Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Possible to take to club meeting and pass on to someone else?
Uninspired
- Thread starter RJG2
- Start date
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
Pointy, elongated leafed 'Green Island' has been changed to 'Green Mound'. 'Green Island' nomeclature now limited to rounded leaf cultivars.
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
I don't understand this. You have wire braided inside the two branches if I am seeing correctly. Also...branches closer to the apex...we don't want as thick. Food for thought only.
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
I'd bet that's an optical conclusion.
RJG2
Omono
Two separate branches. 3D in 2D is fun like that.
Maiden69
Masterpiece
Ficus fuse together very easily... you could use the root cutting and approach graft it to the underside of the trunk and have them fuse together creating a wider base.
Here is a post I did yesterday for some inspiration links for Ficus. They are in Spanish, but there are a ton of pictures in each of the pdf books
www.bonsainut.com
Here is a post I did yesterday for some inspiration links for Ficus. They are in Spanish, but there are a ton of pictures in each of the pdf books
Proposal: CE Mallsai / Cheap as chips Contest
If anything I'm trying to bolster OP's argument that this could be a cool competition! Ryan referred to them as "$20 Costco mallsai" so having incorporated 3 of them puts the material price at about what @ConorDash threw out as a potential cap. yeh go for it. i doubt he'll mind. not for me though.
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
Thanks for clearing it up. My brain couldn't comprehend 2D.
RJG2
Omono
Time to encourage some interesting aerial roots around the base. Will probably try to coax some banyan style roots from a few of the bottom branches.
RJG2
Omono
Didn't get any good roots from the raised soil, but still making progress slowly.
RJG2
Omono
pandacular
Masterpiece
This is an awesome progression. Makes me have second thoughts about the tree I'm thinking about ditching. Think I'll give it at least two years to show itself to me after seeing how much you've done here!
RJG2
Omono
Thanks. If it's a ficus, I figure you have two options: let it grow until it isn't ugly anymore, or make it uglier until it's unique!
Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Looking pretty good
.
.
RJG2
Omono
First time (mostly) defoliating this (second time defoliating anything). Scary until you start seeing new buds peeking. Cut back a bit and wired while I was at it.
Left most everything on the bottom left branch, as I'm trying to thicken that one.
October 12th:
Now:
Left most everything on the bottom left branch, as I'm trying to thicken that one.
October 12th:
Now:
RJG2
Omono
Trying to tackle things I've ignored. Still can't get that bottom left branch to thicken. Might graft a seedling to it to give it a direct/dedicated line to some roots (kinda like the right branch) - it would even out the aerial root spread too.
Left at least one leaf on most branches; last time I defoliated I lost some smaller ones (including the new apex I was building).
Left at least one leaf on most branches; last time I defoliated I lost some smaller ones (including the new apex I was building).
Maiden69
Masterpiece
Let it run, literally. Once you do when you cut back it will back-bud or you can approach graft easily. Another thing to consider, make sure you leave the tip of the branch up, not pointing down. That will slow it down. Cut the top hard and encourage the lower branches to thicken, ficus are very apically dominant and will thicken the top branches faster than the lower ones.
This is key, you need a small "sucker" to continue the sap flow on most ficus. Especially in a cooler climate.
RJG2
Omono
I try, but it never seems to take off, just sits there.
Both times I've defoliated, I've left that branch mostly untouched too.
Hartinez
Masterpiece
I kind of feel like it’s just your location. Hard to consider southern Maine as prime ficus growing conditions. What kind of temp highs and lows are you getting in the hottest part of summer? My ficus don’t really start blasting off till it’s hot as shit at night AND in the middle of the night. They do fine otherwise, but just ok. It’s that heat and sun that gets em!I try, but it never seems to take off, just sits there.
Both times I've defoliated, I've left that branch mostly untouched too.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
I may simply be repeating what others have said...
Do not touch the branch other than to loosely wire it. I want to emphasize "loose" because the branch will thicken quickly at this time of year. Then make sure you don't repot that spring, wait until the heat of the summer, and defoliate the tree other than that single branch.
If you defoliate and you are losing branches it is because the tree is too weak. You have it in a small shallow pot that is constraining growth - great if you have finished development, but not great if you are trying to get it to grow and bulk up. You want the tree to have a ton of roots so that when you defoliate it is energy positive and all of the roots are screaming "more foliage!" via hormones. When I defoliate my ficus I don't leave a leaf, and I can't recall ever losing a branch (though I do make sure to leave a terminal bud on the branches I am trying to elongate).
jason biggs
Chumono
i think you've done a great job with really rubbish starter material 