Ideas for Ficus Benghalensis

[Dakota]

Hi there new to the site and just wanted to see what its all about and get some inspiration of where to go next. Hopefully there are others on here who have experience with this species who can chime in. Seems there are quite a few ficus people here.

Well anyway. This is my F. Benghalensis. I've always wanted one of these trees and when i came across this on i snatched it up. Had it now for about a year and a half now. It's pushing ~4 years old. When I got it, it had 1 leaf and was 13". Now it measures in at just over 4 feet.

What I'd like to do with this tree is a larger style bonsai. 5 feet tall, 5-6 feet wide, and 2-3 feet wide. It's a stretch but not impossible. Also want to go with the iconic "Banyan" look.

Now my question is were do i go from here? I've been experimenting a lot with this tree. To get more branches just been pinching off new buds before they form. But have found that the branch has to have at least 5 leaves otherwise new growth will not form. Then ive tried multiple techniques to stimulate aerial roots. Each time in a 2 week span will already have 4-6 inch roots. But they always dry out. (Last attempt did a diy greenhouse around them and ended up cooking em.)

As of now my thoughts are ill cut the trunk to around a foot tall, in another year or so, once the trunk thickens more. Has anyone had success with doing so on these? Also would it be possible to save the top half as a whole after the cutting?

Sry for the long post. Hopefully pics will help.

 

[Si Nguyen]

Cool tree! I love ficus too. I am working on some big ficus bonsai with large leaves too, including Port Jackson fig ( Ficus rubiginosa) and Ficus racemosa and others. I would recommend that you put it into a larger pot, put that pot in the ground, and let it grow freely for a few years. Grow the trunk to be about a foot wide, then chop it down to about 2 feet, then start over again. Don't worry about aerial roots yet, that is very easy to do later once the canopy is done. For it to look good as a bonsai in 10 years, it should have a huge squatty trunk and branches coming off at about 1-2 feet level on the trunk and a canopy topping out at 5-6 feet height and 7-8 feet wide.

The leaves size can probably be reduced by half, like other ficus, but I have never seen anyone working with this species before. The leaves may still be too big to use for bonsai though. But it will look great as a patio tree in a large pot.

The tips of the branches can be grown out as cuttings easily, like most other ficus.

Good luck.

 

[Dakota]

Yeah I've been on the look out for a larger pot. Trying to find one that's a lot wider for it. As for putting it in the ground I don't know how comfortable I am with that. It just gets a tad to cold here. Some of my other ficus got some damage from frost last winter when I forgot to bring em in.

As for the leafs they do get a bit smaller but it doesn't last for too long. At least with not how fast this thing shoots up new growth. When I pinch the ends the new ones come up at about 3 inches long. But by the 3rd shoot they are back to about 8-9 inches. Personally I love the large leaves. Figured that getting this one to grow bigger would help balance it out.

With the aerial roots it's pretty much all just been experimentation for later on. But I'd like to get some going around the trunk to help with speeding up the trunks size.

 

[Si Nguyen]

I use the large cement mixing tubs from HomeDepot. Biggest and cheapest way to go. But the idea is to let the roots escape from the pot and grow freely into the ground below, in order to thicken up the trunk. If you're in SoCal, ficus should do fine outdoor. But if there is a real chance for frost, like once every ten years, then just cut the roots and carry the pot into the garage. That's the idea of keeping it in pots.
Good luck and welcome to BonsaiNut.

 

[Neli]

Si,
a question for you. I am struggling with some figs with large leaves too. Ficus sur and sicamorus.
So far some have 20cm=8 " trunks I chopped them and have some huge cuts on top. Plan to grow a leader and develop the side branches to fatten the trunk some more.
I was wondering if it is not better to chop them when they are younger and fatten it with the side branches to avoid such big scars. Is there any advantage in that?
Dacota,
if this fig gets such lovely air roots I would consider, taping them along the trunk, in order to fatten it and give it some character. Just make sure they have hardened a bit so you dont brake them. You can also frill small holes and provide humidity to get more roots up and down the trunk.
Like this:

 

[Si Nguyen]

Hi Neli, one can chop early and/or use side branches as sacrifice branches to fatten up a trunk. The big advantage to that is like you said, smaller scar on top. It just depends on how fast or how big you want to grow the trunk. In my experience, it is much faster and easier to use the top branch as the sacrifice branch, because the tree put on more wood faster and it grows straight up taking less room. When you use side branches as sacrifice branches, you still have to chop them off when they get too thick. But one usually ends up using BOTH top and side branches as sacrifice branches to some extent.

In this particular case, the trunk needs to get to about 2 feet wide before it could start training as a bonsai. I just can not imagine the OP having enough space in his SoCal backyard to grow this thing sideway first. And eventually, the side branches will be like top branches , because it will end up like a broom style tree. There is no room in this tree to develop different levels of branches with foliage pads. The scale is way off here.

 

[Poink88]

Si,

If you want to experiment with ficus...look for Red Balete (Ficus Concinna) from the Philippines. Next to Pemphis Acidula, it is one of the favorite species there. BTW, the red is only on new growth and turn green in time. Most people will defoliate a few weeks before a show to have all red and small foliage then.

Here is a sample (not mine)

 

[Neli]

Hi Neli, one can chop early and/or use side branches as sacrifice branches to fatten up a trunk. The big advantage to that is like you said, smaller scar on top. It just depends on how fast or how big you want to grow the trunk. In my experience, it is much faster and easier to use the top branch as the sacrifice branch, because the tree put on more wood faster and it grows straight up taking less room. When you use side branches as sacrifice branches, you still have to chop them off when they get too thick. But one usually ends up using BOTH top and side branches as sacrifice branches to some extent.

In this particular case, the trunk needs to get to about 2 feet wide before it could start training as a bonsai. I just can not imagine the OP having enough space in his SoCal backyard to grow this thing sideways first. And eventually, the side branches will be like top branches , because it will end up like a broom style tree. There is no room in this tree to develop different levels of branches with foliage pads. The scale is way off here.

Thanks Si,
I bought a lot of rough material in Japan...unfortunately never had the chance to study much how they develop deciduous in the ground. But from the ones I bought, I can see big scars and many on the sides...the one on top is not so big. It leads me to believe that they use more side branches for fattening...when creating lots of taper or sumo trunks... I need to figure this out. Trying to do some tests to see which will work better.

Si,

If you want to experiment with ficus...look for Red Balete (Ficus Concinna) from the Philippines. Next to Pemphis Acidula, it is one of the favorite species there. BTW, the red is only on new growth and turn green in time. Most people will defoliate a few weeks before a show to have all red and small foliage then.

Here is a sample (not mine)
Never seen this fig...nice!