thanks so much for the detailed reply, Al!

Regarding the saplings, you called them cuttings in the case where they are independent of the main plant. Is it common for nurseries to propagate these plants by cuttings? Rather than from seed? I would assume the reason those little plants are there are because the grower would plant a few seeds in case some don't sprout.

If they are attached to the main trunk, is there an advantage to layering instead of taking them as cuttings?

Regarding repotting, I understand the advantages of repotting in June, but I'm not very happy with the soil these plants are in... it seems to hold a lot of moisture and so I'm never sure when to water them. I can rationalize that in my case, it's not so bad to repot now since the plants are young and the roots are probably not super dense. Is my reasoning here incorrect?

I can put these plants outside next summer, hopefully that will get then growing straight.

thanks again!

Elena

Is it common for nurseries to propagate these plants by cuttings? Rather than from seed? Yes - cuttings and tissue culture are the preferred methods of propagating. Most trees don't come true from seed. Tissue culture and other forms of asexual propagation (cuttings, layering, etc) guarantee an exact genetic clone of the plant from which the the material used for propagation was taken. This means that all the traits of the original plant will be a part of the clones' traits. Plants from seed often vary from both parent plants, the genetic material of which combined to produce the seedling.

If they are attached to the main trunk, is there an advantage to layering instead of taking them as cuttings? Yes, but first, the cuttings you would take would already be predisposed to producing roots; this, because they are in dark, moist conditions that stimulate root growth. It's possible there might even be roots at the node where they are attached to the main trunk. There's no way to tell until you have a look. If there are no roots, there is much more risk that the cutting(s) would fail, and inexperience could end up being a consideration, even if you get step by step help here. Layering, on the other hand, involves almost no risk. If the layer fails to generate roots, the propagule is still attached to the main trunk. Usually, if a layering fails, it's because the outer covering of the root (epidermis) grew over the area you prepared or constricted to form the layer.

This is a maple tree that I layered off of it's old root system, which was too ugly for a bonsai tree. See the wire constrictor under the large roots? The old root system has been severed from the trunk in the image immediately below the wire. The new root system I cultivated is now able to support the tree.

Another prepared layer to rid the plant (a seedling) of an unsightly, one-sided root system. Not that it's important, plants from seed usually produce lopsided root systems, where plants from cuttings usually have a more balanced root system with roots radiating from the entire circumference of the cutting. The little scars I made and filled with rooting gel are just added insurance.

Regarding repotting, I understand the advantages of repotting in June, but I'm not very happy with the soil these plants are in... it seems to hold a lot of moisture and so I'm never sure when to water them. I can rationalize that in my case, it's not so bad to repot now since the plants are young and the roots are probably not super dense. Is my reasoning here incorrect? Where do you live? I don't repot out of season unless there's a very good reason. I would have to believe the plant would lose viability before next June if I didn't repot. That's just me, though. I have so many trees and have been growing in containers so long I'm pretty able to stay ahead of developing problems. What you COULD do, without stressing the plant much, is pot up and use ballast to limit the amount of excess water the planting can hold. That way, you don't disturb the roots much, and you get the excess water retention fixed. You be the judge. I don't have a stake in how folks decide to manage their plants, I just like to help them get more from the growing experience.

Al

Al,
Thanks for the detailed reply once again. I'm in Toronto (Canada) and have decided to wait until next spring to repot.

I've since acquired a ficus elastica 'tineke' and a ficus Audrey. Similarly to the FLF, the tineke had a few small trunks beside the main trunk. This makes me wonder, are these considered suckers? Are ficus trees prone to suckers?

Come springtime, I would like to try air layering the small trunks, but everything I see online is for specimens with quite thick trunks. Could you please let me know how this is done for such a small/young plant?

Thanks!

bump!
anyone have any thoughts on how to air layer a rather thin "sapling"?

You can try what is called a ground layer. Usually in ground layer one bends the branch close to the ground and covers it with soil mix. In your case you slit a small plastic pot on one side and slip over the stem of the sapling. Then tape the pot so it does not come apart when you fill it with the soil mix. Water it well and leave it alone for a month or two. Water it when needed to keep the soil just moist. I would use a transparent pot (fashioned out of soda/water bottle) so that you can see when sufficient roots have developed. Since your side stems are still green you do not need to do the usual stripping of the bark bit.

Have fun. Ficus root easily.