Thinning of Ficus retusa bonsai

To keep the Ficus retusa bonsai in good condition, it is necessary to thin out the branches once a year. If only the long shoots are pinched off, the branches become tangled and lose their shape. Ficus retusa trees grow a lot and therefore the ends of the branches get thick easily. Here you can find out all about thinning of Ficus retusa bonsai.

Why should we thin out the branches of Ficus retusa?

Many people think that these bonsai are maintained by just pinching the long shoots. But the work we have done before pinching is much more complex. If we don’t renew the branching, it will be quickly spoilt.

On the other hand, if we just pinch off the new shoots, as we cut back leaving at least a couple of leaves, the branches will get longer and longer. As a result, over the years, our Ficus retusa will no longer look like a bonsai.

One of the main problems of pinching without thinning is that we cut off the new leaves, leaving the old ones. The new leaves are responsible for processing most of the nutrients, and it is at the ends of the new leaves that the growth hormones are regulated. If we leave the old leaves and make the new ones disappear, logically, the vigour of the tree will be reduced and in time we will be forced to carry out a repotting and a drastic pruning.

Ficus retusa before thinning

Advantages of thinning

Thinning the branches has a very beneficial effect on the life of the Ficus retusa. It allows them to renew their foliage, maintaining the vigour of the tree. The fact that the new shoots grow more vigorously after thinning means that the roots are also renewed. This allows the Ficus retusa to maintain its full vigour and does not require accelerated repotting.

When should it be carried out?

Thinning of Ficus retusa bonsai is done at the end of spring, as the Ficus retusa tends to sprout when the warm weather arrives. It is very important to remember to thin out only once a year, and then increase the density of branching quickly with several pinches.

Thinning of Ficus retusa bonsai step by step

1. We reduce the length of the ends and thin the ends so that they open two by two.

2. Start working the Ficus retusa from the lower branches. This way the cut shoots will not fall on the branches we are going to thin out. When thinning we uncover the structure of the branches, the result of the work of the previous years.

3. After thinning, we have not defoliated, but there are very few leaves left on the Ficus. The size of the branches has been reduced taking into account the growth of the new shoots.

4. One month later, the tree is already sprouting strongly. At the moment the colour of the new shoots is still light, but soon the leaves will return to the characteristic dark green colour of the Ficus retusa.

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