Willow leaf ficus
- Thread starter JudyB
- Start date
Giga
Masterpiece
Guess it pays to be observant, mine will be from online to me tinks.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
With JKL's suggested branch placement. You can just see the tip of the low back branch now moved to the right. Moving that branch suggested moving some of the other right hand branching to give it room. Also changed a bit of the left hand branching. Maybe made a few changes to make it a bit less contrived in some spots.
It's amazing how so small of a tree can take so much time to arrange! But with smaller trees, I'm finding take longer as each teensy (and I mean 1/16" change) can make such a huge impact. I always have more respect for shohin and mame folks after working one of my small trees.
Improvement or not? First two are the new arrangement, last one is the before pic.
It's amazing how so small of a tree can take so much time to arrange! But with smaller trees, I'm finding take longer as each teensy (and I mean 1/16" change) can make such a huge impact. I always have more respect for shohin and mame folks after working one of my small trees.
Improvement or not? First two are the new arrangement, last one is the before pic.
Attachments
Giga
Masterpiece
I like the only thing to me is while the pot is very nice it seem to be a little large or was that on purpose?
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Maybe, but I think you can do far better than this. This tree has a primary branch going up, an upper branch coming starkly down, and you're making use of branches that are far too heavy.
It's a ficus; which means you can make new branches from that nice trunk in a few months, so why settle for what's there when you can prune mercilessly and get properly proportioned branches? They're also very flexible, so why not get real movement from that first left branch? You could twist it just a little and add some real drama
Here is what jumps out at me when I see this tree:
It's a ficus; which means you can make new branches from that nice trunk in a few months, so why settle for what's there when you can prune mercilessly and get properly proportioned branches? They're also very flexible, so why not get real movement from that first left branch? You could twist it just a little and add some real drama
Here is what jumps out at me when I see this tree:
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Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
jk_lewis
Masterpiece
Changing the planting angle is always a good thing to check out, but with our round pot, all you need to do it turn the entire thing about 2 degrees clockwise so that back branch can be seen as a back branch and you've got more depth.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Of course Brian is correct as usual, there are some too heavy branches up top, and actually probably a couple more branches than needed.
I want to look at this with the tree in front of me, but I'm unsure if I agree with the planting angle though. The virt feels unbalanced to me a bit, maybe if the apex came back to over the base it could work.
Jim, that branch is very small right now, when it grows up to be a real branch, it will def. read as one. I have turned the tree that way but the front angle then seems pretty flat between the two bottom branches, and the uro is a bit straight on for me as well. That's why this is the angle it's at currently.
This tree as I've said, never really gets any love from me until winter. I guess I need to try harder with it, no reason to have something that is less than it can be. Thanks for the push Brian, it's how we get better.
I want to look at this with the tree in front of me, but I'm unsure if I agree with the planting angle though. The virt feels unbalanced to me a bit, maybe if the apex came back to over the base it could work.
Jim, that branch is very small right now, when it grows up to be a real branch, it will def. read as one. I have turned the tree that way but the front angle then seems pretty flat between the two bottom branches, and the uro is a bit straight on for me as well. That's why this is the angle it's at currently.
This tree as I've said, never really gets any love from me until winter. I guess I need to try harder with it, no reason to have something that is less than it can be. Thanks for the push Brian, it's how we get better.
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my nellie
Masterpiece
I'd like to see any updates of this ficus.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Hi Alexandra, I sold this little tree a couple of years ago, I still miss it a bit in the winter... I hope you find the answer to your query about backbudding, seems like I read a trick about pulling all the leaves off the branches, but leaving the tip leaves on to get it to backbud.
eferguson1974
Chumono
I've gotten some native ficus to reduce from 6" to 1", just taking off the big leaves. And I leave the growing tip
After a while they seem to give up and make lots of smaller leaves.
After a while they seem to give up and make lots of smaller leaves.
bonhe
Masterpiece
JudyB,
I don't understand that why after pulling all the leaves off , it still have the tip leaves.
Bonhe
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
All but the tip leaves. Don't remember where I read that, or if it worked.
Solange
Shohin
To get back budding clip the tip.
milehigh_7
Mister 500,000
Tough reading old posts of Jim's... I sparred with that guy from the very beginning of my bonsai life over on IBC. I miss the crusty ol' fella.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Yeah, he used to be on another forum when I was coming into it, and he was a great help to me.
