How to wash your hands from a nut. How to wash your hands from stains that appear after peeling walnuts in various ways

My ficus has grown - already 1.80 cm high.

I want to pin him so that he shoots to the sides. How to do it right?

Larisa, Ukraine, Makeevka

Judging by the photo, you ficus rubbery(Ficus elastica) Robusta. A really very tall ficus variety, it will grow as long as the ceilings of the room allow or either until you start pinching and cutting the shoots. In nature (in the tropics), this ficus grows into huge tall trees up to 50 meters in height.

Before pinching or pruning, it is important to know that ficuses secrete poisonous milky juice, so you need to take care of your safety - “milk” should not get on the skin, and even more so on the mucous membranes.

Now the ficus is not the time to pinch, you need to do this in the spring. In the spring, the ficus is actively growing, and it will be able to heal wounds faster. In addition, it is in the spring that dormant buds wake up, new shoots form, and you can quickly get the result of formative pruning. And if you cut the ficus in the spring, then it can and will branch, but the new shoots will be thin and ugly, they will grow slowly.

Pruning can begin as early as late February or early March.

If you are tired of the height of the plant, then you only need to pinch the top of the central shoot - the growth point. If you want to cut your ficus shorter, then you need to cut the plant 5-7 centimeters above the desired leaf (branch). But be careful - after pruning and pinching the central shoot, the trunk itself will never grow again, so think in advance about its optimal height.

On thin branches, the cut can be made in a straight line, if you cut the trunk, then the cut must be made oblique (the top of the cut is above the bud, the bottom is on the opposite side at the level of the bud).

All manipulations must be carried out disinfected sharp knife or secateurs. Scissors are only suitable for very narrow branches, if you cut the trunk with them, then you injure the plant. Disinfecting pruning tools can be done by roasting them over a fire or by wiping them with alcohol.

After cutting, you need remove milky juice with a cloth soaked in water (do not wring the cloth, the water will stop the further secretion of “milk”). It is not necessary to cover up and sprinkle the wounds of the rubber-bearing ficus.

After 3-4 weeks, the ficus needs to be fed- it is necessary to stimulate growth. It may be worth transplanting into a larger pot (2-3 cm larger in diameter), this also stimulates branching. However, if you do not plan to greatly reduce the height of your plant, such a transplant will be difficult - then simply update the topsoil. Transplantation and renewal of the land should be done no earlier than 2 weeks after pruning, which in itself is stressful for the plant.

If everything goes well and side branches appear, then they can also be pinched to make the crown dense and compact. If the branches are too strongly directed upwards, or asymmetrically to the sides, then at the growth stage their direction can be corrected with a wire.

You can also try to root several plants in one wide pot (for this, your ficus can be propagated by cuttings).

Unfortunately, the rubbery ficus is not too prone to the formation of side shoots. It is impossible to predict in advance how the crown will grow. Some specimens are very successful in releasing side branches, and some continue to release branches again and again at the top. In such cases, these branches can be cut off or also pinched, until you finally get the result you expect. This can be expected for years, or it can happen the first time.

Your plant is in good shape, judging by the photo, we hope that you will be able to form a beautiful crown for your ficus. We wish you good luck!

Dear readers, you can ask us your question about flowers on the page “ ”, we will try to answer it and publish the answer on the pages of our website.

And this is how rubber-bearing ficus grows in nature in its homeland. 🙂

pruning

Pruning promotes good growth and abundant flowering of plants, it is necessary to get a beautiful crown or shape of plants, to bring out standard or bushy specimens.

Pruning is done in three cases:

If you want to rejuvenate the plant
- if they want to form a plant
- sanitary pruning

The best time for pruning is spring. Pruning is done after a dormant period. The cut is made over the outward-facing leaf, otherwise new shoots will grow inward. The cut should be made a few millimeters above the kidney and go away from it, slightly obliquely.

Sanitary pruning. All yellowed, shriveled shoots and leaves that have lost their decorative effect should be cut off. Weakened old shoots are often easy prey for fungi and bacteria, a shelter and breeding ground for insect pests. In addition, an unhealthy type of shoot may not indicate old age, but a disease or pest damage. If it is not removed in time, the disease will pass to healthy parts of the plant, which once again proves the need for sanitary pruning. The basic rule is to remove all unhealthy or aged parts of the plant. You need to cut the shoot down to healthy tissue (or - if the shoot starts underground - remove it to the very base).

