FICUS!!! Off with your head!!!!

So last fall a buddy of mine came to me who was leaving for college and couldn't take this Ficus Retusa. It was your typical cookie cutter S shaped Walmart tree. So I took it in and placed it in my "Indoor Tropical greenroom" that I made out of a spare bedroom. Works great and have everything I need to keep humidity, lighting, and airflow in there for all my Tropicals to make it threw the cold New Jersey winters. So anyways this passed march I cut this ugly S shaped Ficus. Cut it low enough to make the bottom half into a Mame (which is doing well) and this top half I just carved some bark away, dipped in rooting hormone and stuck right into soil. No speacial care what so ever. It took quickly and was shocked, because this the first time I ever did something with trunk this size. Sure the high humidity and grow lights played a big part. So it's been outside now since first week of April and doing well and roots already coming out the bottom of the pot....... so now what? Can't seem to figure out what I want to do with it. Any suggestions? Should I thin out the apex? Give me some ideas please it be great!!

@Bonsaikev1985 , Do you think it is better rooting in hormone then air-layering of a ficus?

Well I have airlayered but never a Ficus. I have done 4 skinny cuttings from Ficus branches, which have all took. Then I just recently chopped this 2inch trunk Ficus, dipped in hormone, and right into the soil. Before doing all this I heard ficus root very easily. Not sure how easily they root the bigger they get, but if trying to do something my size or a little smaller or bigger I wouldn't go threw all the things you would have to do when airlayering when you can do something as simple as this. Also this way you'll see results and roots faster then a airlayer. Just make sure when you do it, that you keep it in dappled light and high humidity if ya can. Also use hormone, denser soil then your typical Bonsai soil, and always keep the soil moist not soaked. Good luck man!

Long story short, yes it's way easier. Lol

Your front is somewhere in the second picture. The present curve will still be just as dramatic, but this is a start.

Whatever you do, you'll need to reduce those branch clusters down to one branch each to prevent swelling.

2 for 1 offer.

Here's my idea -

The new trunk line is in white.

Bonsaikev1985 said:

Long story short, yes it's way easier. Lol

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I have also one S shaped ficus, and planing an air-layering. so maybe i ll just cut and put in hormone then, seems easier

Caution -----------

If not Ficus b or the Willow leaf type figs, you may be stuck with a green hat, a beautiful trunk and arranged roots.
See Chinese work on You Tube.
Good Day
Anthony

@Bonsaikev1985 If the tree in question is a cutting I would let it grow until its vigorous, then reduce back anything you don't need and start working toward a design.

Anthony said:

Caution -----------

If not Ficus b or the Willow leaf type figs, you may be stuck with a green hat, a beautiful trunk and arranged roots.
See Chinese work on You Tube.
Good Day
Anthony

Click to expand...

I don't get the green hat comment. Ficus Retusa can't reduce leaves and produce fine ramification?

@Jeremy

the Chinese have figured out the growth habits of the various Ficus types.

A green hat, is a mass of green leaves usually on a decorated trunk [ root used for decoration [

In the West, we have been led to believe that you can train all Ficus plants to the level of say a
zelkova with but with much fewer branchlets.
What we found down here is that apart from the original Ficus b [ and not it various cultivars ] and the willow leaf types,
you get serious die backs and problems when doing simple training.

So now a ------ caution ----- goes out and a suggestion to look at the Chinese work, and see how they
fixed the situations.

Not saying don't try, just have options.
Good Day
Anthony

boguz said:

I have also one S shaped ficus, and planing an air-layering. so maybe i ll just cut and put in hormone then, seems easier
View attachment 147314

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That will absolutely be the way to go. Your trunk thinner then mine. Make sure you dip in hormone and put it in good soil. Keep moist. Dosent take long at all!! Good luck