# Ficus Pumila propagation/identification



## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

Hello there...the guy at Lowes gave me some Ficus Pumila cuttings and I'm curious on how to get this stuff going well.
First of all I'd like to know what variety it is and if it's a slow or fast grower...anyone know?
I was wanting to put it in my vivarium I built but it only has moss due to how wet the conditions are.
In the tank is a wood/cork bark panel made by Zoo Med
This is the tank here: 10g vert n00b tank
One of the cuttings is a good size bunch(last pic) and I'm wondering if I can cut it into smaller peices and how do I get it to root? 
Each of them already have roots...
Here is the 3 cuttings










Here is the bunch I want to split up...









Thanks for all your help
I hope to hear from you soon


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## alex111683 (Sep 11, 2010)

The question is, where won't it grow. This plant is a super Hardy plant. It grows in all sorts of environments. I am clipping it at least once a month. I have it growing up my background, growing in the substrate, and even growing in the water. Just place it wherever you want it to grow and that's really it in a PDF tank.


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## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

You would probably be safe cutting each stem as long as you leave about 5 leaves on each cutting. I had a small mother plant that I did this with and almost every cutting made it. I wrapped some of the cut ends in moist sphag, others I just stuck straight into the coco/sphag/hydroton substrate I had in the grow out tank. I don't know enough to definitely ID the plant, but it looks like standard creeping fig to me...


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Just pin it to a tree fern, or cork bark background or even some drift wood and let it go. It's not a epiphyte, so the roots need to be in the soil. If you want it to make ground cover than don't pin it to the wall.

Good luck


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

Im not totally sure they need soil gootswa. Its pretty much unstoppable. I took clippings from my tank and kept them in an empty aquarium for 2 weeks waiting till someone picked them up. They threw roots downs absolutely everywhere and had doubled in size. All they got was a few mistings and some light. I wouldnt recommend it unless you have a massive flat background. 6 months and your little 10 gallon will be a ficus jungle Dragonspirit.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

GRIMM said:


> Im not totally sure they need soil gootswa. Its pretty much unstoppable. I took clippings from my tank and kept them in an empty aquarium for 2 weeks waiting till someone picked them up. They threw roots downs absolutely everywhere and had doubled in size. All they got was a few mistings and some light. I wouldnt recommend it unless you have a massive flat background. 6 months and your little 10 gallon will be a ficus jungle Dragonspirit.


Yeah its pretty flat....its not massive lol but the only thing on the background is a rock for the waterfall.

Did it grow pretty well on your twin tanks Grimm?


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

I have some growing on the glass and sending shoots out through the vent holes at the top back of my vivs. I have actually tried to eradicate it from a couple of established vivs, but I'd have to tear off the clay background to do it. So, I've made peace with it, trim it regularly and try to enjoy it.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

Thanks everyone for all the info 
It's greatly appreciated. I would give you all thanks but for some reason the Plants section has no Thanks button lol


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

Yeah its growing way to fast for my twins. Im gonna have to take a hack saw to it soon. Its suffocating all my broms and has mannaged to kill 4 off in the original tank already lol.

And there are thanks buttons here, but im guessing you used your max of 3 today already. I can see them at least lol...


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

GRIMM said:


> Im not totally sure they need soil gootswa. Its pretty much unstoppable. I took clippings from my tank and kept them in an empty aquarium for 2 weeks waiting till someone picked them up. They threw roots downs absolutely everywhere and had doubled in size. All they got was a few mistings and some light. I wouldnt recommend it unless you have a massive flat background. 6 months and your little 10 gallon will be a ficus jungle Dragonspirit.


I guess not, I was thinking that the roots were just at the very end of the vine for a second, then I just realized that they grow basically under every leaf or two.


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## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

Fair warning...that sphag in the 2nd pic is literally the worst I've ever used. Its domestic stuff (Wisconsin I think) that looks/feels like schwag and breaks down in no time. HD and Lowes sell chilean sphag thats much better, a little more expensive, but its totaly worth it. I was bummed that it sucks because it's a big bag for cheap. If you haven't opened it I would return it and get this stuff...
Orchid Moss-5045 at The Home Depot


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

GRIMM said:


> Yeah its growing way to fast for my twins. Im gonna have to take a hack saw to it soon. Its suffocating all my broms and has mannaged to kill 4 off in the original tank already lol.
> 
> And there are thanks buttons here, but im guessing you used your max of 3 today already. I can see them at least lol...


