Well, let's hit the small cuttings stuff first, because I'm relatively confident I know how to deal with that. You want to pot them up in a small container, not a big one: any more soil than what the roots need right now will just sit there and suffocate the plant and lead to rot. For a new cutting, probably a 3-inch pot is good, if you can find one. If not, 4-inch is probably acceptable. Don't trim before planting, and don't worry about moving them to a bigger pot for six months absolute minimum (and a year and a half is probably more realistic, given a good soil mix).

What soil to use is potentially a really complex question, but to make it as simple as possible, you should look for something that will drain well and quickly. Some bagged cactus and succulent soils will work well for this. I personally like Ball's bark mix, which is what we use in the greenhouse where I work, but it's not something you're going to be able to find everywhere. I do not recommend Miracle Gro, and I really don't recommend Martha Stewart's brand, if K-Mart still sells that, or Hyponex, which Wal-Mart has been known to carry. Especially when choosing a soil the first time, it's worth tracking down a garden center that carries a variety of soils and asking the employees about them, and I don't say this just because I work in a garden center -- you're more likely to be able to find a decent starting mix, you're vastly more likely to be able to find soil amendments that might lighten a bagged mix (perlite, coarse sand or small gravel), and if all goes well, you'll be able to talk to an employee who knows specific things about the soil they have and will answer your questions honestly and helpfully.

Always always always always always use a pot with a drainage hole, and never never never never never let the plant stand for more than fifteen minutes in water. Seriously. Even if it's always worked for you before.

Trimming is not my strong suit: I know how to do it, kinda, but explaining it is beyond my abilities at this time.

Basic care for Ficus benjamina:

LIGHT: Bright indirect light or sun filtered through blinds or a curtain. This is somewhat negotiable; the plant will adapt to less, but any time it goes from higher light to lower light, it's apt to throw leaves, so be ready for that.

WATER: Usually when the soil is dry about halfway down. More often for smaller plants, less often for larger ones. If you're not sure whether to water, don't.

HUMIDITY: Not usually critical, but if you can increase humidity, especially in the winter, the plant will appreciate it. (Most plants that aren't cactus or succulents do.)

TEMPERATURE: Keep the plants away from drafts, AC or heat vents, etc. You're aiming for a nice comfortable room temperature, without huge fluctuations. This is also not usually critical, but at least don't let the plant go below 60F (16C), and don't have a vent directly pointed at it. A fan is a different thing; air circulation is good.

We live in a very small town so I'm not really sure if I'll be able to find a good knowledgeable Garden center anytime soon. Large Stores nearby include Walmart, Ace and Atwood's, as well as a few grocery stores. All of which mostly have teenages working there whom dont know much about anything they sell. I think there is a flower shop in town but its only open a few days of the week, so Ive never been in there, not sure if they carry supplies, or if they just sell flowers. Could anyone recommend a soil i might find at one of these places, or what to look for?

Also, alot of ficus tree pictures i see have fewer thicker trunks, as where mine all seem to have alot of thin ones.. like pencil width. is this because they werent trimmed by previous owners?

You could use any good potting soil and add about 50% perlite to it to help with drainage. I don't like Shultz though because IMHO it's too heavy and retians too much water. Usually I use Pro mix or regular miracle grow.

You were given good advice by both people who replied so far. It is all about the soil. I would think an Ace Hardware would carry a reliable line of planting soils. The reason that a cactus mix soil was suggested is that it is fast draining and you can lighten it up even more by buying a bag of perlite and adding that in also. I have come to realize that most potting soils really are too heavy and do hold too much water for too long. Of course then the plant goes into root rot and dies. I would bet that more houseplants die due to overwatering than to underwatering.

Remember also after winter to fertilize regularly but use about half of whatever fertilizer that you use. That is another area that is commonly overdone. The fertilizer, if put on too heavily will burn your roots and again another dead plant.

You can improve your soil each year by adding in some compost that will renew the soil. All houseplants need this.

