plants by pruning and pinching and I will post pictures from them too
lili sahm
Original Author
last year
This is my Ficus Altissima. it was 60 cm tall and single stem.it was pushing out new growth but not as quickly and vigorously as my Ficus Tineke,the enter nodes on the top half of the stem looked longer than what I like and it's newer leaves look curly but still I feel it's healthy.

I prunned the top 10 centimeters and I'm going to water propagate the top. I was hesitant to do the pruning because I'm afraid just one branch might grow on mother plant like the case with my Tineke and just one branch makes the plant bend on one side and look bad. but I'm hoping to see at least two branches.

I think it would look better if I did the cutting from 3 or 4 inches lower but I decided to cut from the place I did because now there are two nodes very close to the place I cut and I think when nodes are very close to the place I have cut, there would be more chance to see at least two branches.

I'm going to increase the light it receives by moving it closer to window and fertilize it every two weeks. I'm going to update if I see any new growth either in my mother plant or the propagation

This is my Altissima before pruning

I took this photo right after cutting the top
lili sahm
Original Author
last year
I also have two green rubber plants(these were propagations made from my grandmother's +40 years old Ficus). now that I'm trying different ways to stimulate branching in rubber plants (pruning, notching, pinching, Cytokinine hormone) I decided to use pinching methods on one of them and use just hormone without cutting or anything on the other one. so I just cut the unopened leaf sheat (I don't know what we do call it in English) on one.

Before going through these procedures, I wanted to repot and move both of them into a single pot. but I don't know if repotting might mess up with branching and I have to wait for new growth to show up before repotting or I can do it right now?

BTW I propagated my Tineke Ficus last year ago. none of the propagations survived except one. it's been a year that it's been potted, it has lots of roots and I'm sure it's not just a leaf (it is a leaf with a bit of stem and a node) but there's no growth so far.that single leaf is still healthy and unchanged but it refuses to push out new growth for some reason.is this natural? is there a way to encourage it's growth? it receives medium to bright indirect light and other plants sitting next to it (Aglaonema,Syngonium,green rubber plants) are all thriving so I think the light, temperature and humidity in that spot isn't that bad. can repotting or covering the plant to raise humidity help in this case?
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last year
last modified: last year
I hope I did it right [creating the notch] and I cross my fingers it works. It would have been better if the horizontal cuts you needed to make the notch were roughly 4mm (1/8-3/16") apart. The notches you made look like they are 10mm or more from top to bottom; and since there are two notches so close together, I have concern the xylem tissue through which water and nutrients flow upward might dry out to the degree the upper parts of the tree will suffer drought stress. If you notice the top wilting at all, carefully 'paint' over the notches with waterproof wood glue. I don't expect wilting to occur, but it's good to know what to do if it does occur. If you do not notice wilting, there is nothing else you need to to other than let us know what happens.

I'm also really tempted to use the Cytokinine hormone .... It can't hurt, but it might be better to observe the bud you're trying to activate before using it. That way you can know whether or not the notching was effective.

This is my Ficus Altissima. The internodes on the top half of the stem looked longer than what I like. This is a function of a reduction in the photo load (light intensity/ duration) the plant receives. My guess would be that internodes increased in length after you acquired the tree because the photo load where you have it sited currently is much lower than at the greenhouse/ nursery operation where it was grown before being shipped to its point of sale location. If the length of day varies significantly where you live (length if time it is light in summer vs winter) this variation in internode length should be considered to be normal; but, 'normal' doesn't mean you have to accept it. I grow all my tropical and subtropical trees under lights. Even so, winter growth is always always more elongated compared to summer growth. To eliminate having to work with long internodes, I do all my heavy pruning in June, cutting back into the previous summer's short internodes. So my pruning schedule is:

* Do hard pruning in June (Dec if you live in the Southern Hemisphere)

* Pinch only throughout the summer months. Pinching consists primarily of allowing new branches to extend until the 3rd leaf is about to (or is starting to) open; then, pinch back to immediately distal to the second leaf. The pinching forces new branches to grow in the axils of the 2 leaves left on the branch. As soon as you can see a leaf forming on the new branch, remove the mature leaf in the axil of which the branch occurs. Example:

These are 2 new branches growing in the axils of 2 mature leaves. This is about the right time to remove the mature leaves. This will help to keep internodes on the branch short and help your tree become fuller and more compact.

