I likus the Ficus, Part II

Mellow Mullet

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Was out tinkering in the yard this afternoon taking pictures and seeing what needed attention. My ficus nerifloria forest is in need of a drastic haircut and probably some wire, too. Just wanted to share, what do you think?

For scale, if you look at the bottom, by the pot, there is a regular Oral-B toothbrush that I was using to get some moss off of the trunk.DSC00703-1.jpg

John
 

amcoffeegirl

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Very nice.
Don't forget to show us the after photo.
I'm vey envious.
 

Giga

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Pretty nice! I have a large ficus too and they grow and develop so fast! Your looks great
 

Mellow Mullet

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I thinned it out a lot and cut back a ton of growth trying to give it some kind of shape. When it fills in in a few weeks I am hoping it looks really awesome. So what do you guys think?

John
 

Giga

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Looks great, only thing is maybe open the branches up to see the trunk line just a little-going for a deciduous look I would assume?
 

Mellow Mullet

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Maybe leaning towards a deciduous look, a little. I think the that when it fills in it will look a little more tropical. After it grows a little bit I plan on clearing out a little more for more trunk exposure.


John
 

sorce

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I found a picture of this one from 2002, so I thought that that I'd share. Sorry for the poor picture, it is a phone camera shot of a 35mm photo.

John

View attachment 80990

Whoa! That is even more awesome!

These digging up old photos is the best way for folks to get it!

Sticks in pots don't stay that way!

Excellent work!

Sorce
 

Mellow Mullet

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Another semi-update, or asking opinions. I have been looking for a pot for this one since the one it is in is too deep and is a mica training pot, big pots are hard to come by and painfully expensive. My dad had this one and I swapped him a pot that I had for this one. How do you think it will work?

John

DSC00069-1.jpg

DSC00071-1.jpg

DSC00071-2.jpg
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Ha! I have both of those pots, and benches to match! Yes, it will work well. But ultimately, it would be good to get it in a shallower pot than the blue one.

Looking good. How much of the winter does yours have to spend inside? Mine came in a couple days around Thanksgiving, then in for the winter just last week.
 

Mellow Mullet

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Well, I did use your plans for the monkey poles, they are working out great. I thought I had saw an post that you made that had a similar pot. I hope to get it into a shallower one eventually. It is just hard to find the right size unless you have it custom made and it is expensive. I wish that there was somewhere local that you could just go and put your hands on the pots and pick them out. I find it hard to visualize the size without seeing it in person. Do you have a source for inexpensive pots?

My tropicals have only spent 4 nights inside. One around thanksgiving (think) and the last three, I put them all back out today. I have found that the ficus I have can take the upper thirties, as long as there is not a heavy frost. I don't play Russian roulette with them though, I usually bring them in if it looks like it will be below 40 degrees.


John
 

carp

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Not my tree, but, I think the side views from post you made on June 30, 2015, give the planting a better sense of depth (pictures 3 & 4).
 

carp

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There is a guy down in Miami that imports large Chinese bonsai pots, I can try and get contact info for you? I'm not sure if he ships or not, but it doesn't hurt to ask. His stuff is reasonably priced for the sizes he has available.
 

sorce

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I like it....way better, with a chance of better? Ok. But way better!

Sorce
 

Mellow Mullet

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Not my tree, but, I think the side views from post you made on June 30, 2015, give the planting a better sense of depth (pictures 3 & 4).

I know, I have always liked it better from the side, but could never get it to fit into a pot that way. The roots are too wide and just won't fit in the pots that I have if I rotate it 90 degrees.

There is a guy down in Miami that imports large Chinese bonsai pots, I can try and get contact info for you? I'm not sure if he ships or not, but it doesn't hurt to ask. His stuff is reasonably priced for the sizes he has available.

Yeah, that would be great.

John
 
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