Rejuvenating pruning. It is especially suitable for those plants that can develop long shoots that lose their leaves over time, or become bare from high temperature or dry air in winter. With anti-aging pruning, the shoots are removed almost to the very base. But at the same time, you need to make sure that 2-3 live kidneys remain on the "stumps". It's okay if you remove up to 90% of the shoot length. After all, the more intense the pruning, the more active the subsequent growth of the remaining shoots. If you are sorry to part with all the shoots at once, you can rejuvenate the plant in stages, first cutting off half of the shoots, and when they grow up, cut the rest short. Anti-aging pruning is best done shortly before or at the very beginning of the growth period. Don't forget to feed the plant after rejuvenating pruning, because the plant will have to grow at a faster rate than usual. After rejuvenating pruning, many strong, healthy shoots grow. Therefore, sometimes such pruning is carried out in order to obtain many high-quality cuttings.

Formative cutting. This is the most difficult type of pruning, giving the plant the desired shape. Formative pruning - creative process, which requires careful observation of the plant. The highest achievement of the art of formative pruning is 6onsai and the creation of living sculptures from plants. At home, it is useful to form tall and highly branched plants, which without this procedure give a thickened and ugly crown, such as ficuses, citrus fruits, laurel, hibiscus, roses, fuchsias, etc. When forming pruning, it is important to choose the right growth direction for future shoots. If you want to grow a horizontal branch, then the topmost bud left on it should be turned down or into the outer part of the crown. If you have planned vertical growth, then pick up a bud pointing up or to the center of the crown, and make a cut a little higher than it. Manuals often recommend using wire to give the branches the direction they want to grow. Keep in mind that plants are very willful creatures. It is quite difficult to change the direction of growth of branches with a wire. But there are those who willingly change their shape. So, from small-leaved ficuses it is possible to obtain "sculptures" of any given shape using wire frames. And one more note: the younger the branch, the easier it is to change its direction with a wire. Shoots that are not yet lignified or semi-lignified shoots lend themselves best to wire forming.

Formation of a stem tree. To form a standard tree, a strong rooted cutting is taken, growing vertically upwards. Remove side shoots until the plant reaches the desired height. When this height is reached, cut off the top of the plant. Wait until 5-6 side shoots develop, which will be the top of the stem tree. Their tops are pinched several times. Remove all leaves at the base of the stem. The result is a standard plant with a well-developed crown.
Standard tree dimensions.
Table standard tree: 30 - 45 cm.
Low standard tree: 45 - 80 cm.
Standard standard tree: 80 - 105 cm.

Bush formation. In a young plant at a height of 6 - 7 cm, pinch off the top of the main shoot. Lateral shoots, after reaching a height of 10 - 12 cm, are also pinched. When a beautiful bush is formed, it is necessary to periodically pluck or cut out the shoots directed inward, it is better at the very beginning of their appearance.
Arc formation. Hanging and climbing plants form long shoots that can be launched along a wire arc. To do this, the arched support is carefully inserted into the pot. The shoots are distributed along the wire, in some places they are freely tied up.
Formation of a pyramid. From some plants you can form a beautiful pyramid. Plants such as fuchsia, ivy, pelargonium grow well up, you can make a screw support for them.

Pinching. In order for cuttings or young plants to branch well and not stretch upward, you need to slow down their growth in height by pinching off the tops of the shoots. Pinch the plant usually over the first pair of leaves.

Pruning for the winter. Potted plants, which are kept in a dark basement in winter, should be properly cut in the fall, removing all remaining leaves. Remember: the root system should not dry out.

Every grower who grows wants to see beautiful branched trees, and even with intricately woven trunks.

But not everyone knows how to form a ficus at home.

Moreover, these plants grow only upwards and without human help they will not develop a lush crown. We will talk about the methods and rules for creating a dense green crown.

Did you know? The progenitors of ficuses are 30-meter trees typical of the Indian jungle with giant horizontal branches and rounded meter-long leaves. In their shadow they can hide up to 300 square meters earth.

Description and features of culture

At first glance, it seems that the process does not require additional skills and knowledge, in fact, all of the above requires talent and patience. Let's take a closer look at how to make a ficus branch.

