Ficus styling advice

Hey everyone, my name is Nick. I live in Brooklyn, NY zone 7b. I've been training bonsai for a almost 2 years now, but I never had the opportunity to attempt any major restyling on a bonsai, so I'm still a bit skeptical about chopping bigger branches. I am also a proud owner of a dwarf jade, dwarf black olive, Hawaiian umbrella tree from David Fukumoto, a young dawn redwood, and shit load of cuttings from my jade and umbrella tree

I received this ficus about 4 months ago at a class I took at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, and I really cant decide which route to go with styling it. It seems to incorrect taper. I'm aware of the tools needed, but I would also like some recommendations on wound sealer and how well it works. I was told in class its a ficus regina, but it looks like a retusa/tiger bark to me. It's currently indoors for the winter along side a 32w 6500k full spectrum florescent, a large humidi-grow tray, and a fan that is a couple feet away giving overhead circulation . Here's some pics of my ficus in clockwise rotation with the first pic being the front and last being the back any advice will be greatly appreciated thanks!

I don't think it has any more reverse taper than would be expected of a broom style tree.
Though it (taper) does look the nicest from the back, if you can get roots going to make the back an acceptable front. Maybe do.

If that is your only light, I would put it right in front like so....


About a half inch off the trunk. To keep that section lit well to get buds there, then you won't have to fear cutting back.

I say this because, as it is in the pic, you're going to have weak branches all around, that you don't need anyway, better to focus resources where they are needed.

If you can keep it under another general light, or by a window, I would do that too!

Maybe then around Xmas or a little later, take all the branches back to the closest bud or branch to the trunk, so you still have life, but can activate those close buds you have been lighting.

I think then by mid summer you can probably do another hard cutback to your new branches.

This is only what I would do, and I.........

Am Crazy! Welcome to it!

Where Brooklyn at? Where Brooklyn at?

Sorce

I would love to see your umbrella from Mr. Fukumoto please. He has great loling stock and I am just curious what you got.

Maybe a new thread?

sorce said:

I don't think it has any more reverse taper than would be expected of a broom style tree.
Though it (taper) does look the nicest from the back, if you can get roots going to make the back an acceptable front. Maybe do.

If that is your only light, I would put it right in front like so....
View attachment 85183

About a half inch off the trunk. To keep that section lit well to get buds there, then you won't have to fear cutting back.

I say this because, as it is in the pic, you're going to have weak branches all around, that you don't need anyway, better to focus resources where they are needed.

If you can keep it under another general light, or by a window, I would do that too!

Maybe then around Xmas or a little later, take all the branches back to the closest bud or branch to the trunk, so you still have life, but can activate those close buds you have been lighting.

I think then by mid summer you can probably do another hard cutback to your new branches.

This is only what I would do, and I.........

Am Crazy! Welcome to it!

Where Brooklyn at? Where Brooklyn at?

Sorce

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Deal, sounds like a plan. I'll move the light lower. I do need to get a large grow light to cover the whole table to fit the rest of my trees. I read a lot about the t5 ho bulbs on this forum. Is there any specific place that you guys buy them from? Also is there a way to confine the light in that one area so it doesn't spread around the rest of the room? Some type of larger reflector perhaps? Thanks

JoeR said:

I would love to see your umbrella from Mr. Fukumoto please. He has great loling stock and I am just curious what you got.

Maybe a new thread?

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Yea I got the small one that grows over the lava rock. Such a cool looking tree. I'll post a new thread with a pic of it later tonight when i get home.

I think you're doing alright, it's a pleasant enough piece of stock. I'd pull those branches down, wire in gentle curves the way you have, just fan it out. I think you'll struggle getting decent ramification indoors - I started bonsai with a ficus in a Bronx apartment and the struggle is real.

Zerojoke said:

I think you're doing alright, it's a pleasant enough piece of stock. I'd pull those branches down, wire in gentle curves the way you have, just fan it out. I think you'll struggle getting decent ramification indoors - I started bonsai with a ficus in a Bronx apartment and the struggle is real.

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Yea I'm working on pulling the branches down, but i dunno what to do with the group of large ones at the top. I guess like sorce said, get it to back bud then cut them as close to the lowest bud. Unfortunately I still live in my parents basement, so I don't have much window light at all, but all of my trees go out in the yard come spring time. Hoping to move by next year.

BK Bonsai said:

larger reflector

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Sometimes the kids need the lights off.
I put chairs and a blanket up.

@Redwood Ryan probably has light sources covered.
He may arrive shortly!

Sorce

sorce said:

Sometimes the kids need the lights off.
I put chairs and a blanket up.

@Redwood Ryan probably has light sources covered.
He may arrive shortly!

Sorce

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Yes I've seen his previous post of his giant led unit. Looks great. I'm looking forward to his response. The table I'm lighting up is 26" wide by 40" long if that helps.