When you pinch the 2 new branches back to 2 leaves on a branch, each of the branches will produce 2 new branches, Pinching them gives you 4 branches, another pinch yields 8 branches, then 16, then 32, 64, 128. If you pinch judiciously, your tree will become so full you'll need to thin leaves and branches to let air movement and light into the center of the canopy - a good problem to have.

* Allow the tree to grow, unencumbered by pruning, all through the winter months.

* In the following June, repeat the cycle, starting with removing the winter's lanky growth by pruning back to last summer's tight internodes.

I was hesitant to do the pruning because I'm afraid just one branch might grow on mother plant like the case with my Tineke and just one branch makes the plant bend on one side and look bad. but I'm hoping to see at least two branches. I'm thinking you should see at least 4 new branches in the top 4 leaf axils. Remember to remove the mature leaves at the base of the branch when you can see the buds in the leaf axils have been activated. How enthusiastically your tree responds ti pinching/pruning depends on when you pinch/ prune. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, June in the best month to prune because A) you plant should have a good amount of stored energy, and B, it's ability to make food (through photosynthesis) peaks on June 21. If you prune when energy reserves are low and the tree's current ability to to make food is limited by low light intensity and shorter duration, you'll get a lethargic response.

Here's a tip if you get a single branch that doesn't want to become the new leader:

Leave a stub by cutting immediately below the node above the node where you want the branch to occur. When the new branch starts to grow, tie it to the stub to ensure it becomes set in its vertical orientation. You'll likely have several new branches you can choose from to be your new leader, so even with the pruning cut you made, you'll be able to use the top as shown in the image immediately above if necessary. You can also stake the new leader to ensure it grows vertically.

Now that I'm trying different ways to stimulate branching in rubber plants (pruning, notching, pinching, Cytokinine hormone) I decided to use pinching methods on one of them and use just hormone without cutting or anything on the other one. This should prove to be very interesting! so I just cut the unopened leaf sheath (I don't know what we do call it in English) on one. What you did would be considered a "pinch". Most plants have small leaf-like appendages, called stipules, near the base of the leaf.

In the mulberry family, to which Ficus belongs, the stipule has evolved to become a protective leaf sheath, which eventually dries up and falls off on it's own in the weeks after the leaf unfurls.

I wanted to repot and move both of them into a single pot. but I don't know if repotting might mess up with branching and I have to wait for new growth to show up before repotting or I can do it right now? If you intend to do a full repot (as opposed to potting up), you should wait until you can see the buds are activated and growing. Once buds are growing, remove the leaves that have new branches growing in their axils and do the repot. If you are only potting up, it will have little or no impact on back-budding, so do it asap.

I propagated my Tineke Ficus last year. none of the propagations survived except one. it's been a year that it's been potted, it has lots of roots and I'm sure it's not just a leaf (it is a leaf with a bit of stem and a node) but there's no growth so far.that single leaf is still healthy and unchanged but it refuses to push out new growth for some reason.is this natural? is there a way to encourage it's growth? it receives medium to bright indirect light and other plants sitting next to it (Aglaonema,Syngonium,green rubber plants) are all thriving so I think the light, temperature and humidity in that spot isn't that bad. can repotting or covering the plant to raise humidity help in this case? Please provide a couple of images, including at least 1 close-up, of the plant and pot.

Al
Elena Nuta
last year
Al, you said:

"Allow the tree to grow unencumbered by pruning all through the winter months."

Do you mean "by *not* pruning"?
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last year
I think it's correct as it was written because pruning all through the winter months would definitely be an encumbrance; however, I agree I might have done better to ensure it couldn't be seen as ambiguous by writing it this way: Allow the tree to grow, unencumbered by pruning, all through the winter months. Good catch, though. It's good to know someone is paying attention and keeping me on the straight and narrow ...... I'll fix it above, too.

Al
Elena Nuta
last year
Haha I have to admit I am a big fan of commas!!
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last year
.... and I tend to over-use them. In recent years, I've been trying not to chop up my sentences so much through their over-use. Oh well.

Have you ever read Eats, Shoots and Leaves? You'd love it.
lili sahm
Original Author
last year
I came back to report that on the Ficus Altissima that I pruned, I can see two buds growing which used to be invisible before pruning.

I can see no changes in other cases. also I can see no wilting in Tineke that I notched.
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last year

Those buds will become new branches, and you can start pinching the new branches back to 2 leaves as soon as the 3rd leaf on each branch is appearing.

