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Fig tree too tall


Help! My Fiddle Leaf Fig is Too Tall! What Can I Do About It?

Even though they have gained a reputation for being a bit persnickety at times, Fiddle Leaf Figs are still as popular as ever. Perhaps this is because these plants are powerhouses that can put out lots of growth and shoot for the sky. Before you know it, you might find your Fig is scraping the ceiling with nowhere else to go. If that’s your reality, what can you do about a Fiddle Leaf that has grown too tall?

Fiddle Leaf Figs can grow ten feet or more indoors, and that can make regular care and maintaining their long-term health difficult. If you find yourself with a Fig that’s too tall for the space it’s in, you’ll need to prune it back, so be prepared to make significant cuts on your Fig.

It can be a little nerve-wracking to make large pruning cuts to a prized houseplant, but if you do it correctly, you’ll end up with a plant that is a much more manageable size, and you can more easily maintain its shape and size moving forward. And don’t worry, we will guide you each step of the way.

How Tall Do Fiddle Leaf Figs Get?

Like many other houseplants, Fiddle Leaf Figs are cultivated varieties of subtropical species that, when grown in their natural habitats, tend to get a LOT bigger than what we see in our homes. In their native environments, Fiddle Leaf Figs have the potential to grow upwards of 50 feet tall.

Of course, you won’t see anything like that happening in your home. Cultivated versions of these Figs typically tend to grow to about 10-12 feet but they have been known to grow larger. I know someone whose Fiddle Leaf grew up to the top of their vaulted ceiling and decided it wasn’t finished yet, so it turned and grew along the rafters.

But even Fiddle Leaf Figs grown outdoors in areas where they are hearty (mostly USDA Zones 10-11) tend to only get about 15-25 feet tall. Regardless, a Fig that has grown taller than you can definitely become a challenge to care for, so knowing when and how to prune it back is essential for its longevity and your enjoyment of the plant in your home.

What to Do When Your Fiddle Leaf Gets Too Tall

Fiddle Leaf Figs are good growers. They may not be the fastest, but they are sure and steady when they have everything they need. A healthy plant will put on several inches in a growing season. In most cases, we celebrate this growth since it means our Figs are happy. However, you may realize that your Fig has grown tall enough or is actually outgrowing its space at a certain point. Now, it’s time to prune.

Pruning your Fig doesn’t have to be scary and, in fact, should be part of your regular care regimen. A well-pruned Fig tends to be healthier overall and can be tailored to make quite an architectural statement in your living room. However, if you’ve missed a few pruning sessions and your Fig is a bit unruly, let’s work through the steps you can take to get it back down to a manageable size.

Things to Consider Before Pruning Your Fiddle Leaf

Before you make any cuts to your plant, you first want to assess your Fig to understand its current shape and structure. If you have a newer plant that has never been pruned before, you likely have a single stem growing straight up with minimal branching. In this case, a topping cut would be appropriate. Get the step-by-step instructions for how and when to top your Fiddle Leaf Fig in this article.

Perhaps you have a well-branched Fig with multiple growing tips. Identify which stems or branches are getting unruly or too tall. Pruning those back first will help you determine if smaller cuts need to be made to secondary branches to tidy up the shape of your plant.

In some cases, you may have multiple stems planted in one pot. They may be singular stems or branching. If the entire plant is too tall, you may need to prune everything back at once, but you can often stagger the cuts on each stem over several weeks. This allows for a more gradual change in height and shape, with the added benefit of seeing where new branches might be growing in.

Another thing to pay attention to is the leaf distribution of your Fig. Ideally, any time you make large cuts to your plant, you want to do so in a way that keeps several leaves on the plant so it can carry on with important functions like photosynthesis. This will help your Fig recover faster, and there is less risk of shock. When deciding where to make your cuts, try to find spots that will get your Fig to the height you are working towards while still preserving as many leaves as possible on the plant. 

A Quick Note on Branching

A cool thing about Fiddle Leaf Figs is the potential for multiple new branches to grow from where you make a cut along the stem. Auxiliary buds are located at nodes along the length of the stem, so when a cut is made, the nodes directly below the cut line are activated to start producing new growth. Typically, one to three nodes can be activated at a time. 

