New to Bonsai-where do I start with this found Morton Bay Fig?

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Hi,
Greetings from Wollongong, NSW Australia.
Really glad I found this site.

I have been keen on bonsai for a while and found this old Morton Bay Fig at a local market.
Apparently about 30 years old.
The picture here is of its current state.
I know it needs to be trimmed etc, but I cant find info/advice I am comfortable with in how and where do I start trimming this tree etc?
Could the good members of Bonsai Nut give me an idea of where I start?
BTW it has eucalyptus mulch on it.
cheers
IMG_6247.jpegIMG_6248.jpeg
 

TimIAm

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Usually when a new tree is bought, the first thing is checking to make sure you are happy with the soil that it comes with because it makes a lot of difference to the watering routine. If you have a healthy tree and decent soil, watering is going to be the main thing you will concerned with in keeping the tree happy and healthy. In our part of the world and where you are in Woolongong figs are kept outside year round. I'm in Sydney and don't have any experience with growing figs indoors, so if that is what you were hoping to then you will need to get some advice from someone who has experience growing ficus indoors.

Word of caution, in Sydney we have a few days over 35 degrees coming up and I see in Albion Park there are a couple of 35 degree days coming up. Although we keep our trees outside year round, when the temps get high it is wise to provide some shade, especially if you have a larger tree in a smaller pot and you're just setting up a watering routine.

There are a few things that you need to learn with bonsai, particularly with soil, watering and fertilising. You can read plenty on here, on blogs and on youtube. It can also be helpful if you have the time to link up with a bonsai club and I'm pretty sure there is one near (perhaps Urimbirra or Illawara may be near you). At bonsai clubs you can bring in a tree and work on your tree with a community of other people who are also keen and know a bit about bonsai.

MBF are fairly easy tree to work with in terms of pruning. Once you are comfortable with just keeping the tree alive without much fuss then you can consider shaping the tree. There's no need to rush cutting a ficus because they back-bud quite easily. If you have a few extra-long branches you can have a go at cutting one or two back now and see how the tree responds (hopefully throws out some new buds in a few weeks). I would also suggest because it looks like there is no fertiliser you go to the big shed and get a slow-release fertiliser which will help with budding when you cut back.

If you still have the sellers contact details it may be helpful to ask them when it was last repotted, if any fertiliser has been applied and if they know what type of soil it's planted in. Those are not necessary, but helpful to know.

When you have time have a look around the net at some pictures of ficus trees with a similar structure to yours and then you can think about a style you would like to work towards. You have limitless options if you ask for an opinion, sometimes it's better if you suggest roughly how you would like the tree to look and ask how you can achieve that look.

It appears the tree has scale insect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_insect on some of the leaves. These can usually be removed by hand or gently with an old toothbrush and water. It's a good idea to do that sooner rather than later because they can multiply or spread. Sometimes ants farm scale insect which can be a pain if the ants are inside your pot. Also, you can remove any dead, yellow leaves.

Great looking tree, would be interested to know how much it cost.
 

Potawatomi13

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Interesting tree, interesting possibilities. Most newcomers do not start with anything near this good. Congratulations😌.
 

Tieball

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Fabulous tree material. I particularly like the aerial roots. Both trunks provide an excellent composition together. I would research pruning techniques for this tree and begin a process of developing a more bushy appearance. The bushy growth will give you more opportunities for style direction.

Excellent aerial roots help provide an aged appearance. And you have superior trunk tapering and an excellent tree foundation.
 
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Usually when a new tree is bought, the first thing is checking to make sure you are happy with the soil that it comes with because it makes a lot of difference to the watering routine. If you have a healthy tree and decent soil, watering is going to be the main thing you will concerned with in keeping the tree happy and healthy. In our part of the world and where you are in Woolongong figs are kept outside year round. I'm in Sydney and don't have any experience with growing figs indoors, so if that is what you were hoping to then you will need to get some advice from someone who has experience growing ficus indoors.

Word of caution, in Sydney we have a few days over 35 degrees coming up and I see in Albion Park there are a couple of 35 degree days coming up. Although we keep our trees outside year round, when the temps get high it is wise to provide some shade, especially if you have a larger tree in a smaller pot and you're just setting up a watering routine.