Ordinary

Any work aimed at developing the side branches of the plant using conventional technologies should be carried out between February and July. If you ignore this rule, the plant may have enough strength to develop a single sprout; in this case, the ficus will grow in only one direction.

The method consists in pinching the apical shoots of a young ficus. Experimenting with old specimens can end up killing them, since it is very difficult to wake sleeping buds.
Thus, a bush can be created from a straight trunk. For its uniform rounding, flower growers recommend exposing it to the sun in different directions, periodically turning the pot.

Some craftsmen resort to using cytokinins - hormones that slow down the aging process of the plant organism and without removal of the apical bud stimulate the development of its lateral branches.

This method is very effective, because during processing, hormonal substances do not delay deciduous processes, so that the lower zone of the flower remains covered with leaves.

You can do without additional funds by bending a thin trunk into an arc so that its top is directed downwards. Then the growth hormones will accumulate in the upper part of the bend, and the lateral buds will sprout. The disadvantage of this method is the slowdown in the development of stems.

Another effective way make the tree branch cut the bark over the kidney.

Botanists call the technology kerbovka and advise making deep and wide cuts at the bottom of a lignified trunk.

Unusual (weaving, circular lattice, stem tree shaping)

Sometimes the beautiful plexuses of ficus stemscreated by flower growers are breathtaking. It turns out that you can create such masterpieces at home.

In order to get busy ficus weaving, the first step is to plant several equally developed sprouts up to 15 cm long in one pot. Their two shoots growing side by side will make a marvelous spiral, three - a braid, four or more - an unusual lattice. It is important to provide for places where thickenings form in the future, and leave gaps, as well as pinch off lateral sprouts.

To obtain flat fence, plants are planted through a certain distance on the same line. And when the stems reach the desired height, they are connected with special clamps or with a regular thread, polyethylene tape. Moreover, as they grow, the compression is slightly weakened so that unaesthetic scars do not form on the cortex.

To speed up the process, experts advise carefully cutting off the bark at the junction of the shoots to make a kind of grafting.

Important! From excess or lack of moisture, the rubbery ficus leaves curl.

A circular lattice will turn out if you plant young plants in a circle. To get a trunk in the form of an extended spring, a peg is stuck in the center of the pot, and flexible stems are wrapped around it, removing side branches as necessary.

The pinnacle of perfection can be called the shape of ficuses curled around a moss (coconut) column. Its moist base constantly feeds the plant, stimulating the growth of aerial roots. This contributes to intensive interlacing and fusion of sprouts.

If these procedures seem too time-consuming to you, you can experiment with creating a bole shape. To do this, on a young flower, it is necessary to pinch off the apical bud after it reaches the desired height. Usually, for outdoor specimens, this is done at the level of 1 meter. Lateral branches are sheared in such a way that the cut passes over the kidney facing away from the bark.

But this is not the limit of flower growers' fantasies: a unique form can be created from a high ficus, forming a multi-tiered stem from it. To do this, the first step is to remove the upper point of growth, conditionally divide the trunk into several parts and give them a rounded shape. The spaces between the tiers are cleared of all branches and foliage.

Did you know? The oldest rubber-bearing ficus called "Homer's tree" grows in Buenos Aires. He was planted back in 1781. From time to time, the branches of the green giant sagged heavily, so they were reinforced with concrete supports.

How to form a rubber ficus at home

Whatever technology you choose for your rubber ficus, in order not to destroy it, it is important to know how to properly form a crown, which you can choose from a photo on the Internet or a magazine, a book. In addition, you need to strictly follow the rules, which can conditionally be divided into several groups. Let's consider each in more detail.

Without pruning ficus

If you will stimulate the growth of lateral branches with the help of special preparations, lighting and other tricks, it is important to consider:

1. The growth of ficus branches can be regulated by manipulating the pot and directly with the plant itself. The principle of all procedures is to give the sprouts a vertical position.
2. A bud frozen in growth will go up if the container with the flower is tilted so that the future shoot looks up.
3. A horizontally inclined branch will grow branches in the upper zone.
4. On a drooping stem, lateral branches will actively develop, and the trunk will also strengthen.
5. One-sided specimens will sprout on the other side if they are turned with a bare trunk towards the sun.
6. A multi-tiered ficus can be obtained much faster when planting sprouts of different heights in one container.
7. Accelerate the appearance of a rounded ficus crown additional lamps daytime lighting.
8. In order for the woven trunks to evenly increase the green hat, the pot must be periodically turned to the sun in different directions.
9. With sufficient humidity in the room, ficuses take aerial roots. In no case are they removed, but sent to the soil.
10. Among cytokinins, the Kartolin drugs (may be labeled 2 or 4), Benzyladenine, and Zeatin have an impeccable reputation. It is important to use them, strictly following the attached instructions.