Yeah it's now past 12am and now I see them. That's crappy there is only a 3 thanks per day limit. I try to thank everyone lol.
The tank I'm putting it in ony has a $20 cork/wood tile so if it does take ove I can just buy a new tile.

I just thought of something tho....once it grows up my tank it shouldn't grow out onto anything right?.....so maybe I can stuf some broms or other vines and use the Ficus to pin it up?
Idk that might look lame tho lol


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

best results with F. pumila, are had by first taking all the cuttings and placing them into 2 layers of plastic bags. then take the double bagged plants, and throw them in the trash. voila, you now have made yourself extremely happy with their growth , by ensuring it doesnt happen and preventing future disgust for the plant which would have consumed every inch of your tank, leaving a tangled maze for your frogs to fight through.

james


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

james67 said:


> best results with F. pumila, are had by first taking all the cuttings and placing them into 2 layers of plastic bags. then take the double bagged plants, and throw them in the trash. voila, you now have made yourself extremely happy with their growth , by ensuring it doesnt happen and preventing future disgust for the plant which would have consumed every inch of your tank, leaving a tangled maze for your frogs to fight through.
> 
> james


haha wow lol. I don't really have a way to put any plants in this tank really lol. So I actually want some sort of greenery in there as long as I can open the door to throw crickets in there then fine 
I'll keep it trimmed tho.
The tank actually has 2 anoles in it tho not frogs


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## JakkBauer (Jul 11, 2011)

fieldnstream said:


> Fair warning...that sphag in the 2nd pic is literally the worst I've ever used. Its domestic stuff (Wisconsin I think) that looks/feels like schwag and breaks down in no time. HD and Lowes sell chilean sphag thats much better, a little more expensive, but its totaly worth it. I was bummed that it sucks because it's a big bag for cheap. If you haven't opened it I would return it and get this stuff...
> Orchid Moss-5045 at The Home Depot


Hmm use of the word schwag. Maybe we should have hung out longer  ...

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


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## JakkBauer (Jul 11, 2011)

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Hello there...the guy at Lowes gave me some Ficus Pumila cuttings and I'm curious on how to get this stuff going well.
> First of all I'd like to know what variety it is and if it's a slow or fast grower...anyone know?
> I was wanting to put it in my vivarium I built but it only has moss due to how wet the conditions are.
> In the tank is a wood/cork bark panel made by Zoo Med
> ...


Did the lowes guy just hook you up or did you buy it out of curiosity?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

JakkBauer said:


> Hmm use of the word schwag.
> Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


Lol I was thinking the same thing, I appreciate the laugh fieldnstream!


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

fieldnstream said:


> Fair warning...that sphag in the 2nd pic is literally the worst I've ever used. Its domestic stuff (Wisconsin I think) that looks/feels like schwag and breaks down in no time. HD and Lowes sell chilean sphag thats much better, a little more expensive, but its totaly worth it. I was bummed that it sucks because it's a big bag for cheap. If you haven't opened it I would return it and get this stuff...
> Orchid Moss-5045 at The Home Depot


Thanks man....I'll take it back and just tell them I didn't like all the damn hay looking shizz that was mixed with it and get my money back. 
I don't think having hay in sphagnum is normal :/ it is really annoying.
They have the same Better Gro Orchid Moss at Lowes. I'll go get that instead today.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

JakkBauer said:


> Did the lowes guy just hook you up or did you buy it out of curiosity?


The only Ficus they had was large 2.5qt pots for $11something
I told him I didn't need that much and for that price and I wish I could just take some cuttings.
He said go for it dude....I'll just walk off and you do your thing
Haha I was gonna take more but I'll get some more later.
There is another guy there that gives me bromeliad pups for free lol
They are bigger broms but I actually wanted just 2 large bromeliads in my vert tank cause I knew I was possibly eventually gonna put my large golden gecko in there.
The people there are pretty cool and always hook me up with damaged items dirt cheap as well, when most only get 10% off lol
The glass people hate me cause I make them keep cutting until they get it right lol but the more they mess up the cheaper I get it for waisting my time


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## JakkBauer (Jul 11, 2011)

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> The only Ficus they had was large 2.5qt pots for $11something
> I told him I didn't need that much and for that price and I wish I could just take some cuttings.
> He said go for it dude....I'll just walk off and you do your thing
> Haha I was gonna take more but I'll get some more later.
> ...


Thats awesome I should shop at the lowes in austell instead of home depot in marietta!


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