When I have done any cutting back on my ficus, it never showed any signs of decline. The tree really didn't react at all except that it continued to put out branches and leaves. If you need to do a bit of shaping up, I wouldn't be overly concerned about doing it. I would suggest buying a book on houseplants or looking through several books to get the idea of what an ideal ficus should look like. Then you can trim your trees appropriately. Do some heavy duty searching on line for info on the plant also, then you will know exactly what it's needs are. Mine sits in front of a southwest facing window so it gets lots of sun. I don't have any window coverings or blinds on that window either. My ficus seems to love it. In fact my whole house has huge windows that have virtually no coverings and my houseplants absolutely thrive. I don't believe most people who keep houseplants truly understand what low, medium, or sunny light is in their homes. I feel that most people don't have enough light to support many houseplants. A really handy tool to have is a moisture sensor, light sensor, ph sensor all in one. I'm sure Ace would have one and they are not expensive. With this device you will know if your light is adequate for your ficus, if the soil is dry or overly damp, and of course the ph level which should be between 6-7 for most plants. Choosing the proper fertilizer is important because it determines if your soil stays neutral, or acidic, whether it promotes green growth or flower growth. This is why I suggest people pick up a SIMPLE book on houseplants or outside gardening. You should take a look in your phonebook under nurseries, or garden to see if another source exists other than what you have mentioned. Feed stores surprise me with the wide variety of goods they carry. Perhaps one by you will have a wide variety of goods also. It isn't a sin to shop at WalMart for gardening and houseplant needs but with some knowledge from your houseplant book you will know precisely what you are looking for. I think the trick in the garden dept. is to stick to big brand names and not the WalMart brand or an off brand. This is one area that generics just don't work very well.

So get yourself some knowledge from a book, the internet, or find some people in the area who have success with their houseplants and you will have all you need to grow plants well.

Hi
What do you want to do with them?? FB makes an excellamt Bonsai or if you don't want to work that hard dwarf it in some sphagnum. The worst use of them is as a yard plant. they'll eat the house No problem in zone 5
I grow several of these in many different ways mainly because they are so hardy.
They make great dwarfs because of the aerial roots and will develop a lot of character in a short time.
What size are you aiming at?? Under two feet to 80 feet is possible lol gary

Angelnstuff, let your new seedling attain roots that are about 1" long before deciding to plant in soil.
Any decent potting soil works for ficus.

Your "benjamina" is known as the "weeping fig" or "Chinese Banyan" and its appearance decries that name.

The ten-inch pots for the two plants does pose a possible consideration of where they are put in a room. Because they must drain, some people just don't like to see as large a saucer....more like a dinner plate, under them to catch it. Unless you wish to find a larger pot and put the draining pots into them, you are stuck with finding the spot to accommodate their needs for sunlight.

At this time of season it is alright to give them as much sunlight as you can give them. Preferable sun exposure comes from a south or western location.
They wont need much watering at this time but when you water always water to drainage, wait for ten minutes, then dump the excess water and let the plant dry down well between waterings.

Figs like to be fed regularly so later in the season, round about February, you can begin to fertilize and draw the plant back some from the now increased intensity of the sun.

As far as trimming is concerned, I would wait until new growth begins when the sun values return. Until then, a sharp pair of scissors is all that is needed to keep it looking its best.

I'm with Eureka, if you intend to stay a houseplant person, its a good idea to get yourself a small book or pamphlets on the care and feeding of houseplants. Most of the large book sellers or the publishers of such have them in numbers.
Even "used" bookstores usually have some you may consult and best of all, they come very inexpensive.

Potting soil can be found in any nursery or garden centre that is open at this time. The hardware stores, Lowes, Home Depot or Walmarts even should have a variable supply of the different types. Whatever you do though, do not gauge potting soil on price. Many of the cheap bags have mostly clay composition in them and the first time you water it, it turns to rock. Inspect what the bag contents are consituted of. Perlite, vermiculite, coarse sand are common additions to potting soil which increases the drainage capability. Peat moss too is often an amendment, either already contained in the soil or is added later.
Inform yourself about these different additions to soil; they can make a big difference to your plants draining properly.
Put into your browser the individual amendments and read about what they do for soil.

Happy New Year!