Did you know? In India, in the homeland of rubber ficuses, locals they were used to create pedestrian bridges. From the branches and aerial roots of plants growing on the banks of reservoirs, the base and handrails were woven. In some cases, the length of such structures reached more than 30 m.

with pruning

There are nuances in the formation of ficuses using tools:

1. In cases of creating a bushy crown, the cut of the apical bud should be at a level of 10-15 cm from the ground. You can leave no more than 4 sheets.
2. Pinching of the lateral buds is carried out only on specimens turned away from the bark. Otherwise, young sprouts will greatly thicken the crown.
3. All sections must be wiped with a damp cloth until the milky juice stops secreting. Then it is treated with charcoal ground to dust.
4. With increased density of the crown, cut off part of the branches directed inward to the central trunk.
5. Kerbovka is carried out with a sharp instrument (preferably with a blade or scalpel).
6. Competently made incisions in the bark look arcuate, roof-shaped or transverse. If you are removing the part of the cortex above the kidney, do this by cutting out a rectangle, triangle, or crescent.
7. If you are faced with the task of correcting irregular shape tree or form a certain conceived figure, then it is worth resorting to grafting. The method is carried out by transplanting one plant to another, is very laborious and not always effective. The reason is the milky juice secreted from the sections of both parts, which prevents ficuses from growing together.
8. After the cuts, there should be no stumps - this is a favorable environment for the formation of fungi.

Initially, the ficus has only one stem, but over time, new branches appear on it. And then you need to properly pinch the plant to form a beautiful crown. To do this, just follow a few simple rules.

If the ficus grows only up, without giving side shoots, then over time it can turn into a tall little deciduous tree. But this can be avoided by simply periodically cutting and pinching the top.

The most popular method among experienced gardeners is the Japanese pinching method. The procedure is quite simple. When forming the crown, you need to twist the branch to the bud, from which new side shoots will subsequently appear.

The procedure is as follows:

• it is necessary to determine which branches will be superfluous when creating beautiful crown tree;
• each selected branch should be carefully bent into a loop and bandaged to the trunk.

Important! If juice appears at the fold, it must be washed off the plant.

After a few weeks, the buds remaining up to the bend point will sprout new shoots.

Why do you need a pinch?

Ficus is a tall plant, some species grow up to 2–3 m. Pinching and cutting off excess shoots allows you not only to keep the flower growing at the right height, but also to form a beautiful crown. In addition, this procedure allows you to rejuvenate the plant.

How to pinch at home?

In order for the procedure to be successful, the owner of the ficus needs to know the following:

1. It is important to choose the right time for pinching. Otherwise, the plant can easily die.
2. Ficus juice is poisonous and can cause burns or allergic reactions. Therefore, all manipulations with the plant must be carried out with gloves.
3. It is better not to combine pruning with another procedure, for example, transplanting.

Ficus can be easily pinched at home if you follow the established rules.

Choosing the time for the procedure

Experienced gardeners know that the ideal time for pinching ficus is spring. It is during this period that the plant is activated, forming new shoots and buds. Therefore, the procedure will not become too stressful for the flower, and all the “wounds” will quickly heal.

Important! Pinching in autumn or winter can lead to the death of the ficus.

Pinching instructions

Before proceeding with the formation of the crown, you need to decide on the choice of knife. It should be sharp enough to cut thick branches immediately. The knife must be disinfected with alcohol or peroxide. If the plant is young, then unnecessary shoots can simply be cut off.

But if the ficus is already several years old, then you need:

• determine the point that will become the top;
• the incision should be made at a distance of 6–8 cm from the leaf;
• branches should be cut obliquely;

When pinching, rinse all cut points with water. Since the juice of the plant will slow down the growth of new shoots. To form an ideal crown, pinching and pruning should be carried out annually.

