This is a stupid question.

[JackHammer]

My mother has a 9 foot fiddle leaf and is trying to pawn it off on me because she no longer wants it (and it is taking over her living room). I know it is not a great variety for a number of reasons - large leaves being a huge one. Why am I going to regret turning this thing into a bonsai?

 

[Shibui]

Why do you have to turn it into bonsai?
Large leaf and lang internodes will make it difficult to manage and to get good scale for nice bonsai BUT use bonsai knowledge to chop it down and prune regularly to get a neatly shaped indoor plant.
Not all potted plants have to be bonsai.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I don’t think that it would be a good species for a traditional bonsai because the leaf size and growth habits. This doesn’t mean that some bonsai practices won’t help it though.
Trimming back the tree and repotting it will likely help the tree to grow better. It should back bud if given good growing environment.
Giving it some fertilizer or worm castings would be beneficial for the plant.
I think an organic soil would be preferred instead of bonsai soil.
Also remember with ficus that doing work in warmer months and being able to get it outside are often the keys to success.
I don’t think they like repotting too much.

 

[Forrestford]

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQouTWwmTQoxO_m_n6Df3JGAD068Im3Yj&si=Z-tKWrRNX-6cI8Hn

I haven’t watched these so I can’t speak on the success. But I agree with above I think it would be hard to reduce these leaves.

 

[jandslegate]

They are also, from my experience just having one as a house plant, highly temperamental. I think the risk to reward of the endeavor would probably not be worth it. Now if you wanted to take it and have it as a plant and accept that it's going to just be what it wants to be, then they are pretty cool plants, once they find a sweet spot and are happy.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Nigel Saunders has one he has dwarfed pretty substantially. He shows it on the Peter Chan visits Nigel vid.

Wouldn’t really call it bonsai, but is still interesting!

 

[Cajunrider]

You can turn it into a bonsai in the definition sense: a tree in a pot but the leaves won't reduce. The tree will look like a house plant for as long as you own it.

 

[jradics]

It wont be a 'proper' bonsai but it's a plant from dear old mom. take it. Cut it down to 5 ft if you have to, but take it

 

[Michael P]

You can use bonsai techniques to maintain a large woody house plant in a size and shape that is easier to live with.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

Nigel Saunders has one he has dwarfed pretty substantially. He shows it on the Peter Chan visits Nigel vid.

Wouldn’t really call it bonsai, but is still interesting!

That is a good video. Thanks for sharing.

 

[JackHammer]

You can turn it into a bonsai in the definition sense: a tree in a pot but the leaves won't reduce. The tree will look like a house plant for as long as you own it.

I was able to get them down to about 6 inches in bright light but that is still pretty big.

Hmm. Not sure what I am going to do on this one. I already have 2 large figs and 100+ other trees (sticks in pots) so adding another is low on my priority list unless I can keep it interesting.

 

[MeDupree]

If you want to make it into a short bushy tree you could try chopping to the lowest branch or leaves and cutting notches where the old leaf scars are. I've been able to reduce the leaves on the FLF that way to get a more compact plant