This means that, for every cut you make, you can potentially have one or several new branches growing from that spot. This is why pruning regularly is a great way to encourage your Fig to branch and, eventually, achieve a bushier plant. Keep this in mind when deciding where to make cuts. 

Try to visualize where new branches might grow in to help anticipate the future shape of your plant and new growth stems that will eventually need to be trimmed for height. Don’t worry! If you hope to keep your Fig light and airy and fear that pruning it back will create too many branches, you can always clip off all but one new branch growing from a primary cut.

Make the Cuts

Now that you’ve assessed your Fig and have an idea of where to make your cuts, it’s time to actually grab the shears and prune back your plant. You will want sharp, clean garden shears or knife to make your cuts. Any time you prune, you are creating a wound on the plant, so sterilizing your implements ahead of time can minimize the chances your plant will suffer from disease or infection.

When you make your cuts, cut perpendicular to the stem to create straight, flat cuts. This keeps the wound as small as possible and easier for the plant to repair.  

Start by making any larger “topping” cuts. Topping cuts (or top pruning) usually refer to cutting back the main growth stem of a plant to control for height. So, if you have a single-stemmed Fig that has grown too tall, a topping cut will bring it back down to a manageable height.

Remember that anywhere you make a cut, your Fig will begin pushing new branches from that location. So, when I am making a topping cut, I usually aim a little lower than what I’ve determined is the “ideal” height because I know new branches will eventually start growing upward from that spot. Again, this is where visualization of the shape and height you are trying to achieve can be helpful.

For more well-branched specimens, look first for any branches that are growing inward or crossing over other branches on the plant and remove these first. Then, you can determine which of the remaining branches are too tall and prune them back to whatever height works for the shape you are trying to achieve.

A general rule of thumb when pruning is to not take more than a third of the stem or branch at a time to avoid shocking the plant. This is definitely a safe approach, but I often find that I need to take more than that off to manage the height of an overgrown Fig.

In my experience, I’ve often taken half or more of a growing stem at one time without any issue. Of course, there is a higher risk of shocking your Fig to the extent that it might not recover, so I would encourage you to consider how healthy your Fig is and if it can handle such a hard prune. 

Maintaining Your Fig Moving Forward

After you prune your Fiddle Leaf back to the desired height, it may look a little worse for wear. Don’t worry, though, because it is already starting to activate new growth from the auxiliary buds and, within a few weeks, you should see new branches pushing from your cut locations.

To help speed up this process, make sure your Fig has plenty of light and is being properly cared for. Be especially mindful not to overwater it during this time. You may have removed a significant portion of your plant’s biomass, so its water needs may have changed quite a bit.

Moving forward, try to incorporate pruning as part of your regular care routine. Once or twice a growing season, evaluate the growth of your Fig and determine if any branches need to be pruned to manage the size and shape of your plant. By staying on top of this task, you will rarely, if ever, need to make such hard pruning cuts to tame a Fig that has outgrown its space.

Don’t Forget to Propagate!

An added benefit to pruning back your Fiddle Leaf Fig to control height is that you are left with stem tips that can be propagated into new plants. Rather than composting what you’ve removed from your Fig, root out the cuttings and plant them in their own pots. Voila! More Figs for you or your friends!

The easiest way to root your cut stems is to stick them in a glass of water and place them in a window with lots of indirect light. Over the course of several weeks, you should see the cut ends of your Fig stems forming new roots. Once the roots are about three inches long, you can plant them in a container with fresh potting soil and allow them to fully establish as new Fig plants.

For step by step instructions on propagating Fiddle Leaf Figs, read this article.

Final Thoughts

Fiddle Leaf Figs are steady growers and can sometimes surprise us with how tall they’ll grow in our homes. If you ever find yourself with a Fig that no longer fits in its space, you can easily bring it down in size by pruning it back.

For long-term maintenance of your Fig, plan on pruning about once or twice a growing season. This keeps your plant at a manageable size and, because it encourages branching, gives you more growth tips to work with to achieve the size and shape that fits your space perfectly. Happy pruning! 

