What to do? Tiger bark ficus decisions and input please!

[Gatorade]

Hello and good day to all!
This is my first tree where I have repotted and done some wire work. Having lots of fun with it! After I wired the first two branches I was feeling great then I hit a road block. I believe I must take beach next to and blocking what I’m wanting to be my main trunk line. The only issue is my main trunk line has some inverse taper in multiple spots Especially at the top.
Should I take that branch off? or if I grow it will it help thicken the base of my main trunk line?
also had the weird idea that maybe I could fuse part of those branches together. Maybe with some tape and wire near the base to give my main trunk line some more girth. Is that even possible or a thing? I know fusing trunks together is a thing so why not branches. Any help or input would be appropriate.
Thanks and good day!

 

[_space_bard_]

You can fuse the two branches, but I don't think that's a good idea unless you were making that the new leader and planned on cutting the other branches back or off...I.e. Increase the overall height of the tree. And fusing the branches might make the new trunk in that area hollow, and susceptible to die back from what I've heard.

The real question you need to ask what are you trying to achieve? Are you wanting to elongate the taper for a taller tree or are you wanting a more shohin sized broom?

Whenever I draw trees, and how I've been planning my project trees, is by doing gesture drawings over the top of a picture. A gesture drawing is an art technique that helps to achieve a natural flow to art, and in the case of a tree, finding and planning the main trunk. I've done it over your tree, and this is how I see it developing.

The red line is the main trunk because of the natural taper it already has going on. Pick your new leader and cull the other branch on that main trunk. Next I'd add movement to the very left red branch, It's just straight and bothers me. And I'd do the same for the rest of the other colored branches. Last I'd remove the very bottom branch on the right. Whether you carve off that bump and accept a scar and the healing time, or you leave it and as the trunk grows in size it should even out some with the rest of the trunk. If you leave the bump, make it'll constantly want to rebud there, just pinch the buds off as they pop out. Finally, I'd try to get a back bud where the purple line is and let the branch grow out to balance the tree. Then I'd

That's just my take on it.

 

[Gatorade]

Your amazing! Your mentioning of a gesture drawing is a great idea and one I will use in the future. I’m still trying to figure out what i want in a tree and still learning the whole horticulture side of it. I’m still at that stage where i don’t have the confidence cut branches off without overthinking it. But I’m really enjoying the process so far. Its been really fun and rewarding. I’m only at the tip of the iceberg. Than you so much for your ideas for my tree and taking the time to do the drawing. Im quickly learning the bonsai community is a very helpful one. I will most definitely use your pointers in creating the design. And will make sure to update with progression for this tree. Thanks you so much!

 

[_space_bard_]

np! Forgive the typos, I was writing all that on my iPhone while my wife was talking to me lol.

I understand the hesitancy of removing a branch, but the nice thing about a ficus is each cut becomes a new tree But it's also your decision, what may look good to me, might not look good to you.

I think it currently has a nice taper going on for a broom style. But if you leave that lower branch, you'll lose part of that taper as the branch grows.

 

[_space_bard_]

You'll start running out of space the more you prune

 

[Gatorade]

Yes indeed, I have started propagation of cuttings with moderate success. Have lost some.still figuring cuttings out but that’s a whole other subject. I see what your saying about that lower branch. it’s funny because I wasn’t even thinking about removing that branch. I was more concerned about the branch above it crossing in front what I want to be my main trunk. Yea it makes sense, that hour glass shape. so that branch should probably go. Going to sleep on it. Thanks again!

 

[_space_bard_]

Yes indeed, I have started propagation of cuttings with moderate success. Have lost some.still figuring cuttings out.

Everyone has their own preferred methods, but I have an almost 100% success rate with the ol' cuttings in a cup of water method.

I'm planting these tomorrow. I just fill a pot full of potting soil, put a really large hole in the center, gently set the rooted cutting down in the hole (water grown roots are very weak), sprinkle some dry soil in the hole, pour some water in it to settle the soil, sprinkle more soil in the hole pour more water, rinse and repeat until it's wet level with the rest of the soil in the container. The bigger the cutting the more roots I allow to grow before transferring to soil.

Works with a lot of plant species. These are cuttings from a blue beard shrub

 

[_space_bard_]

I spent the last several hours painstakingly drawing what I see in your trees future, with a fountain pen and ink.


