How to Separate the Roots of a Ficus Tree

The full, bushy appearance of ficus trees is often the result of having multiple plants growing in a single pot. While it may be attractive, growing multiple ficus trees in one pot will eventually cause them damage, so it is best to transplant them into individual containers before they show signs of stress. The most important consideration when transplanting ficus trees is successfully separating the roots, which must be done properly to avoid harming the plants.

Garden hose
Bucket
Gardening knife
Pots
Potting soil

Instructions

- 1
  Move the ficus tree to a cool, shaded work space outside. Avoid working in hot, sunny areas since the roots will dehydrate quickly and may send the ficus into shock.
- 2
  Water the ficus tree deeply before removing it from its pot. Run water onto the soil around the base of the plant until it feels moist at a depth of 4 to 6 inches. Let the water soak in for 30 minutes before removing it from the pot.
- 3
  Turn the pot on its side. Lift the base of the pot several inches off the ground. Slide the root ball of the ficus tree out of the pot. Crumble off as much soil as possible from around the roots.
- 4
  Place the root ball inside a bucket that's large enough to accommodate it without crowding. Fill the bucket with cool water from a garden hose. Soak the roots for 10 to 15 minutes to soften them.
- 5
  Remove the ficus tree from the bucket. Carefully work the blade of a gardening knife into the soil between the trunks of the ficus trees. Pry the gardening knife back and forth to loosen the center of the root mass.
- 6
  Untangle the roots around the outside of the root ball by hand, taking care not to break or damage the roots. Tease the roots loose and push them to one side while working from the outside of the root ball toward the center.
- 7
  Grasp the base of each ficus trunk. Gently pull them away from each other to fully separate the plants. Stop if you feel a snag. Locate the tangled roots that are snagging and untangle them by hand or cut them with the gardening knife if they are too intricately tangled.
- 8
  Pot the ficus trees into individual pots filled with standard potting soil. Place them in the same lighting conditions they grew under when in their original pot.

How to Build Wire Topiaries for Plants

How to Harvest Saffron Crocus Indoors

Indoor Growing