My Fiddle-Leaf-Fig Tree Is Getting Too Tall

My Fiddle-Leaf-Fig Tree Is Getting Too Tall

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Photo: by Stevie Remsberg; Photos: Getty

Welcome to Bad at Plants, a new column in which plant expert Maryah Greene, of Greene Piece consulting, answers your questions about plants so we might all become at least slightly better at keeping them alive.

I need help with my fiddle-leaf fig. When I bought my plant from Home Depot in October 2017, it was a sad little neglected mess, and having read about how difficult this plant was to care for, I figured we would have a challenging and short life together. Almost two years later, my fiddle-leaf fig is thriving. It is thriving a bit too much. It is presently over seven feet tall, and my apartment has 10-foot ceilings. Is there anything I can do to slow its growth? Or will the plant know what to do when it reaches the ceiling? I’ve read about cutting the root ball, but that sounds terrifying.

I’ve had two fiddle-leaf figs, but I’ve never successfully kept one. I got mine during the wrong time of year: December. I thought, Oh, I’m a plant lady, I can confidently own a fiddle leaf fig, but every time I opened the door to my room, leaves flew off. It was super-depressing. I made the mistake of throwing them both out because I can’t deal with that negativity in my life. When I started working with Rooted NYC and told them my situation months later, they told me the plants were dormant and would have grown come April or May. I threw away a living thing, it’s fine. I like to think they’re still growing in a dumpster somewhere. So God bless you for being able to keep yours alive and growing this much.

First, some general care: Fiddle-leaf figs are one of the more dramatic plants. One of the reasons is that the soil likes a consistent state of moisture, but it doesn’t want to be dried out or muddy. It’s specific. Checking the top inch of it is a good way to tell if it’s ready for some water. If the top inch is dry, you want to completely drench it, which means water should come out of the hole(s) at the bottom into the saucer. When you see that water, you want to make sure to dump it out because the fiddle-leaf fig does not like to sit in that moisture. You might want to empty it right away and check in an hour to see if it needs to be emptied again. If the leaves start to get limp and floppy, and they turn yellow and brown, that means you’re watering too much. If it’s healthy, you should be able to touch the leaf and it’ll bounce right back up.

Now, regarding your plant, which is very healthy: You have a couple of options here, both of which are intended to encourage a fiddle-leaf-fig plant to grow new branches. Notching is one way. To do it, you’ll need a clean knife. That’s important. I think of this as surgery or even going to get a pedicure: You want clean tools because you’re dealing with genetic material. So now you’ll choose the spot where you want a new branch to grow, and you’ll find what’s called a node close to that starting point. The node is the thickest point of the tree’s trunk located between leaves. You’ll take that clean, sharp knife and make a cut about one-eighth of an inch deep at a 45 degree angle just above that node. The node will still be attached, and you’re making your cut right above that. Right after you do that, you’ll see some sap come out, and it’s supergross but completely healthy. If you do that and you don’t see anything come out, you’ve either done it wrong, or the plant’s unhealthy and on its way out. In your case, it sounds like you’ll see sap. So that’s notching.

Another technique is called pinching, which in your case might be better since you’ve seen so much growth. Pinching goes a step further because it involves completely cutting a piece off. First, you’ll locate the newest part of growth on the tree — the highest, lightest lemon-lime-colored leaves. Take clean cutting shears and cut off this new growth, and again, you’ll see sap. Because yours is seven feet tall, you can probably cut six inches to a foot. You’ll see sap, and then it’ll start to scab over and close up. Once that’s healed, it’ll start to grow a new branch, but instead of growing vertically, it’ll grow out to the side. Within two to three weeks, a tiny bulb should appear. It almost looks like a pimple. It will eventually turn into a branch, and leaves will start to come from that.

Both pinching and notching should be done at the beginning of the growing season, so in spring or early summer. Most important, these are techniques you don’t want to try unless your fiddle-leaf is at least five feet tall already. And for beginners, I wouldn’t even get a fiddle-leaf fig unless it’s the growing season, because you’re going to feel like you’re doing something wrong. You also don’t want to do this if you plan on moving apartments or moving the plant to another room. Think of it like a patient in critical condition: Once you make this cut, you don’t want to dramatically move the patient. Keep it stable.