Important Rules

The crown formation procedure largely depends on what the gardener wants to get. For example, to get the shape of a standard tree, you need to:

1. Choose a young unformed ficus without lignification.
2. Then gradually remove side shoots until 5 top branches remain.
3. When the ficus reaches the height, the upper shoot should be pinched, and the side shoots should be removed.
4. For young stems without bark, you need to build a backup. It will be required until the ficus finally grows.

Such a trunk can be multi-tiered. To do this, the crown is divided into 4-5 parts. The odd ones will be the tiers of the crown, and the rest will be the gaps between them. For the formation of the latter, the shoots are cut 5–7 cm shorter than in tiers.

In addition to the trunk, there are several other ways to design a beautiful crown. This is a bush and an arc. For the formation of the first type, it is important to ensure that the ficus does not grow up, but gives side shoots. This is controlled by annual pinching of the flower.

The arc is created very simply - the upper part of the plant bends down and is fixed at the required height. The upper buds begin to give new shoots, so that the plant becomes more voluminous. As soon as the side shoots reach the desired length, the fixation is removed. The branches of the ficus will remain in their original position, forming an interesting arc.

Further care

After the stress of the procedure, the ficus needs additional feeding. It is added immediately or wait 1-2 weeks until the plant adapts. If necessary, you can transplant the ficus into a new pot. This is true for plants that no longer fit in the old container.

How to pinch to bush and be lush?

For plants that are too tall, the procedure for the formation of new side shoots remains relevant. The owner of the ficus can use several ways:

1. Japanese method. Suitable for small flowers that do not fit on the windowsill.
2. Pruning. If you remove the top of the plant, the ficus will give new shoots. This will make the flower more lush. But it should be borne in mind that if the procedure is not performed correctly, the ficus will continue to grow upwards.

Important! When using the Japanese pinching method, branches can be tied not only to the trunk, but also to pegs specially driven into the ground.

Is it possible to pinch Benjamin if he only grows up?

Ficus Benjamin bushes on its own. But in some cases, it can quickly grow up without giving side shoots. This is often due to insufficient lighting or poor watering and top dressing. You can pinch Benjamin in such a situation, but you need to do it correctly.

What if it stretches very high?

When the flower stretches up, then, in the process, it sheds the lower leaves. Most buds form at the top of the plant. Therefore, do not allow too much growth upwards.

If the ficus needs to be made more voluminous and small, then they resort to pruning the plant. But it is important to remember that the cut should only go obliquely and be above the kidney. In addition, gardeners use the following methods:

1. Lower the extra branches down and tie them to the trunk or pegs. This allows the buds on top to sprout strong shoots. The procedure is carried out several times in order to grow a sufficient number of side shoots.
2. Sometimes kerbovka allows you to achieve the appearance of new shoots. To do this, a small incision is made above the sleeping kidney, approximately a third of the depth. The bark in this place must be removed to weaken the root nutrition.
3. AT special occasions gardeners use special stimulation of the flower with plant hormones - cytokinins. With their help, the lateral axillary buds begin to dominate, and not the apical ones.

Important! Any cuts are made with a disinfected knife, otherwise you can provoke the appearance of a fungus or infection.

Any ficus owner knows that the plant requires careful care. Otherwise, you may encounter the fact that the top of the flower rests on the ceiling. Therefore, annual pinching in the spring is a must. And to begin to form a crown of the desired height and volume should be as early as possible, while the ficus is still young.

Or ficus elastica at home, it is necessary not only to properly care for it, but also to form a crown.

Ficus refers to tropical plants, reaching in nature 40 meters. It wraps around all nearby trees thanks to aerial roots, which eventually form a banyan tree.

Indoors, rubbery ficus grows from 50 centimeters to one meter per year. If the flower is properly looked after, then it will give an additional leaflet per week. Due to the fact that the plant does not bush much, but constantly stretches in height, it is necessary to constantly restrain its growth by pinching or pruning. Do not try to transplant the flower into a spacious pot so as not to disturb its growth. This will lead to the growth of the root system, but the bush itself will stop growing.

