Ficus hedge fertilizing/repair questions

15 years ago

I recently inherited some ficus hedges that are in really bad shape. My new home is completely surrounded in the back yard by A LOT of ficus hedge. 1 side is completely healthy with no issues and they are about 10 feet high. Don't know why they are that high, but they are.

But I have 3 sides of my yard (corner lot) that have very sparse and sometimes completely dead ficus hedges. When I moved in I had a pro check for white fly, and we verified that it's no longer there. But it did decimate a good portion of the hedges. So my questions are:

1. What is the best way to fertilize them to keep them healthy again.

2. What should I use to treat them?

3. If I see a patch of literally dead sticks that can easily be ripped out... should I replant new ficus in that section or try to get rid of the rest of the ficus in that row and try a different headge.

All your help is appreciated!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

shortyrobyn
15 years ago
Ficus hedges like to get very very tall (like ficus trees - a ficus hedge is kind of like a large bonsai of a ficus tree). And - having spent 20+ years in south Florida - I think they're a pestilence unless you live in Palm Beach and have a full time gardener (I think they prune the ficus hedges there with little hand clippers - there's never a leaf out of place - they're quite a sight to behold - many are 15-20 feet high). My brother's neighbor (he's in Miami Beach) planted one and my brother hates it. Takes more work than the rest of his yard combined.

Why don't you rip it all out and plant something that's a bit more user-friendly? A plant where the maximum height of the plant is about the height of the hedge or perimeter planting you want. Or perhaps you could save one part of the hedge that's *very* far away from the house (if you have a part like that - ficus trees grow into monsters) - and let it grow into a real ficus tree. It is a very labor intensive proposition to take something that wants to be 50+ feet tall and keep it a lot shorter than that. Robyn
gatormomx2
15 years ago
This link mentions ficus hedges and some good alternatives.
Archangelo, I think you will find it quite interesting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Green alternatives to chain link fence
Related Professionals
Greensboro Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Lynchburg Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Sacramento Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Colorado Springs Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Frederick Landscape Contractors · West Plains Landscape Contractors · Jackson Landscape Contractors · Fergus Falls Landscape Contractors · Willmar Landscape Contractors · Olympia Landscape Contractors · Vidalia Kitchen Remodelers · Richmond Kitchen Remodelers · Florence Kitchen Remodelers · Keene Kitchen Remodelers · Bismarck Kitchen Remodelers
ben_in_sofla
15 years ago
Anyone that wants to plant ficus hedges should have their head examined, especially with the whitefly problem at hand.
I'm not saying anything....I'm just saying...

There are native alternatives that are excellent growers like coco plum, cherry hedge is another good choice, they are a much better alternatives to ficus. White fly infestation is not going anywhere until they run out of food and there is no shortage of ficus in South Florida.
Give long and hard consideration to replacing these pesky ficus. Your house plumbing will be forever grateful.... Yes even a hedge 20 feet away from house structure can reach into a leaky plumbing joint and sneak into you drainage system and clog it all up. My association had to pay $600 plumber repair bill to clear up a mess of roots in drains for 1 condo..
Sirralph Halpern
6 years ago
does not answer the question
jane__ny
6 years ago
This is an old post! If you are looking for info, please start a new question.

Jane