You’re right about the root ball — that’s some botanical-garden shit. I’ve never done it, but it means going into the soil, identifying which roots are the primary growth roots, and deciding which are worth sacrificing to split the plant apart. I don’t recommend you try that. If you try pinching and it doesn’t work, take it to your local nursery and ask for help.

I also found this fiddle-leaf-fig support group on Facebook that you might want to join. There are over 10,000 people in this thing! It’s a lot of people asking for help. I felt so validated finding that.

Do you have questions for Maryah? Send them to [email protected], and we’ll try to get you an answer.

Stay in touch.

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My Plant Is Thriving — Too Much

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About the barren fig tree. Stories / Pravoslavie.Ru

On the other side

Telephone called unexpectedly. Father Savvaty grimaced and he got up with difficulty from his chair. He was very tired for the past week: the Great was coming to an end post, with its long services, long queues for confession. The tall, powerful father lost weight, and his face today, after a long service, he was especially pale, with blue under the eyes. Despite being quite young age (Father Savvaty was forty-five), in his black white strands sparkled more and more noticeably in her hair. Questions about early gray hair, he used to joke that priests have a year services can be counted as two. nine0002 Ordained father Savvaty was very young - in twenty-one years: first celibate, then, blessing of the elder, took tonsure and became a hieromonk. AND then hegumen, builder and confessor of the monastery. And now that almost twenty-five years have passed priestly ordination, it seemed to him that a whole a life. So much has been experienced over the years, so much people needed his help and prayer. When did you start to serve, exclamations echoed in the empty, a temple far from the regional center. And now here on service, as they say, the apple has nowhere to fall - so the people are dense. nine0005

This morning, however, there were fewer parishioners at the service than usually: the ice on the Chusovaya river has become too thin. Chusovaya separated the old Church of All Saints from a small the Ural village of G., and now, until the ice passes through river, no one from the village will be able to get to the temple.

The father picked up the phone. He brought it to his ear, and then a little pushed aside, deafened by a woman's sobbing. Patiently waited. And then he firmly said:

Claudia, are you? So. Let's take a deep breath! Inhaled? Exhale... One more time... One more time... Now tell me. What It happened? nine0005

Claudia, a regular parishioner of the church, convulsively sobbing, she finally said:

- Nyura is dying! Dying, really dying! Oh, father, help me! How is she going to die without confession without communion!

- Claudia, so you yourself know that your sister the eldest did not go to the temple, and did not proceed to the sacraments. What now?

- Father, since she became ill, I say: here after all, Nyur, after all, you will leave forever, and your soul, what with will it be a soul? Maybe even before his death, the father to you shall we call? nine0005

- And what is she?

- So I agreed, father, I agreed! me and myself did not expect! And now lies wheezing! "Ambulance" arrived, the nurse said, they say, your grandmother is dying, we won’t take you to the hospital, you just got it from there. I injected her with something, like to maintain a heart activities. She said that by the evening she would die anyway, the heart is already stopping. Worn out heart my Nyurochka!

And Claudia sobbed again.

Father sighed heavily and said firmly: nine0005

Claudia, calm down! Go to your sister! Sit next to me pray! I am coming right now.

- Father, how are you coming? No more road no!

- Nothing, yesterday we went again. With God's help... Go to Nura, pray.

Father Savvaty hung up and frowned. Yes, just like that and he was told by a cardiologist from the regional center. Say, your heart, father, is very worn out, not according to age. You seem to take everything to heart. Necessary, say, take care of yourself, do not worry, do not worry. Lead a calm and measured life. You, He asks, have you been stressed lately? nine0005

He then thought. Stress... That's just what I prayed for parishioner Maria, who had an accident. And before that I prayed midnight for the watchman Fedor. He had a heart attack, a watchman. And another week they brought a sick girl, Nastya, she had a high temperature for a whole month. The diagnosis could not be made, and the child died. served prayer service, bathed Nastya in the Kazanskaya God's spring Mothers. Father Savvaty also prayed for her. Alone at night his cell. Habitual night prayer. The Lord is merciful The girl went on the mend. When I prayed, tears flowed on the cheeks and the heart ached with the already familiar chronic pain. Is it stress or not stress? nine0005

So were you under any stress? - not waiting for an answer, the elderly doctor asked again.