Al
lili sahm
Original Author
last year
Came here to report the prunned Altissima Ficus's branches are growing. also the prunned part which I propogated in water is doing well and it has 1-2 inches of roots

this is how it looks 19 days after pruning and watering it with Cytokinine. it sits right behind a west facing window and receives just a few hours of direct light afternoons

But I can't see any buds or new growth on the pinched green Ficus yet(the one that I had cut just the growth point(the covered leaf)).but it recieves a bit less light(I guess I can call it medium indirect light, no direct light) and it's potting mix seems to be of lower quality/less nutritious.

I also decided to prune the Tineke ficus(the notched one which had angeled stem and I started the topic with that plant). now the mother plant doesn't have any leaves so I'm not sure it will survive but I hope it does(I moved it to our yard. I don't think full sun can harm it because it has no leaves). I decided to propogate the top part with a different method to see if it works. I usually cut a long stem to several parts and propogate each leave with it's node seprately. but now I put the whole cut in water(just removed a few lower leaves). I think it's struggling because it has droopy leaves now. it doesn't have real roots yet. just tiny white dots on lower section of stem which I assume are going to turn to roots after a while.

I wish I went through air layering method or a regular one node propogation because even if the long cut propogation works, all of these leaves will remain droopy
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last year
It's difficult to keep straight what tree's you are talking about. The 2 new branches on the F altissima were a predictable result of pruning, so while there might yet be a 'win' for the cytokinin application, it hasn't yet been made manifest in additional new branching beyond what was predictable.

I can't see any buds or new growth on the pinched green Ficus yet ..... but it recieves a bit less light ..... and it's potting mix seems to be of lower quality/less nutritious. While not yet conspicuous, buds in axils of the branches immediately proximal to the pinch are already activated as it's an obligate reaction. As long as the tree is creating more energy (by way of photosynthesis) than it needs to keep it's systems orderly, it will grow; and, since the tree is apically dominated, the already activated buds will be a very strong energy sink - meaning the tree will devote energy, causing those branches to extend.

Your potting medium needn't be nutritious. In fact, it is best to always make the soil's structure and ability to maintain that structure as your focal point. Nutrition is very easy if you have access to a high quality fertilizer product with the right NPK ratio, so it's the grower's job to ensure the plant has a full compliment of nutrients essential to normal growth, in a ratio that is as close as possible to the ratio at which the plant actually uses the nutrients.

A fertilizers RATIO is not the same as it's NPK %s. Example, 24-8-16, 12-4-8, and 9-3-6 are ALL 3:1:2 RATIO fertilizers, which would be the best choice for your Ficus. If you can gain access to Foliage-Pro 9-3-6, you can use it as your 'go to' fertilizer for almost anything you might want to grow in a pot.

I also decided to prune the Tineke ficus. Now the mother plant doesn't have any leaves so I'm not sure it will survive You have nearly a 100% chance it will survive, as long as you avoid over-watering it, which would be most likely to rob the plant of its viability. Monitor moisture levels deep in your plants' pots by using a "tell". See "tell" below.

I don't think full sun can harm it because it has no leaves. Full sun can harm leafless plants if the branches or stem has green tissue showing. It can cause sunburn (photo-oxidation of any cells expressing the pigment chlorophyll) and damage the vascular cambium of plant parts which are green.

I think it's struggling because it has droopy leaves now. That is because you left all the leaves on the cutting and intact, and the propagule cannot absorb enough water (w/o roots) to keep up with transpirational water loss through the surface of leaves. It might already be too late, but I suggest you remove the lower leaves (cut through the leaf stem with scissors) and cut the top leaf in half across venation. it doesn't have real roots yet. just tiny white dots on lower section of stem which I assume are going to turn to roots after a while. The white dots are root primordia and signal it's time to move the cutting from water to a solid medium. Roots that form in water are very different from roots that form in a solid medium/ soil, and water roots transition poorly to a solid medium. Better to start in a solid medium when you first take the cutting.

The droopy leaves will eventually fall off, and may be in the process of being shed already; this, due to the drought response occurring because the cutting cannot absorb enough water to keep the propagule adequately hydrated.

Al

Using a 'tell'

Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need plenty of air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support the kind of root health most growers would like to see; and, a healthy root system is a prerequisite to a healthy plant.

Watering in small sips leads to avoid over-watering leads to a residual build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil from tapwater and fertilizer solutions, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor.

In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water.

Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'.

One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue.

Al