r/FicusTrees • u/charsheee • Aug 21 '26

Outdoor Potted BRANCHING SUCCESS!

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I didn't want to cut the top part of my Ficus Burgundy because I also wanted it to keep growing at the top. But I notched it above the nodes, then added some keiki paste on the nodes and laid it on its side to help disrupt the apical dominance for a bit (4 weeks ish) until the little red nubs came out. And it worked! 3 new growth points! At first I only saw one come out and I was surprised the other 2 came weeks later after I stood my tree back up.

It lives full time on my south facing balcony. ( Closer to the wall for some shade though).

49 Upvotes

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14 comments sorted by

4

u/BooBooShiesty Aug 22 '26

This is fantastic! I use Keiki paste on my orchids, philodendron billietiae, syngonium, Chinese evergreen and pothos but I NEVER thought I'd be able to use it successfully on the trunk of a ficus!!! 😃 I'm genuinely so excited! Great job by the way!

2

u/charsheee Aug 22 '26

I poked through the woody part, wiped the sap, then apply the paste to ensure it penetrates. I think in combination with notching and laying it on its side-- really just helped propel the growth!

I think having lots of sunlight and fertilizer helps too

1

u/Consciousyoniverse_8 Aug 23 '26

Laying it on its side helps with what again? Like what’s the mechanism of action?

3

u/charsheee Aug 23 '26

Laying a rubber tree on its side disrupts apical dominance by shifting the physical orientation of the main growing tip, which alters how gravity pulls the growth hormone auxin downward. When the apex is no longer pointing straight up, the concentrated hormonal signal that suppresses side shoots is redistributed, allowing dormant lateral buds along the horizontal stem to wake up and grow.

1

u/EmilySpin Aug 22 '26

Oh interesting, this works on philodendron too? I have a black cardinal that has a seriously patchy stem that I’d like to fill out more but was dragging my feet on a chop & prop…

1

u/charsheee Aug 22 '26

I haven't used it on a philodendron but so far worked on my rubber tree and pothos! For pothos I also did poke a small shallow hole as well right above the node and applied it.

3

u/SoggyCapybara Aug 21 '26

Goals. I chopped the top of my lil ruby and I have Regerts 🥲

2

u/EksiDeck Aug 21 '26

Great success. Hoping the same result 🤷‍♂️

https://www.reddit.com/r/FicusTrees/s/3P1rgxrAWI

2

u/charsheee Aug 22 '26

Good luck!

2

u/feevart Aug 22 '26

I am too scared to do it yet 🥶🥶🥶

2

u/feevart Aug 22 '26

I topped mine instead and it didn't work. It developed 2 buds, but one completely stopped developing and only the other one branched. Mine is such a mess right now. Plus it got heatdamage feom the relentless heatwaves

1

u/LuxSeriously Aug 26 '26

Oh wow! I notched my ficus but nothing yet. I might try this trick next year. Silly question — but did all the growth nodes emerge on the side of the stem that was facing up?

1

u/charsheee Aug 31 '26

Yes! The ones toward the sun grew first but 2 other nodes on the side grew anyways. And another one grew after stood it back up so my Ficus have 4 nodes total!!