Ivy, braided ficus info

Q:  I want the trunk of my ficus tree to be braided as I have seen on others. Do I need to train it or will it do this naturally?

 A:   Ficus with braided trunks are produced that way. It is actually three seedlings which were braided and then grew together. It is probably too late for you to use your ficus in this manner.

 Q:   I have a nice basket of variegated ivy. Can this ivy be used as a ground cover in my landscape?

A:  Most ivy is quite cold hardy and can be used outdoors in this area. You can root cuttings and grow them in a pot until they get some sixe and then set  them out.

Q:    My Boston fern is very pot bound. How do I go about repotting it?

A:    Remove the fern from its container. You will have a tight root mass and most soil will be fully decomposed. Use a serrated knife to cut between a plant division and saw through the root ball. You will now have new plants to put into individual post.