Ficus plants are popular houseplants that come in a variety of forms like the rubber plant weeping fig, and fiddle leaf fig. With their lush green leaves and easy care requirements it’s no wonder ficus are a favorite. propagating ficus allows you to easily multiply your plant collection. This article will provide a complete guide on how to successfully propagate ficus plants using different techniques.
Why Propagate Ficus Plants?
There are several benefits to propagating your ficus
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Produces new plants for free – propagation allows you to increase your ficus collection without spending any money. Simply take cuttings or separate plantlets from a mature ficus plant and root them to make new plants.
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Share with friends – ficus plants make great gifts. Propagating your ficus lets you share new plants with family and friends.
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Replace old plants – Over time, ficus plants can become leggy and unattractive. Taking cuttings from a healthy plant allows you to replace old plants with new, revitalized ones.
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Unique varieties – Certain ficus varieties are hard to find or expensive to buy. Propagating rare varieties preserves special cultivars.
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Foster an ongoing hobby – Propagating ficus and rooting the cuttings is an enjoyable, rewarding hobby for plant lovers.
How to Propagate Ficus
There are a few different techniques for propagating ficus plants:
Stem Cuttings
Taking stem cuttings is the most common ficus propagation method. Here’s how to do it:
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Using clean, sterilized pruning shears, cut a piece of stem about 3-6 inches long from the parent plant. Choose a stem that is healthy, with no flowers or fruit attached.
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Remove all but the top 2-3 leaves from the cutting. Keeping a few leaves allows the cutting to continue photosynthesis while new roots form.
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Dip the bottom 1-2 inches of the cutting in rooting hormone. Rooting hormone contains plant growth regulators that encourage root growth.
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Stick the cutting in a pot filled with well-draining potting mix. You can also use materials like perlite, vermiculite, coconut coir or sand.
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Keep the potting medium moist but not soggy. Enclose the pot in a plastic bag or place it in a humid area to prevent the cutting from drying out.
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New roots should emerge in 4-8 weeks. Gradually introduce the new plant to normal conditions over 2-4 weeks. Then repot in fresh potting mix.
Air Layering
Air layering allows you to propagate ficus without taking any cuttings. Here’s what to do:
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Select a healthy stem on the parent plant and remove all leaves and aerial roots within a 2-3 inch section.
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Wrap the bare stem section with a handful of damp sphagnum moss. Cover the moss with plastic wrap to retain moisture.
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After 1-2 months, roots should have formed in the moss. Cut the stem below the new roots.
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Plant the new rooted cutting in potting soil, water well and care for like a mature plant. The original plant will continue growing from above the air layer.
Plantlets
Some ficus plants naturally produce baby plantlets on their stems which can be used for propagation. To use plantlets:
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Identify healthy baby plants growing from the stems of a mature ficus. Gently remove them by cutting the connecting stem.
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Pot the baby plants in soil, water well and enclose in a plastic bag until established. Keep them out of direct sun at first.
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Slowly transition the plantlets to normal conditions over 2-4 weeks before removing the bag. Care for them as mature plants.
Root Division
Mature ficus plants that have become overgrown can be divided:
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Remove the plant from its pot and carefully separate the root ball into smaller sections using your hands or a knife. Ensure each division has plenty of healthy roots.
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Repot each root ball division in its own container using fresh potting mix. Water well.
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Grow on the divisions as individual plants. This method works well for quickly replacing old plants.
Tips for Successful Ficus Propagation
Follow these tips to ensure your ficus cuttings root quickly and grow into healthy new plants:
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Take cuttings in spring or summer when plants are actively growing. Avoid winter.
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Use a sharp, sterile knife or pruners to make clean cuts. Crushing stems prevents growth.
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Keep cuttings upright and don’t allow to wilt before rooting. Use a humid enclosure.
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Pot cuttings in a sterile, well-draining mix. Perlite or vermiculite mixed into soil improves drainage.
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Use rooting hormone to encourage faster root growth. Dip stem ends in powder or liquid formulations.
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Maintain warm temperatures of 65-75°F. Cooler conditions slow growth. Provide heat mats or grow lights if needed.
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Once rooted, acclimate new plants gradually before moving to normal conditions. Prevent transplant shock.
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Repot newly propagated plants in fresh potting mix to encourage establishment. Fertilize lightly.
Common Propagation Problems
Here are some common ficus propagation issues and how to fix them:
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Cuttings wilting – Increase humidity with a humid dome and mist leaves. Don’t let cuttings dry out.
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No root growth – Use rooting hormone, provide bottom heat of 70-75°F, and ensure potting mix stays moist.
