Ficus bonsai

[aml1014]

I want to do it right this year, so maybe it's a stupid question, but: How shady should it be placed? Like out of full sun (some sun/half shade), or more like in 'permanent' shaded place? Or in a closet ^^?



I'm keeping it in 1 piece for now, also the taper is only good in that 1 angle, it's more like a flatter piece of the thunk which not is visible in the picture. The neighbor would get an hearth attack when i would show him a stump If it's growing after the defoiliation i want to show him the progress (maybe he want's it back lol).

Mine are in full sun except for june, july, and august. I wouldn't assume that your sun there could be any stronger or as strong, as here in the high desert.

Aaron

 

[Anthony]

My suggestion,

find examples on Google of what this ficus can become.

Ask yourself if you find them impressive.

Would you spend the time to do the same.

Ficus is easy to grow, but only a few can make tree type bonsai, the rest depend on root decoration.

In the first image it is an attractive trunk to top. However, imagine how much it will change if you attempt
to grow the first branch and trunk thicken. As well as improve the roots.

It looks like a Chinese discard and was being trained for what is known as the - Calligraphic - style.
A tree meant to be displayed indoors against a light wall, much like Chinese script on paper.
Low density of leaf and branches . trunk shaped to be admired.
It's a different approach to what is seen in the more standard tree effect in Bonsai.

On our side, the ficus responds well to full sun and a soil very low in organic material, the inorganic
being able to only hold water around itself.
Whatever you do, I wish you well.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[leatherback]

Mine are in full sun except for june, july, and august. I wouldn't assume that your sun there could be any stronger or as strong, as here in the high desert.

It is not the point that the sun is too strong, but that the bark is not used to it. Same reason why Beech are wrapped in cloth when a lot of neighbouring trees are removed: Risk of sunburn. So when you defoliate, you should keep it out of direct sun untill the new leaves arrive. That is my experience, unfortunately: One of my figs has died on one side due to sundamage after defoliation.
probably morning/afternoon sun would be ok.

 

[Cypress187]

I paraphrased ur post abit:

It looks like a Chinese discard. Good Day, Anthony.

I've googled a pretty long time and I'm beginning to see your point, it's hard to change it into a 'tree' with this distracting, artificial, forced S-shape.
(Btw, is this perhaps a grafted Chinese discard?).

I'm not ready to do radical chops and/or don't have enough material/knowledge for grafting yet, so for now/this year I will go with how it looks now, and then most likely in the future I can still air layer stuff off and chop it, so i have more material and learn some more (I only have 1 of this specimen atm). I have an ginseng with a dead graft, perhaps I can even fix it when I have more material propagated.

Opinions ?

 

[BrianBay9]

No rush, but eventually you'll need to get rid of that S-curve somehow - cut back, airlayer, etc. Or, find a way to use it effectively. The only example I've seen of that is here:

http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/11-trees-equal-1.19293/

 

[Chuah]

Hi,

I have a ficus bonsai (gift from my neighbourgh),

Nice neighbor. Since you are in the Netherlands which most likely do not have a long growing season for a tropical tree like ficus, it may be advisable not to cut back the branches or do any defoliation for a while, just let it grows and see where it takes you. The S-curve is hard to look at in its current state, but with stronger lower branches and more leaves, you can wire the fuller lower branches to hide the S-curve unless you intend to enjoy a defoliated ficus. Not the best situation for a mass produced ficus but still enjoyable.

 

[defra]

This bottom is sick.

Id be trying to get to there.

Maybe layer the top for s&g and another tree.
View attachment 94293

Sorce

searching the forum but this virt this must be the most genius of all virts

 

[sorce]

searching the forum but this virt this must be the most genius of all virts

Thumbs up!

Sorce

 

[defra]

@Cypress187
still around dude?
got myself my first malsai today tigerbark ficus lol

 

[Cypress187]

still around dude? got myself my first malsai today tigerbark ficus lol

Yeah I'm still here, I'm cutting back my internet hours (hehe). What is a malsai? I can only find cars and raintree's.

I repotted mine last year into a bigger pot and I will layer pieces of it. When I have something I will post some more pics.

 

[defra]

Malsai is the name for those mass produced trees from china