I'm just kidding I drew this a couple years ago, but I thought it was cool that your ficus has a lot of similarities.

 

[penumbra]

The small center trunk that has been redlined should be removed before it gets any larger. Your tree has a great base. How long have you had it?

 

[Gatorade]

The small center trunk that has been redlined should be removed before it gets any larger. Your tree has a great base. How long have you had it?

Awesome thank you for your input going to do some work later tonight. Will post some picture. I have only had it a about 3 months and have only been doing bonsai about 3.5 Months. I am completely obsessed. Went to get my father a tree for his B-day bc he needs a hobby and I’m the only who gets obsessed. All day every day every day. Buying pots, tools, and everything. Have 5 trees and some science projects. Got this tree and 2 of my others from Wigerts as a pre bonsai. So this is the first tree I repotted and Is kind of my learning tree. Thanks again!

 

[Gatorade]

I spent the last several hours painstakingly drawing what I see in your trees future, with a fountain pen and ink.
View attachment 398493

I'm just kidding I drew this a couple years ago, but I thought it was cool that your ficus has a lot of similarities.

 

[Gatorade]

Everyone has their own preferred methods, but I have an almost 100% success rate with the ol' cuttings in a cup of water method.
View attachment 398491
I'm planting these tomorrow. I just fill a pot full of potting soil, put a really large hole in the center, gently set the rooted cutting down in the hole (water grown roots are very weak), sprinkle some dry soil in the hole, pour some water in it to settle the soil, sprinkle more soil in the hole pour more water, rinse and repeat until it's wet level with the rest of the soil in the container. The bigger the cutting the more roots I allow to grow before transferring to soil.

Works with a lot of plant species. These are cuttings from a blue beard shrub
View attachment 398492

Thans again. I find this information very helpful. Have been using rooting hormone powder into potting mix with only probably 50% success. my watering might be to blame also. I Will most definitely try the water in a cup method. probably start one today. Do you add anything to the water? Fertilizer?

 

[Gatorade]

I spent the last several hours painstakingly drawing what I see in your trees future, with a fountain pen and ink.
View attachment 398493

I'm just kidding I drew this a couple years ago, but I thought it was cool that your ficus has a lot of similarities.

I spent the last several hours painstakingly drawing what I see in your trees future, with a fountain pen and ink.
View attachment 398493

I'm just kidding I drew this a couple years ago, but I thought it was cool that your ficus has a lot of similarities.

Lol when I first saw that I was like omg this guy is to helpful Lol. You are a good sketcher and will use this art going forward. I hope I can get my Nebari to look that good. Lol

 

[Gatorade]

My bonsai balcony!

 

[penumbra]

Really nice collection of tropicals for a start.
Time for you to look at good indoor lighting my friend.

 

[Gatorade]

Really nice collection of tropicals for a start.
Time for you to look at good indoor lighting my friend.

Thanks! Yea kind of obsessed with tropicals. My balcony gets great sunlight about 4-5 hours a day. Will I need indoor lighting for the winter? Was maybe thinking of getting small green house I could keep out door or indoor.

 

[Gatorade]

Like this!

 

[Firstflush]

No need to add anything to the water except a windowsill.

 

[Firstflush]

CA has similar climate to TX. If you have the ability, try some thicker cuttings. Here are mine.
Cuttings right into cactus mix or other free draining media. Shade for about a week or less than into sun.
They are fast rooting.

 

[_space_bard_]

Either method requires that the cutting has just enough foliage to create roots, but not enough where it kills the cutting from dehydration before it can establish enough roots. Leaves are where most of a trees moisture evaporates, but also where it creates the energy to grow more roots. It's a fine balance sometimes. You can put a ziploc over the cup or soil method to create a greenhouse if you are unsure. You can also leave the soil pot with the cutting in it in a tray of water so it wicks up the moisture to the cutting, and when it starts putting out new bud growth, take it out of the tray. Just make sure it's a fast draining bonsai mix if you do it that way.

If you're going to use the bag over cutting method from a cutting you harvested outside, I would quarantine the cuttings away from your other plants. I had some Russian sage cuttings I got from a ditch with a bag on top that turned into a massive fungus explosion. It was quite nasty they rooted but I had to throw them away anyways.