There are a few things that you need to learn with bonsai, particularly with soil, watering and fertilising. You can read plenty on here, on blogs and on youtube. It can also be helpful if you have the time to link up with a bonsai club and I'm pretty sure there is one near (perhaps Urimbirra or Illawara may be near you). At bonsai clubs you can bring in a tree and work on your tree with a community of other people who are also keen and know a bit about bonsai.

MBF are fairly easy tree to work with in terms of pruning. Once you are comfortable with just keeping the tree alive without much fuss then you can consider shaping the tree. There's no need to rush cutting a ficus because they back-bud quite easily. If you have a few extra-long branches you can have a go at cutting one or two back now and see how the tree responds (hopefully throws out some new buds in a few weeks). I would also suggest because it looks like there is no fertiliser you go to the big shed and get a slow-release fertiliser which will help with budding when you cut back.

If you still have the sellers contact details it may be helpful to ask them when it was last repotted, if any fertiliser has been applied and if they know what type of soil it's planted in. Those are not necessary, but helpful to know.

When you have time have a look around the net at some pictures of ficus trees with a similar structure to yours and then you can think about a style you would like to work towards. You have limitless options if you ask for an opinion, sometimes it's better if you suggest roughly how you would like the tree to look and ask how you can achieve that look.

It appears the tree has scale insect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_insect on some of the leaves. These can usually be removed by hand or gently with an old toothbrush and water. It's a good idea to do that sooner rather than later because they can multiply or spread. Sometimes ants farm scale insect which can be a pain if the ants are inside your pot. Also, you can remove any dead, yellow leaves.

Great looking tree, would be interested to know how much it cost.
Hi, Thanks heaps for all the info-appreciate it.
I got it for $90. The bloke said that he re-potted it a few weeks ago and used seasol.
 

TimIAm

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Hi, Thanks heaps for all the info-appreciate it.
I got it for $90. The bloke said that he re-potted it a few weeks ago and used seasol.
Thanks for sharing. I reckon you got a very good deal. You see some crazy prices for ficus online here and it's hard to find good stock at a reasonable price that isn't tiny.
 

BrianBay9

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Sometimes it helps to clearly verbalize what drew you to this tree. What features are most interesting to you. There are so many possibilities here you want to recognize what parts you want to feature.
 

B-Trees

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Love these trees, this one is really great. I have one, they're also naturalized where I live. The growth can be quite coarse, the leaves do reduce pretty well but the starting point is literally the epithet "macrophylla" for "big leaved." Look into care guides for Ficus microphylla (small leaved) as a starting point.
 

Shibui

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Love these trees, this one is really great. I have one, they're also naturalized where I live. The growth can be quite coarse, the leaves do reduce pretty well but the starting point is literally the epithet "macrophylla" for "big leaved." Look into care guides for Ficus microphylla (small leaved) as a starting point.
Some of our native figs have been mislabelled over many years. Ficus macrophylla and Ficus rubiginosa have very similar leaves and growth. They are also both widespread so examples form some areas are quite different to those from other parts of Australia.
Always hard to tell from a photo but FWIW the leaves shown look more like F, rubiginosa than most macrophyllas I have seen.
Leaves of both species reduce well and we can get good ramification with good care and technique.

Personally I would probably remove the stump heading away from the main trunk. It only has a couple of weak shoots. Could probably be revived but the tree would look far better without it IMHO.
Feed it well over summer so it can gain good strength then early next summer cut back real hard to get a burst of new shoots to develop better branching and ramification.
 

Potawatomi13

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Personally would not remove stump but develop if possible as another big trunk having good separation from other present. As second possibility might be developed as complete second tree? Largely removal of tangle of aerial roots will neaten/open up view of possibilities for future☺️.
 
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Thanks everyone for your rep[lies.
I'll let it flourish as suggested before I start cutting and shaping it as per the advice.
The species is not fully identified, I agree.
I really like tropical trees, especially this type. The aerial roots look so good, ancient almost.
 
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