– No, perhaps. Did not have. The ordinary life of a priest. Everything is as always, - answered the father.

- As always! For some reason the doctor got angry. - Your heart is worn out, like a sixty-year-old old man, and you're only forty. So you don't take long hold out!

Yes, the doctor was caustic. Prescribed a lot of drugs...

While dressing, Father Savvaty paused for a second. thought, then put a vial of pills in his pocket. I went to the temple for the Gifts, took everything necessary for confession and communion and quickly, so that no one has time to call out, went down the mountain. nine0005

Descending, he surveyed the stretching plain, forests, fields, Chusovaya, ready to open. April sun caressed the face, the sky was high, spring, bright blue. The snow was melting, and streams murmured around and birds chirped.

While walking to the river, I thought about my sisters - Claudia and Nyura. Claudia was in her fifties, and Nura, probably under seventy. Once upon a time, their family was large.

Father Savvaty knew from Claudia what he and his sister had two more younger brothers. They have come to visit and revered the eldest, Nyura, for a mother. And the adult children of Claudia called Nyura their grandmother. She became the eldest in the family for a long time. Nyura was then a girl of marriageable age. But after tragic death of parents under the wheels of a truck she never married a drunken state farm driver. Replaced parents sister and brothers. not in the orphanage gave, raised, educated, put on her feet. Claudia loved her older sister very much and often mentioned her father. nine0005

According to her, Nyura was a hard worker. Was strict. Words won't say too much. In the temple she, despite all the requests younger sister, did not go. But Klava let go. Herself in garden and cattle, and let the younger sister go. Will say only: "Pray there for yourself and for me."

Father Savvaty suddenly remembered how in the winter Claudia had approached upset after the service. Talked about how I came up with the idea of ​​reading the Gospel to my sister while she was knitting socks, yes mittens for all relatives. Klava started from the very first Evangelist, Matthew. And Nyura even listened to her attentively. But when they came to the chapter on the barren fig tree, there was a hitch. Klava read with an expression like The Lord saw a fig tree on the way, and approached it, looking for fruit, and finding nothing but leaves, he said to her: “Let there be no further fruit from you forever.” And the fig tree immediately dried up. nine0005

At this point, Nyura, calmly knitting a sock, started up:

- What kind of fig tree is this?

- The tree is, well, figs, - uncertainly answered Klava.

Why were there no fruits?

- So it was not yet time to harvest the fruits ...

"So it wasn't her fault?"

- Who, Nur?

- Yes, this fig tree! Not guilty! And dried up...

Nyura got up and, leaving her knitting, went to the kitchen. imported, moved the pots. Klava heard how her older sister seemed to choke. It was so unlike the strict and always balanced Nyura, that Klava rushed to the kitchen, find out what happened. But she turned away and remained silent. nine0005

Father Savvaty remembered how then, after confession, Claudius she asked him about this very fig tree: why, they say, such injustice that it dried up fig tree, though not to blame. It just wasn't the time for fruits. And he, father Savvaty, was confused and was not found immediately what to answer. And then I forgot about this issue. Just now I just remembered when I was going to the dying Nyura.

Thinking, the father did not notice how he went out to Chusovaya. The river in this place was wide - four hundred meters, not less. The log road, which in these parts was called bed, was almost flooded with water. Dark water seethed and along the edges of the log deck splashed onto the ice through thaws, ravines. Father Savvaty looked back, looked at his temple, crossed himself and stepped on bedding. I walked slowly at first, trying not to fall, but then he quickened his pace. In the middle of the road, he was already walking almost along knee in the water and prayed out loud, but almost did not hear the sound of his voice, muffled by the sound of water, creaking logs and some distant crackling. nine0005

Claudia's hut was extreme, almost near the shore. When the priest entered the house, sitting at the head of sister Claudia cried. And the elderly woman lying on the bed was pale and motionless. Died? Did not have time! Or maybe more alive?

