Tiger Bark Ficus; in development

[aframe]

partially defoliated 2 weeks ago.
Can the growing tips be completely removed? Will this induce a better back budding response?
Need to grow out a new leader and begin ramifications on the lower main branches.
Thanks for lookin

 

[BonsaiButler]

Interesting little thing. I like it.
At first glance I thought it was a root over rock.

 

[justBonsai]

partially defoliated 2 weeks ago.
Can the growing tips be completely removed? Will this induce a better back budding response?
Need to grow out a new leader and begin ramifications on the lower main branches.
Thanks for lookin

I did a hard cut back on a tiger bark ficus a few weeks ago. It responded with buds everywhere. Existing growing tips, as expected, did gain more vigor and sent out larger leaves. I would keep growing tips on regions you want to further thicken and remove them where you don't. In any case ficus develop and grow very fast.

 

[leatherback]

I remove all growing tips. I find they limit backbudding enormously with ficus retusa. But I live in a cold climate.

 

[Jeremy]

I live in a hot humid climate and find leaving the growing tips defeats the purpose of defoliating, if you are defoliating to build ramification. I find few buds will actually respond. I only remove leaves but leave the growing tip if I'm trying to thicken a branch and the inner leaves are shading out other areas of the tree

 

[sorce]

Yeah...I would Probly leave one of the farthest ones on each bottom branch...
And cut the rest off...

Surely cut the center ones back a lot harder....

I Probly wouldn't have Defoliated it now...
As these will back bud pretty easy no matter when you cut it....
Oughtta let it grow out a lot more...
Thicken up.

But since it's naked....

Wire it out...

Or at least throw some guy wires on it...

No....wire it out!

Sorce

 

[Giga]

you forgot to wire and cut back harder

 

[aframe]

you forgot to wire and cut back harder

Wired the same day as the first picture on June 3 '16, here is the tree today with new growth extending after defoliation. Looks like i should have cut back earlier

 

[eferguson1974]

I personaly would put a little more wiggle in the branches, some movement but too crazy. Just my opinion, I like more up/down and side to side. And back n' forth for depth. But Ive only tortured trees for a year..

 

[aframe]

Here is it a little over a year ago, about six weekd after being cut back and wired for the 1st time; 5/2/2015

 

[aframe]

Here's the start of another microcarpa; these pics date from 3/21/2015 to 5/2/2015. See the lowest branch grow! This will thicken the trunk and be used as a side-veneer graft to heal some scars on the trunk.

 

[aframe]

Here's the side-veneer graft, 6/3/16.

 

[aframe]

3/13/17
Partial defoliation, branch selection and new leader

 

[sorce]

Nice....

Good progress!

Sorce