Advice and thoughts on my 8 year old ficus tree that I purchased on Amazon
- Thread starter DavidAZ1989
- Start date
darzuo
Mame
It looks healthy! As far as being a decent tree, I think most people here don't quite like the "S-curve" trunks of mass-market bonsai. If it were mine I would look to make multiple trees by air layering off the top and then chopping the trunk low next growing season.
But if you enjoy it as is, that's all that really matters.
But if you enjoy it as is, that's all that really matters.
DavidAZ1989
Seedling
Thank you. I actually do like it. The curved trunk gives it some character. I’m wondering how much this tree will change throughout the years if I kept this shape.
Desert O'Piñon
Omono
How much it changes is mostly dependent upon the care you give it. Different techniques yield different results. For example, clip-n-grow will give you a more natural look, whereas wiring will give you faster results. Fast? Or natural appearance? Or if you are satisfied with its current aesthetic, and you believe this is how you want it to look, then you just continue to prune the leaders and prevent the tree from getting larger, although it will thicken the trunk eventually, and the branches will probably ramify at the tips where you trim back extensions.
DavidAZ1989
Seedling
Would you consider this tree a more natural look? I noticed ficus likes to grow very dense and thick canopy’s and they like to spread from the sides on the canopy.
Desert O'Piñon
Omono
The canopy looks more or less natural and believable, but the trunk, in my opinion, looks manufactured, which is why mass-produced "bonsai" (mallsai), are often considered less than ideal. But my opinion doesn't matter. You're the artist, so it's your vision for this tree that determines its destiny and design. I don't mean that disrespectfully, it's just the way art is. It is subjective, thus "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
But I'm still early in my education, so take my words with a grain of salt. Maybe magnesium sulfate? But use it sparingly, so as not to burn your ficus.
Sorry, I have a lot more bad jokes than I have good advice.
But I'm still early in my education, so take my words with a grain of salt. Maybe magnesium sulfate? But use it sparingly, so as not to burn your ficus.
Sorry, I have a lot more bad jokes than I have good advice.
hemmy
Omono
You’ve done well keeping it healthy and growing from the start. Eventually you’ll have to cut back into the canopy as it continues to expand. If you let it extend and thicken, it may get get overly thick at the junction of several branches.
A trunk chop and 10yrs of outdoor growing can create a very nice tree. But if this is your only tree and you enjoy it, that hardly makes sense. If you are in AZ, then aerial roots will be tough to start. But look it up and if you like the look, you can wrap the trunk in sphagnum moss and plastic to promote higher roots. If you had draping roots wrapping around the trunk to the pot, it could add a neat look to the tree.
If you aren’t defoliating, you can in the summer along with cut back to promote backbudding and smaller leaves.
Fun tree, good luck!
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Youve done a great job with keeping it healthy and growing well! If it were mine and stylistically I were to want to keep the s-curve, Id thin the apex out a bit to reduce branching and start the process to proper ramification and creating taper. Id also look to graft a branch on the outside of that s-curve potentially.
DavidAZ1989
Seedling
I get the bad jokes, I also do it too bro, thank you for the advice. I think you do get to a point with a tree that you think “ what the heck do I do now”The canopy looks more or less natural and believable, but the trunk, in my opinion, looks manufactured, which is why mass-produced "bonsai" (mallsai), are often considered less than ideal. But my opinion doesn't matter. You're the artist, so it's your vision for this tree that determines its destiny and design. I don't mean that disrespectfully, it's just the way art is. It is subjective, thus "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
But I'm still early in my education, so take my words with a grain of salt. Maybe magnesium sulfate? But use it sparingly, so as not to burn your ficus.
Sorry, I have a lot more bad jokes than I have good advice.
DavidAZ1989
Seedling
Thank you keeping it healthy is the rewarding part, ficus thrives in our heat surprisingly. In phoenix AZ it’s so dry so Aerial roots don’t happen, I would love aerial roots!
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
put it in a humidity box or something similar for a summer. You can force aerial roots.
You can also strike cuttings and use the cutting as a fake aerial root through thread or approach grafting the apex of the rooted cutting to the branch you want the aerial root from.