Father Savvaty opened the Treasury and, kneeling, became for some reason, read the canon about the sick:

“The daughter of Jairov has already died, as God revived you, And now raise up, Christ God, sick Anna from the gates of death, You Thou art the Way and the Life to all..." nine0005

Claudia knelt beside her and wept.

When he finished and silence reigned, the priest became embarrassed and drooped: here, I read the canon for the sick, but here it was necessary to the outcome of the soul, probably ... Lord, forgive such impudence!

– Father... Did you come to me?

Father Savvaty raised his head, and Claudia stopped crying. Nyura opened her eyes and looked at them attentively. And eyes they were smart and kind. Only those who suffer a lot. Father cleared his throat and only then was able to answer: nine0005

- To you, Anna. Maybe you want to confess and take communion...

- Want. I want to confess, father. And take communion I'm probably unworthy... And I also want Klava remained. Because I need her forgiveness...

- Nyurochka is my dear, but what do you want from me forgiveness?! Yes, you ... you ... - threw up her hands Claudia.

- Wait. It's hard for me to speak. And I have to say...

Nyura paused, and then continued in a barely audible voice: nine0005

- When our parents died, I, the eldest, remained in family. And then I loved one boy very much. Sergey called him. Yes ... And he loved me ... And how did I stay with you kids, he still went to see me for a couple of months, and then told me... Say, I love you so much, marry I would like to, but only kids, that is, you, Klava with the little ones, should be sent to an orphanage. We will not pull, they say, we are with you, Nyurochka, kids. And you and I are giving birth to our own. Understand? Of your own! Here we stand on our feet, learn and give birth! nine0005

And I told him: “So these are mine, too.” They gone. And I cried a lot then. I cried a lot, Klavochka! And then I grumbled a lot! And she grumbled at God ... But somehow the little ones, Kolya and Mishenka, made boats. Likewise in April. They didn’t litter so much ... And I got angry for some reason strong ... And with a belt for both of them, with a belt! A Mishenka he was still quite small, he ran around in a shirt, and heels are bare. Such little heels, pinkish ... So I hit him a couple of times. And then she sat on the floor and began to sob something ... They fell silent, and then Kolya came up to me and, like an adult, stroked my head. AND Mishenka sat down next to me and also stroked my face, stroked me. And says to me: "Mommy, mommy ..." nine0005

Nyura's quiet voice trembled:

- I belt them, and they took pity on me. And also at night I had thoughts. About Sergei. About his black curls. Pro the fact that, maybe, it’s true to hand over the kids to an orphanage ... I loved him very much. And I wanted to get married ... And they, kids, did not even know about my black thoughts... Let go you are my sin, father! Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner! Klava, I'm sorry...

And I have many more sins. I'm a thief, father. Thief. I AM I stole milk from a small farm. And then more potatoes state farm. And she's out, Klava, everything in the church me called ... And I kept thinking, where should I go with my sins ... Let at least Klava walks. nine0005

And I also have a secret grudge. To our neighbor, Galina. I am very offended by her ... I told her about my son that, drunk, he broke our fence with his motorcycle. And she told me shouted: “You are generally silent, you didn’t give birth to your own, you barren fig tree!” And I didn't understand at first about a fig tree. Then Klava read to me about her. I confess, father, what is there to be offended by? How am I barren fig tree...

Claudia rushed to her sister and wept:

nine0002 - Dear Nyurochka, what a fig tree you are infertile?! Yes, you have replaced the mother and father of the three of us! yes you raised the three of us! And now you help everyone! And my children like a grandmother! And Misha and Kolya regard you as a mother! Our Nyurochka, don't die, huh? Please don't leave us! Well please!

And for a long time the father sat in this small cozy house, confessed, then communed Nyura. When he left, she exhausted, she closed her eyes and her face was covered with wax deathly pallor. nine0005

In the corridor, they whispered with Klava about the absentee funeral - to call, then when Anna leaves.

