Propagation of Ficus Plants
- 1). Fill the 4-inch container to the top with peat moss and spray the surface with water to moisten it. Insert your finger into the center of the peat moss 2 inches to create a hole for the stem.
- 2). Clip a stem from the ficus plant with the pruning shears. Select a vibrant stem with leaves at the very tip of the stem. Cut the stem about 4 inches long, making the cut just after a leaf node -- the point where a leaf grows from the stem.
- 3). Remove any leaves from the bottom half of the stem, leaving leaves growing on the tip of the stem.
- 4). Coat the bottom inch of stem with rooting hormone and insert the stem into the hole in the peat moss about 1 1/2 inches beneath the soil. Firm the peat moss gently around the stem.
- 5). Place the plastic bag over the top of the container and secure it with the rubber band. Make one 3-inch slit in the plastic bag to allow limited ventilation. Place the container in a location with temperatures between 70 and 75 F, out of direct sunlight.
- 6). Remove the bag and mist the peat moss every day to keep it moist. Replace the bag again after misting.
- 7). Observe the stem for indications that roots are forming beneath the soil. When you see new growth, the cutting is producing new root growth. Remove the bag and continue to keep the peat moss moist with daily watering.
- 8). Transfer the new ficus plant to an 8-inch container filled with potting soil about four weeks after you remove the plastic bag.
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