How to propagate ficus: two ways of grafting and obtaining air layers
Ficuses are one of the brightest representatives of ornamental plants, which are often used for landscaping, both office premises and private houses. Due to the fact that they do not bloom, many growers are wondering how to propagate ficus. By and large, this is not difficult to do if there is a healthy adult bush.
Ficuses reproduce, regardless of their type, in a vegetative way, which includes two ways, namely:
- rooting cuttings;
- growing air layers.
Regardless of which option you use, the procedure should be carried out at the most at the beginning of summer. Later reproduction may not give a result - the young ficus simply will not have time to get stronger by the winter and will not tolerate the climate change in the room.
How to cut ficus?
As you know, grafting is a procedure when cut shoots of a plant take root. For ficuses, this method has some features associated with the cuttings themselves, and more specifically, with how you will cut them.
There are two options ficus cuttingswhen rooted:
- Apical, rather long, cuttings with a couple of leaves. Accordingly, they are cut, departing from the top of about 15 cm.In this case, the lower cut must be made obliquely, departing from the lower sheet (that is, the knot) at least 1 cm.
- Short cuttings from the central part of the shoot, but always with one leaf. Here, the length of the cutting is not so important as the presence of one leaf plate (node). After all, it is from his bosom that a young twig will appear. Therefore, the lower cut must be done differently, namely, directly along the node itself.
Sliced cuttings (both in the first and second way) must be immediately washed well in water to remove the juice that is released at the cut site. In addition, they must lie down for a couple of hours for the wounds to dry.
Such processes can be rooted either in water with further transplantation into the ground, or immediately plant them in nutrient soil. It should be borne in mind that only plants at least 2 years old can be grafted, choosing semi-lignified shoots.
How to propagate ficus with air layers?
Some varieties of ficus with age, they expose the lower part of the branches, and the leaves remain only on the crown. You can return the bush to its previous forms by cutting off the entire half-naked shoot. And in order not to throw it away, you first need to grow aerial roots. Then the old flower can be corrected, and a new ficus can be obtained at the same time.
To make air layers, notches should be made on the branch, or even better - cut the bark ring directly in a circle. Then the wound will be wider and will not be able to overgrow. Then put moistened sphagnum moss on the cut and wrap it all with foil. From time to time you need to tear off the bag and spray the moss. After a couple of months, roots will appear from the incision. When they grow up, the branch (that is, the layer) can be easily separated and planted in a pot.
In the end, I would like to note that one should not expect quick results from vegetative reproduction of ficuses. This is not geranium for you and in a week or two the roots will not appear. But, having gained patience, instead of one flower you will have several, which there will always be someone to give.