The way back in memory almost did not linger, somehow Father Savvaty quickly returned along the same bed. His heart was already aching, as usual, and his damp legs were completely frozen. AT climbed the mountain heavily, and it was not clear whether it was from behind there was a rumble, or a pounding in the ears from rapid walking. And he did not immediately pay attention to the group gathered on the mountain their parishioners. They pointed with their hands to where he came from. just came. And the father turned back. nine0005

And where he had just passed, everything was completely different. A strong crack was rushing over Chusovaya, it kept growing, and then suddenly thundered powerfully, like an explosion. On the river everything is broken moved, the ice floes climbed on top of each other, and then gushed dark water, scattering the logs of the beds in different directions. Huge, they flew in different directions so easily, as if some giant was playing with them. "Ice drift", - the father thought in a detached way.

The people gathered on the mountain surrounded him, vying with each other taking blessing, they asked where he was coming from. nine0005

- Walked, admired nature, - evasively Father Savvaty answered and went into the house. He suddenly felt very weak. With difficulty, naughty took off his boots with his hands in the hallway and went into the room, leaving wet footprints on the floor with green feet.

We had to prepare for the evening service.

Let all flesh be silent

Easter was approaching. But to meet her father Savvaty is not managed. On Holy Week, he became ill, and he was right with evening service was taken to the hospital with suspected heart attack. nine0005

He must have passed out because he remembered everything. some snatches. The pain in my heart grew and did not give take a breath, but there was not enough air. He could no longer endure this sharp pain, and it grew. And suddenly let go, and he felt his body light and airy. This terrible pain was no more, and he was flying somewhere. The flight speed was increasing, it was being pulled into tunnel, and he flew through this tunnel to a dazzling light faster and faster.

nine0002 “I am dying,” thought the father, “or already died ... And did not have time. I didn't have time to repent. O I didn’t have time to really take care of my children and flock. And so I also wanted to make repairs in the temple ... I didn’t have time either.”

Suddenly the speed slowed down. Something prevented him fast flight. And so he hovered somewhere there, close to this blinding light. He peered. What does not let him? Some people. He did not see their silhouettes well, but the faces could be seen. They were familiar faces. His children and parishioners. They said something to him. And looked at him love. nine0005

Here they are, his children, his vows. But Fedor, the watchman, and the same parishioner Maria, who almost died in accidents. And the girl Nastya. Here is Claudia, flowing down her cheeks tears. And many more. Some faces just flickered others were delayed. She was next to him the longest an old woman whose face seemed very familiar. He doesn't couldn't remember who it was. Then I remembered: Nyura, the eldest Claudia's sister, who died recently. Or didn't she die? Nyura did not leave him, and her lips persistently repeated the same words, but he couldn't make them out. And this her perseverance and look full of love kept him, didn't let go. nine0005

Then he felt that he was losing his lightness, and the blinding light began to recede. He felt a growing heaviness and suddenly heard his own groan. And with with difficulty he opened his leaden weighted eyelids.

- He's alive! woke up! - a resonant female voice. Then Father Savvaty saw a white ceiling and bent over him faces. One of them was the already familiar face of an elderly cardiologist. Then the priest was tortured and pulled for a long time, without end by connecting and disconnecting some wiring and other technique. nine0005

After the examination, the cardiologist sat down next to him, sat silently, and then slowly said:

- You are our dear father! And I thought: everything, we lost you. But you, father, never cease to amaze me. Here is yesterday In the evening I saw that you had a severe heart attack. Today in the morning, according to the results of the examination, - no signs of a heart attack! You know, what a miracle! None! I love you watched a few months ago, you have a heart ...

“I remember, I remember,” Father Savvaty could not stand it, - worn... nine0005

- But now it works miraculously for you how perfectly healthy... I don't know what to think... So, so ... I believe that you will lie down with us for a week, let's watch you.

- Excuse me, but you can watch me later, after Easter?

On Great Saturday, Father Savvaty served the Liturgy of Basil Great, and instead of "Cherubic" they sang what sung only once a year:

“Let all human flesh be silent, and let it stand fear and trembling, and let nothing earthly in itself think; The king of kings and the Lord of lords comes be slaughtered and given as food to the faithful. " nine0005

The temple was full. A whole the bus of his parishioners, making a detour of two hundred kilometers. Everyone was in a pre-holiday mood. Some more...

