- 1). Grasp dead, damaged or diseased branched as their base. Cut the branch off with anvil pruners, pruning just beyond the branch collar, which is the swollen tissue around a branch that's part of the trunk.
- 2). Discard dead, diseased or damaged wood in the trash bin.
- 3). Identify crowded areas of the tree that can be thinned out. Prune away weak or small branches from dense areas of the tree canopy by cutting them off at the base.
- 4). Cut off any branches that grow downward.
- 5). Trim back tall branches with anvil pruners. Grasp a tall branch and cut it back to a lateral shoot closer to the trunk of the tree. Work in this manner to shorten the height of the ficus tree to a desired size.