Moving Aerial roots…(Ficus)

[Mapleminx]

So,

Being new to Ficus bonsai and now having the first one as a family project… would you move these 2 arm-like aerial roots direction? They are still quite flexible and I would like to move them closer to the trunk line, my son would like to leave them as is.

Looking for opinions!

 

[Cadillactaste]

You should be easily able to move them. I'm not sure what season you are in. But...I repot my tropical when the season permits them to sit outside on my bench...and they are growing like a beast.

I would say...get your hands dirty...and see what you can accomplish when the time is right for a repot. Only then will you know for certain what looks best.

 

[Maiden69]

Agree with the above statement. Where in Germany are you? I think you should be able to place it outside anywhere south of Würzburg around the first week of May once the night temps are constantly above 40 degrees. At least that's how the weather was when I was in Kitzingen. If you can provide it with a strong light, you can do the work now, just teasing the top 1/4" - 1/2" of soil and moving as much of the roots as you can to a location where you want them. If not, wait till May and do a repot after the weather heats up to above 70 for most of the day. I recently repotted one of my ficus, but it is sitting under lights even in Texas, as we had a small cold front this week which should be the last one of the year.

 

[Mapleminx]

We are in spring but the weather is a little up and down so it‘s indoors for now but I look forward to it being able to go outside once the nights stop being so cold.
The soil it’s in is horrible and quite stodgy (it arrived soaking wet). I‘m not sure how wet ficus like to be so I’m letting it dry out a bit. I am guessing damp but not flooded? Might change the media when I go in for that root exploration repot.

 

[Maiden69]

I‘m not sure how wet ficus like to be so I’m letting it dry out a bit.

They really don't complain too much about being too wet, at least not in the heat of Texas... but on your climate I would err on the side of moist but not dry at all. Especially with the small amount of foliage.



And this one I kept all year pretty wet, but spent all winter with water half way up the 3 gal tub... and it was drinking it as if it was running a marathon. I am repotting it as soon as it heats up a little more, maybe in 2 weeks.

 

[Shibui]

The higher aerial root worries me. It will thicken the trunk where it joins so you may develop reverse taper up at that 2nd branch if it stays and grows well. Not sure it would make a good candidate to run along the trunk to add thickness either.
The lower one could be left as is or run down the trunk. Neither option seems better or worse to me at this stage. In the long run it will not matter because both trunk and aerial root will thicken. In a few years they will merge anyway despite anything you do now.

 

[Mapleminx]

The higher aerial root worries me. It will thicken the trunk where it joins so you may develop reverse taper up at that 2nd branch if it stays and grows well. Not sure it would make a good candidate to run along the trunk to add thickness either.
The lower one could be left as is or run down the trunk. Neither option seems better or worse to me at this stage. In the long run it will not matter because both trunk and aerial root will thicken. In a few years they will merge anyway despite anything you do now.

Do you think we should chop the higher one off and just move the lower one?

 

[penumbra]

I feel that with a ficus you can follow whatever design feature you have in mind.

 

[Maiden69]

Do you think we should chop the higher one off and just move the lower one?

Have a talk and decide what design you want to go with. If it is a slender design, chop them. If you want to fatten it, move then tighter to the trunk and tack them in place for the tree to fuse them.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Have a talk and decide what design you want to go with. If it is a slender design, chop them. If you want to fatten it, move then tighter to the trunk and tack them in place for the tree to fuse them.
View attachment 479339

Totally trying this.

@Mapleminx I'm a noob that kept/keeps his TBF wet and it seems to love it. I let it dry out in-between watering but I've gotten good winter growth under grow lights 12hrs a day.

 

[Shibui]

Do you think we should chop the higher one off and just move the lower one?

Either/or. There's several alternatives there and all look OK.

 

[Maiden69]

Totally trying this.

@Mapleminx I'm a noob that kept/keeps his TBF wet and it seems to love it. I let it dry out in-between watering but I've gotten good winter growth under grow lights 12hrs a day.

Bump it up to 16 hrs, that's what I run for tropicals when I move them to the garage during winter.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Bump it up to 16 hrs, that's what I run for tropicals when I move them to the garage during winter.

I do 17 hours...agreed...time to bump them hours up.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Do you think we should chop the higher one off and just move the lower one?

I personally wouldn't rush into removing them. If you notice at some point more swelling in that location. Then address it. Assuming you bought it because you liked the look of them.

 

[Mapleminx]

I personally wouldn't rush into removing them. If you notice at some point more swelling in that location. Then address it. Assuming you bought it because you liked the look of them.

We ended up moving and pinning them. Or should I say „I“ moved them under the instruction and observation of the kiddo. He helped tack them in place though!
I can’t claim the redesign is perfect but if it creates flaws then it’s another leaning curve for him…and me. ( I am sure we will totally screw this up as neither have a clue, but then this was intended to be a family project/experiment) Totally new to this „things with aerial roots“ jive. Have to say apart from digging my fingers through stodgy swampy soil to fish out the aerial roots this is a lot of fun! Kinda enjoying how flexible those roots are.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Bump it up to 16 hrs, that's what I run for tropicals when I move them to the garage during winter.

I do 17 hours...agreed...time to bump them hours up.

I have other topicals under the same lights, and I'm not sure they would like it. 16 & 17 hours kind of seems too long, but I could move some plants around and see if they like it.

I'm using these full spectrum grow lights, and just read this about them "18 hours on, 6 hours off for vegetative growth. 12 hours on, 12 hours off for flowering."
So, I would definitely have to move some plants around.

Sorry for the thread jack, Ficusminx

 

[Cadillactaste]

I have other topicals under the same lights, and I'm not sure they would like it. 16 & 17 hours kind of seems too long, but I could move some plants around and see if they like it.

I'm using these full spectrum grow lights, and just read this about them "18 hours on, 6 hours off for vegetative growth. 12 hours on, 12 hours off for flowering."
So, I would definitely have to move some plants around.

Sorry for the thread jack, Ficusminx

Rick Skursky had me up my hours. My bougainvillea and dwarf powderpuff also are under lights that long. My powderpuff blooms all winter long.

I use corn bulbs...for hydrofarm grow lights. And my other grow cart has old school t-bulbs.

I reckon...if yours say that. Then it's okay. But my flowering do better with longer hours. But could be the lighting I use.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Rick Skursky had me up my hours. My bougainvillea and dwarf powderpuff also are under lights that long. My powderpuff blooms all winter long.

I use corn bulbs...for hydrofarm grow lights. And my other grow cart has old school t-bulbs.

I reckon...if yours say that. Then it's okay. But my flowering do better with longer hours. But could be the lighting I use.

Cool thanks for the advice. I also have some T8 lights. Post a powderpuff bloom in the flowers thread, or any and all of the flowers you have.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Cool thanks for the advice. I also have some T8 lights. Post a powderpuff bloom in the flowers thread, or any and all of the flowers you have.

I don't have many flowering. The Powderpuff was a gift from a friend because of exposed roots. I added flowering trees when I was told...women like flowers. ... I'm a neagari gal...bark too. Flowers...are short lived. Except that powderpuff...blooms all year round.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

I don't have many flowering. The Powderpuff was a gift from a friend because of exposed roots. I added flowering trees when I was told...women like flowers. ... I'm a neagari gal...bark too. Flowers...are short lived. Except that powderpuff...blooms all year round.

Sounds like you could post powderpuff flowers. That's okay, you can keep them all to yourself. I have a starter Neagari Vietnamese blue bell & Premna that I enjoy.