How to form a crown at rubbery ficus without pruning

There are ways in which the ficus is forced to branch lateral shoots and at the same time do not resort to pruning:

1. It is necessary to tilt the trunk lower and fix the top with ropes to a support inserted into the ground. Such an action will affect the kidney, which will be at the very top. It will give growth to a strong branch. The top of the ficus will stop actively reaching up. If you gradually level the trunk of the ficus, then you can achieve the growth of a few more additional branches. The procedure is best done with young trees, they lend themselves well to it.
2. You can make an incision a third of the depth of the trunk above the sleeping kidney. Manipulations are carried out only with a disinfected knife. In this place, the bark is removed. As a result, the root nutrition of the awakened kidney is weakened. This operation is called kerbovka. It is carried out only in the spring.
3. Artificial plant hormones, cytokinins, can stimulate branching. With their help, the apical dominance of the apex is replaced by the lateral axillary dominance. Also, these hormones prevent the leaves from falling down.

Pruning ficus rubber at home

Prune the ficus preferably in the spring, when it is actively growing. If you do the procedure at another time, then only the upper kidney will wake up, and the bush will become one-sided. Before pruning a ficus, you must wait for its height to be at least 70 centimeters. If there is no desire to change it, then just pinching the top is enough. When the rubber bush is excessively high, then it can be cut above the desired branch above 5 centimeters. When pruning, you must understand that after it the bush stops growing in height, so you must determine for yourself how deep it should be, since nothing can be corrected later. Getting Started with Pruning rubber ficus at home, you should know:

• the procedure is carried out with well-sharpened tools, it is enough to treat them with alcohol or ignite with fire;
• thin shoots are cut only with a straight cut, but the trunk itself is cut obliquely;
• if you make an incision, then on the one hand it should pass directly above the kidney, and on the other hand it should go out at its level;
• for pruning, it is best to use a knife and a pruner to avoid injury to the ficus; thin branches can be cut with scissors.

After manipulating the plant, it is important to remove all the milky juice that has come out. It wipes off with a damp cloth. If this is not done, then the juice freezes and clogs the vessels, which stops the growth of the rubber-bearing ficus.

Another important point! When a plant needs a transplant, it should be postponed after pruning for two weeks, as the procedure causes stress in the ficus. It will also contribute to the branching of the ficus. To do this, use a larger pot by 3 centimeters with a mandatory good drainage layer. In an adult ficus plant, they simply change the top layer.

To stimulate the active growth of additional shoots, the elastic is fed with mineral fertilizers. Before top dressing, the soil must be moistened.

As soon as additional shoots appear on the plant, they are pinched to make the crown dense and compact. To achieve the desired direction, the shoots are adjusted with a wire. You can plant a rooted top in one pot, which will additionally help form a beautiful crown.

How to get an unusual crown of rubbery ficus

If everything is in order with your imagination, then you can form a crown at the plant according to your taste different kind. We bring to your attention its most common forms:

1. Standard. This shape is like a small tree. To get it, you need to strengthen the stem and remove all the foliage to the place you need. After a while, the support is removed, and the stem is shortened to 5 centimeters. The tops in the second and third internodes are pinched, and the lower branches are removed by a third. Such pinching and pruning is done regularly to maintain the desired shape of the crown.
2. Ficus weave. If you want to get a pigtail or spiral, then two or three young plants should be planted in one pot. The shape of a spiral is made from two stems, carefully and gradually twisting them together. A pigtail is woven from three ficuses. When performing ficus weaving, it must be borne in mind that over time the stems will thicken, so it is not worth pulling the stems strongly between each other. All branches that appear on the sides are removed.
3. Fence. This form is obtained when placed in a container in a row and with the same interval of young ficuses. To maintain the desired shape, they are fastened together with a rope or a dense thread. To prevent the appearance of scars, sometimes loosen the fastening. In places where the stems are interconnected, the bark is removed, the juice is wiped off and the plant is fastened with a film. Then you need to rotate the composition to the sun.
4. Circular lattice. To get this shape, you need to plant young plants in a circle.
5. Spiral stem. A spiral can be grown if, as it grows, carefully wrap the trunk around the support. All branches on the sides are removed.
6. Original. If you plant a coconut column in the center of the composition, and ficuses grow around it, then over time the aerial roots of the plant will braid it with sufficient moisture. As a result, a monolithic structure is formed, it will look like a banyan tree.