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Moldy cuttings – Allow more air circulation and water less frequently. Mold thrives in stagnant moisture.
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Weak, stunted growth – Acclimate new plants gradually. Repot in fresh soil after rooting. Apply balanced fertilizer at half strength.
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Leaves dropping – Gradually transition propagated plants to normal conditions. Dropping leaves indicates shock.
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Root rot – Use a very well-draining potting mix amended with perlite or sand. Allow soil to partially dry between waterings.
Propagating ficus through stem cuttings, air layering, plantlets or division allows you to easily and affordably multiply your ficus plant collection. Follow the simple steps outlined and you’ll soon have success rooting ficus cuttings. Pay close attention to humidity, warmth and proper soil moisture to prevent issues. With the right care, your new baby ficus plants will quickly grow into beautiful, healthy specimens. Happy propagating!
Step 5: Use Rooting Hormone
The tissue of Ficus tends to be harder and thicker than other houseplants. This woody tissue will need some assistance when it comes to establishing roots. It is especially helpful to use rooting hormone when propagating Ficus trees because it helps new roots grow from the thick tissue.
Plants are filled with various hormones. Hormones influence cell elongation (growth), flowering, seed germination, and fruit ripening. We can also add hormones to speed up certain processes.
Rooting hormone comes in a few different forms. You can easily find powders, liquids, and gels at your local garden center. These products are used in the asexual propagation of plants worldwide.
Pour a small amount of liquid or gel rooting hormone into a container. Then, put the cutting on the container. Do not put your cutting right into the original bottle; this could make it dirty and put pathogens on other cuttings.
Dip the ends of the cuttings into the small container of liquid, making sure that the solution covers a lot of leaf nodes. Stick the cutting into a pre-prepared hole in the pot containing your dampened media. The stem cutting should be in direct contact with the soil, so gently push the soil back around it. This will keep the cutting stable.
As you hold your cutting over the trash can and lightly shake the rooting powder over the stem to cover the leaf nodes, you can use the powdered rooting hormone. You can dip the stem in water first and then sprinkle rooting powder on top to help it stick to the stem if you want to.
Carefully tap the stem to get rid of any extra powder, and then stick your cutting into the wet media inside your pot, being careful not to knock off any powder as you put it in a hole that has already been made. Press the soil up against the stem of the plant to make sure they touch and to keep your cutting stable.
Step 4: Remove Leaves
The cuttings must have healthy leaves to propagate Ficus trees because they will use photosynthesis to encourage rooting. Even when your cutting is new and has not developed roots yet, the leaves are still making food. However, too many leaves can cause your cuttings to fail.
While you root your cutting, transpiration will still be happening. This is the process by which water leaves the plant through the leaves. The more leaves that are present, the greater rate of transpiration. This is because the plant has no roots to replenish any water that has been lost. An area of cutting can dry out quickly because it is losing water and can’t replace it.
Keep enough leaves on the cutting so that photosynthesis can happen, but not so many that the cutting dries out and dies. Keep 2-3 sets of leaves at the top of your cutting to make it happy.
If your plant has more than two or three sets of leaves, cut off or break off the lower leaves where they connect to the stem. This will cause some latex to ooze at the breakage point, but it will be okay. Discard any leaves you have pinched off in the compost or trash.
Propagate Any Ficus Tree Plant! | How to Propagate Rubber Tree Ficus Houseplants
FAQ
Can you grow a ficus from a cutting?
What method of propagation is ficus?
Can ficus grow from stem?
How do you propagate a Ficus plant?
Propagation using stem cuttings is the most common way to propagate a Ficus plant. Using this technique, small plants are grown from cuttings, each with its own new root system. STEP #1: Cut a stem with two or three leaves. Make sure to cut approx. 3 inches below the first leaf. This gives your new plant a short stem with leaves to sustain it.
Can ficus trees be propagated by cutting?
It is easy to propagate ficus trees by cutting if you have the right materials. By propagating these plants, you can create more ficus trees to plant in your indoor or outdoor garden. In this article, gardening expert Emily Horn shares the exact process you’ll need to follow when propagating Ficus trees in just a few simple steps.
How to propagate Ficus benjamina?
Propagating Ficus Benjamina can be challenging for beginners, but with some basic knowledge of the process, you can easily grow new plants from one parent plant. In this blog post, we will discuss how to propagate Ficus Benjamina both through cuttings and air layering methods. Propagation by Cuttings
How do you grow Ficus?
For ficus, take tip cuttings rather than sections. Remove leaves from the bottom of the cutting and use a moist medium to grow roots. Rooting hormone will help speed the process. For the best results, provide the cutting with humidity and warm temperatures. You may need to use a heating pad underneath to get good root growth.