F. nerifolia

[agraham]

A big one.In progress and welcoming suggestions.

 

[irene_b]

A big one.In progress and welcoming suggestions.

OK, First off can ya please get 2 men to rotate it so we can see the back side as well?
(I know Andy real well and know that this may or may not be the back of the true tree)
In this tree I see you are doing the Left Right thing again.
And what the heck are all those Green things on the limbs??? Strip this tree nekkid!!
Where is the true Bones of this tree?
Irene

 

[king kong]

Very nice. I need a coke can in the picture before I can make any judgment. What stain are you using on your wood fence?

 

[agraham]

This is a project tree for this year Irene.It's too early...or atleast I haven't gotten as far as defoliating this one.When I do..pics will follow.

The roof of a 15 X 25 shed fell on this tree during hurricane Dolly and the back is very much in tatters.I lost some pretty big branches but it is coming back.

Andy

 

[agraham]

Kong....I don't remember the stain brand or color.It was done 2 years ago and is holding up well, though.Especially considering it gets watered every day.



Andy

 

[king kong]

I was just pullen your leg Andy about the fence. Your tree is very nice and orderly. I am not a fan of colored pots but that's another story. Nerifolia is a great plant to use with super nice results. You would be interested in knowing I have been chating with a gentleman in Australia that has been growing nerifolia for a good term. I was suprised. The styles are much different from our banyan canopy look. He grows a moyogi single trunk style. My mentor who was the founder I guess of nerifolia always insisted the plant should be banyan style. I would sneek a few moyogi styles on the side to which he would totaly ignore. lol's man he was stubborn sometimes.
Your fence does look well kept!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

(1) Define your trunkline, up to your preferred apex.
(2) Determine the importance, length and angle of the primary branches.
(3) Get rid of 50% of the foilage and fine branches (at least) to emphasize/reveal your design.

You have such great trees! But simplify, simplify, simplify I can make a virt (and probably will for fun) but I am only guessing at the trunk and branch structure within the foliage mass.

 

[Taiko-Earth]

Wow, great material; its off to a great start.

Just my 2 cents here, but FWIW, I would look into an oval or large slab to represent the form you have going here. You will probably want to wait until you see more development of your tree's style before you get set on a container, but I tend to like the natural banyan style that is already starting to emerge.

I grow tired of the 'poofy' pads that we see a lot in the nerifolias. One of my trees is a perfect example of what not to do!

rob

 

[Bob]

Hi Andy, that is a really great trunk. Is it one tree or is it from a couple of trees fused together?

Bob.

 

[Chris Johnston]

Andy,
Very nice tree. Well done. I like the color of the pot, but I think an oval might be better.

 

[Anonymous User]

Nice work Andy.

I like the shape of the pot for this tree, the subtle curve is nice. I think opening up the foliage would help the image a lot with this bonsai.



Will

 

[agraham]

For Irene..the back and its missing branches.
For Kong..Coke can.

Bob,

It's a stump that came back ..multiple trunks..one base.

Thanks Chris,Will,Rob and

Nut....the more I learn,the more I realize I don't know.The more I work at bonsai, the more i realize my artistic limitations.

Andy

 

[bonsainotwar]

For Irene..the back and its missing branches.
For Kong..Coke can.

Bob,

It's a stump that came back ..multiple trunks..one base.

Andy

I just bought a Benjimina like that.It was so round and bushy,I had to saw it in two below the soil line to get trainable bonsai.I got two nice trees,one with three trunks one with two.Each measures about 3-4" across.

And yes I know about the "death curse of three" in bonsai.

I must be getting pretty good at this,because I was able to untangle the extremely snarled,and in some spots deformed roots at the bottom of the pot without it going into shock,and saw it in two,with no sign I had sawn it.

This is the first ficus I have had in four or five years.The last one I had died because it was too cold inside one winter.

 

[ginger]

What soil type are you growing this ficus in Mr. Agraham?

___ginger

 

[discusmike]

Awesome material Andy.

 

[agraham]

just an updated picture

6/08/09

Hoping to widen the crown this year.

Too bushy?

Andy

 

[Si Nguyen]

Hi Andy, this tree is fantastic! I'd kill to have this tree. If you ever want to part with it, please let me know. If it was my tree I wouldn't change it much, maybe a wider profile like you are thinking. I would remove some foliage from the front of the tree in order to show the fantastic trunk though, like others have suggested. There are at least 2 big roots that I would remove too. Here's a picture of what I mean. The pot is perfect I think. Where did you find that pot? I need a big one like that!
Your tropical bonsais are great! I started a few scheflera bonsais after seeing one of your trees on BonsaiTalk years ago.
Have a great day!
Si

 

[agraham]

Thanks,Si.

I bought the pot at Brussel's Bonsai a number of years ago. Your lines are pretty close to what I have planned for the tree.In person,you can actually see more of the trunks and ramification of this tree.It is due a total defoliation in about a month.I'll try and post another view then.

Now that I look at it..I agree about the large root on the left...I'm not sure about the one on the right .

Andy

 

[TpaBayFlyFisher]

Hi Andy. I really like the structure of the tree. It may be the photo but it looks to me like the base is a little "wild". The most impressive ficus I have seen all have wonderfully complex nebari that flow from the trunk across the top of the soil. I suspect that is the next stage for this one...........let us see it in a few years!