I'm terms of where to buy T5HO's, try Amazon. I've got a Prime membership (two day shipping!), and the lights are pretty well priced.

Redwood Ryan said:

I'm terms of where to buy T5HO's, try Amazon. I've got a Prime membership (two day shipping!), and the lights are pretty well priced.

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How many do you think I need for a table of that size? Two 4' with reflectors? Also any ideas on a way i can confine that light in that area so it doesn't over power the room, because it is right near my TV making it a pain in the ass to watch anything, and i have no where else to put them lol.

It's probably not what you want to hear, but I would wait to do any cutting at all on it until late spring or early summer when it's outside.

Update: Front is on the left, Rear is the pic on the right.
Trimmed back, and wired some branches closer. Bare with me this is only my second time wiring ever. What do you guys think?

The pieces you have wired upward should be wired outward. Not in a straight line but with movement - up, down, back and forth.
It's a cute tree- good luck. It's a keeper.
Your soil looks dry
Oh yes
As others have said you may want to wait until early summer to do more work.

It looks good and alive.

I agree, to look better now, the tips could have been wired out.

But.....I still think getting these branches to bud back to an inch or so, so you can cut back to there, and get some taper in the branches, is a good long term goal.

So you have actually done quite well, because most of the starts of those branches are wired down, and the tips up will keep them strong, and let light to the inside, were you want them buds.

So cheers for that!

If I may, I would cut at the red yesterday.
That branch is killing this design, and doesn't look like any future good either.

I think of that lowest branch, like a saving grace, the kind of branch that allows you to be a little more Ballsy up top, cuz you can always cut back to it....and have a nice little "bigger looking" tree.

As this is, tall, I like it, but you could lop, layer, or take a cutting of the part a bit above the blue line. Still have a great tree in this one, and another if you wanted!

Lastly, we want our branches to go from thick on the bottom, gradually thinning up to the top....so that low skinny branch, which will increase the realism of this design greatly, and is absolutely necessary to incorporate in this tall stance IMO, it has a lot of catching up to do!

I would be absolutely fearless in cutting at the green swoop, all the way around, this will help your diminishing branch thickness effort, which right now is, taming the top and letting that low one go till it's the thickest.

As it is, if you still have only one light, I'd put it right on that low low branch.

Real Nice. Real Good Growing!

Sorce

sorce said:

I would be absolutely fearless in cutting at the green swoop,

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Further, I mean now!
You can utilize their "shouldn't have been cut yet" winter weakness as a tool to aid the balancing act.

You want that top to slow, crawl even, gotta walk the line between life and death in the top!
Weak, but not dead, the closer you get to that, the faster your branches will balance.
At least that's what I'd do,
And if you noticed, no less crazy than before!

Sorce

I personally would not be so quick to lop off everything and leave a single branchlet. To build girth and age you need your tree firing on all cylinders aka leaving as much as possible while taking off what can't be used. I have attached a rudimentary virt showing what I personally would do.
I would do the following as spring is just beginning:
1. Chop of the unneeded/unwanted branches and repot in a sizably larger and shallow grow box. I would use a free draining mix with some organics in it for water retention to counter evaporation in the increased grow box surface area vs depth.
2. I would flatten the root ball to closer to the trunk lowering the tree.
3. I would wire A up to be the new apex leaving more below to fatten the trunk and feed the tree.
4. I would feed with a slow release fertilizer and supplement with an organic based fertilizer bi monthly and water heavily.
5. Once buds start to open I would put that bad boy in full sun and let it do its thang for a whole season or two with minimal disruption.
6. Back-budding will give you heaps of options all over the tree. Where more than 1 shoot pops up at the same location, remove one of them to channel energy into a single shoot. Using guy wires where possible to lower limbs to desirable angles.
7. After 2- 3 seasons of growth, cut back hard and repeat until you have your tree. Using periodic wiring to get the required secondary/tertiary branch shape.

Just my 2c.

Upon further inspection
Please look up more about wiring also.
I know your new to wiring.
Are you wiring two branches with the same wire?
There is a way to do that but not like this.

amcoffeegirl said:

Upon further inspection
Please look up more about wiring also.
I know your new to wiring.
Are you wiring two branches with the same wire?
There is a way to do that but not like this.

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Yea, I've read a bunch before I started, but reading it and then trying to put it to work wasn't easy, but I will practice as much as possible. Thanks.

BK Bonsai said:

will practice

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One of our best members posts this link, and I find it incredibly useful..
Adair M is also not shy about admitting he wired ok, but wrong for years, he has since perfected it. So if he recommends this video, well, it IS a Damn good video, will make for perfect practice!

Adair M said:

For a nice tutorial on basic wiring, Colin Lewis has some tutorials on www.craftsy.com. They're free but you have to register with Craftsy.

He demonstrates wiring and talks about how to choose wire.

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"The bridge is over, the bridge is over."

Sorce