All tropical plants of Asian origin such as the ficus benjamina deserve appropriate care and treatment to be able to survive and hope to reach an optimal life expectancy, which can go up to more than 20 years. However, for one reason or another, you may want to propagate your plant cheaply. The cutting technique allows you to give life to several young shoots of ficus benjamina by taking stems of a few centimeters that you will prepare for weeks before repotting. There are steps to follow for this, you do not need to have a green thumb.
To hope to give life to young shoots of ficus benjamina, you will have to be patient and have a lot of willpower. there are three techniques for cutting your plant altogether, all of which can be effective. The cutting with water, stifle or roller. For this purpose, you will need to equip yourself with the necessary tools and objects according to the chosen technique. Here are the 3 different techniques for cutting a ficus benjamina.
3 techniques for cutting your ficus benjamina
When you own a ficus benjamina and it begins to fill a corner of the room it is in, a technique that allows you to have new plants and maintain it is cuttings. For this, it will be necessary to follow the steps which vary according to the chosen technique. Here are a few tips that can help you cut your ficus benjamina.
1. The necessary equipment
Like all green indoor plants, for the cutting of the ficus benjamina, it is necessary to bring a few tools and gloves to protect your hand when removing the branch. This is necessary in order not to risk damaging them because of a white substance coming out of them. Apart from that you need a shears or secateurs to cut a branch that will be used for cuttings. For the water cuttings, a jar or glass of water is useful as well as a piece of charcoal.
2. The technique of water cuttings
First, cut a branch of about 20 cm using a pair of scissors or pruning shears. It should be noted that you must always protect your hands during this step, remove all the leaves except those which are at the end of the stem. Then put the stalk of ficus benjamina in a jar that you have previously filled with water and place a charcoal in the bottom to prevent the roots from rotting. However, use demineralized water to optimize the chances of successfully cutting your ficus benjamina. Finally, you have to wait a few weeks, the time for the roots to come to life and have grown well. After this time, do not forget to repot your young shoot of ficus benjamina.
3. The stifled cutting technique
This technique consists of cutting a 15 cm branch on your ficus benjamina, using a pair of garden shears or pruning shears. Remember to always protect your hands with gloves. Then using one of these tools, remove all the leaves except for those on the upper part. Then, take a filled pot that you have filled with potting soil and plant the branch in it. Sprinkle with a little water and wait a few weeks before repotting.
4. Roller cutting technique
For this last technique, you will only need 8 cm of rod. Pick up this branch with a pair of garden scissors or pruning shears while protecting your hands with sturdy gloves. Then fill a plastic bag with a special green houseplant soil. Remember to moisten the potting soil before planting your branch to cut. After that, tie the end of the plastic with a string so that your place stays in place. After all this, sprinkle water regularly on the bag and protect it from the sun. It takes about 2 months before the young shoot is big enough for repotting.
Some tips that can help you cut your ficus benjamina
Whether it is a cutting of ficus benjamina in water, stewed or with a roller, you should know that you need to use pruning shears to remove the shoot. However, while cutting the stem, you must protect your hands because the ficus can leak a rather toxic white substance.
The cutting of the ficus benjamina requires a lot of patience and some care in order to be able to grow. Do not forget to disinfect your pruning shears or your pair of scissors before proceeding to cut the stem.
It should be noted that ficus benjamina is one of those which cuttings in water. In particular the saber ficus, the ficus lyrata or the ficus pumila.