After the service, when the people went to the refectory, to their father Savvaty was approached by two women - Claudia and a living and her healthy sister Nyura. They sat down on a bench in pretend, and the father told them how glad he was to see them both in the temple. I asked Nyura about her well-being. It turned out that after confession and communion, she fell asleep and slept for a day, after so she got up and went to work around the house. As if and wasn't going to die. Klava said: nine0005

- Father, we were so afraid for you! So worried when we were told that you were taken from the service to hospital! Prayer for the whole village! And Nyura and I prayed. Nyura asked me how to pray. And before that I was upset that she only said: get up, they say, kneel on the rug next to me and say: “Lord, heal our father!” I read it myself Akathist to the Healer Panteleimon. Read-read and not I noticed how right there, on the rug, and fell asleep. I wake up Father, it's already dawning. I look, and our Nyura is the same is on his knees. Bows beats and occasionally mutters something. I listened, and she, it turns out, repeats the same thing. same: “Lord, heal our father! Please, Lord, heal our father!” Prayed all night! nine0005

- What are you thinking about! - with Nyura interrupted her with displeasure, blushing. – What there all night - you woke up, it wasn't even four in the morning was! The night is not over yet! Which one of me prayer book? Father, don't listen to her!

Father Savvaty caught his breath. He cleared his throat and trying to speak calmly and cheerfully, he said:

“God save you, my dears! Let's go Let's cheer up a little!

And when they got up to go to the refectory, Nyura she lingered and quietly said to Father Savvaty: nine0005

“Father, I’ve been thinking about everything here. And I don't know is it right ... I thought like this: it was not the time fig tree ... well, barren. And the Lord said, gave her strength. God - He can do anything, right? And resurrect the dead, and on dry land like water ... And she stubborn: they say, this and that, they say, since it’s not the season, so I don’t have to ... Did I understand correctly, father?

Father Savvaty smiled:

- Yes, in general it is correct. Who is too zealous to protect the right of figs to "their" time, that, perhaps, in will not find time in his diary to meet with God. The Lord calls us, and we refer to what will bear fruit early, tiring, or simply do not want to. The Lord is ready create, if necessary, a miracle, and we stand, insensible, like that tree. She was stubborn, apparently, that fig tree ... nine0005

- Yeah, stubborn...

“You see, if the Lord wants, he is overcome and nature rank. Do you understand Anna?

- I understand, father. Just don't get sick anymore OK?

Bengal Ficus - the tree with the largest crown in the world

04/18/2014

Do you know that there are trees in the world that have several thousand trunks? Yes, yes, it is! One of these interesting and unusual trees is Bengal fig tree, banyan tree or the more popular name Bengal ficus .

The banyan is a tree which reaches an extraordinary size - its crown alone can cover an area of ​​more than 2 hectares . It is logical that such a load cannot be supported by one trunk (even a very huge one), so the plant produces additional trunks that can support this giant crown. As a result, one tree looks like a whole forest. Moreover, when it occupies a huge area and has many trunks, it is hard to believe that this is one plant. By the way, the tree comes from India and is considered a special object of worship there. nine0005

In the first years of development, the tree is an epiphyte , for example, like an orchid that grows on the bark of other plants, using them as a substrate. Over time, the tree produces long stems that hang above the ground and only then take root.

Bengal ficus is a tree that grows by suppressing other plants - it develops, puts out more shoots and, as a result, spreads over vast areas, using the plants common there as food. nine0005

A well-known example of this ficus is the Grand Banyan, which is located in the Calcutta Botanical Gardens - this plant covers 300 m² and has 2880 trunks, some of which reach 25m in height.

Interestingly, bengal ficus can easily grow at home - in a flowerpot, but, of course, it will not reach such incredibly large sizes as in its natural environment. The tree has dark green and very dense leaves, prefers sunny places and fertile soil. nine0212

Do not place it near radiators as it will dry out quickly.

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