MHBonsai
Chumono
End of summer update. I grew it out twice like this over the summer. Big and shaggy. Over 4 feet tall. Lots of strong roots in the new pot. It’s been really happy this summer with all the heat.
MHBonsai
Chumono
Much better. I cut it back just as far as I can while still leaving a healthy growth tip and often a leaf at the end of every branch. I'm hoping to pop a ton of dormant buds by doing this. I defoliated everything else by cutting leaves at the petioles.
I don’t really like the straight section of trunk near the apex. Hopefully I get some good branches to work with soon.
MHBonsai
Chumono
And into its home for the winter.
Tropicals are so much fun.
Tropicals are so much fun.
MHBonsai
Chumono
Also this big cutting that I rooted is coming along as a shohin.....just under 8" at this cutback.
MHBonsai
Chumono
Right around two months in the tent and it’s totally leafed out. Leaf size is gradually reducing as the ramification builds. A lot of wire was cutting in at this point so I removed most of it and rewired a handful of branches. The red thing is a straw to train an arial root down to the soil.
Harry Bushwhacker
Yamadori
This thread as a whole is awesome. You have a badass tree.
MHBonsai
Chumono
Thanks! It's been satisfying to see how fast you can develop these benjaminas. Two years progress.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
MHBonsai
Chumono
It's been a good winter in the grow tent for this cutting.
So it's time to defoliate and see what I'm working with.
Little bit of wire and move the front slightly left....
You guys ever seen fruit on a ficus benjamina bonsai? I think it's getting a bit potbound which might be helping. Pretty fun.
From this.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
MHBonsai
Chumono
Spring update. It's growing like it should and I've cut back once for ramification on the first few keeper branches.
One big win from the winter, I actually got my first scion graft to take. This will be the first back branch. And on top of it, it dropped an aerial route that made it to the pot and has stuck. I don’t know if I will keep it or not, but for the time being it will probably help close that big wound.
One big win from the winter, I actually got my first scion graft to take. This will be the first back branch. And on top of it, it dropped an aerial route that made it to the pot and has stuck. I don’t know if I will keep it or not, but for the time being it will probably help close that big wound.
MHBonsai
Chumono
I know, my wiring is ugly.
I just cant handle the big straight section up top. No curves. No branches.
Originally I had hoped to get some buds push through when I pruned this winter, but no luck. Chop chop time.
Much better movement and taper. I'll be able to build a new crown this summer. And another cool cutting to root
I just cant handle the big straight section up top. No curves. No branches.
Originally I had hoped to get some buds push through when I pruned this winter, but no luck. Chop chop time.
Much better movement and taper. I'll be able to build a new crown this summer. And another cool cutting to root
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Great Move!
Excellent thread!
Sorce
Excellent thread!
Sorce
MrFancyPlants
Masterpiece
Hey, nice work! I’m glad you didn’t just keep as a houseplant per my earlier advice.
My “Christine” variety benjamina produces a lot of berries, but I haven’t seen it on standard benjamina. I usually pluck them off fearing they will hog resources, but I HBR much smaller trees.
You have had successful results with the grafting, I wonder if you might try grafting some “too little” on to one of your large trunked cuttings. I wonder if the transition would look ok?
My “Christine” variety benjamina produces a lot of berries, but I haven’t seen it on standard benjamina. I usually pluck them off fearing they will hog resources, but I HBR much smaller trees.
You have had successful results with the grafting, I wonder if you might try grafting some “too little” on to one of your large trunked cuttings. I wonder if the transition would look ok?
MHBonsai
Chumono
Thanks! I think you could graft on 'too little' onto a standard Benjamina without too much issue. Though their foliage looks a lot different in person - so you'd have to remove all the original larger leaves/branches/budding continuously I think. Seems like more work than it'd be worth.
If I ever show one of these, I'd just defoliate completely about 4 weeks prior and show it with fresh new 1/2" benjamina leaves.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
@AndyJ this is one of the entire tree process threads that is great.
You can see MH gets attached to nothing and moves forward in great strides.
Definitely worth reading from the beginning, the short three year timeline has nothing to do with it being tropical, and everything to do with committing to the right course of action.
Sorce
You can see MH gets attached to nothing and moves forward in great strides.
Definitely worth reading from the beginning, the short three year timeline has nothing to do with it being tropical, and everything to do with committing to the right course of action.
Sorce
MHBonsai
Chumono
Summer update. I'm pretty excited. I've got all my structural branches in place and the grafted second branch and new apex are coming along. Once I have it all balanced I'll keep up ramification and stretch the canopy width.
Before
after
Graft scion is pencil size. Need to get it to broomstick size.
Before
after
Graft scion is pencil size. Need to get it to broomstick size.
MHBonsai
Chumono
Got some new shoes. Probably my favorite pot ever...just over 22". Prepped and put in some eyes for pulling down branches.
Root ball looks pretty good. No rot in the hollow trunk.
Cleaned up and took out a couple high roots. Took out some tubers under the main plane of roots as well to get it into the shallower pot.
Root ball looks pretty good. No rot in the hollow trunk.
Cleaned up and took out a couple high roots. Took out some tubers under the main plane of roots as well to get it into the shallower pot.
MHBonsai
Chumono
And there we go.
MHBonsai
Chumono
I'll let it grow all summer to recover and try to focus growth to apex ramification and thickening that grafted back branch. Around October I'll bring it into the grow tent again, defoliate and fully wire it out. All the main branches need to pull down. And I want the final canopy about half again as wide. I think this is about final height.
