Banyan planting advise

[crab apple]

I'm trying to get everyones thoughts on a banyan style planting. I have a few neglected Ficus that I would like to use. They already have volunteer arial roots and are just a mess. My idea was to position them as pictured but closer together, maybe just a few inches in between each one. The middle group is just a bunch of cuttings (whips) that all stared growing last summer. I originally was gonna put them in the pot shown but now feel like its not big enough and will just make a larger grow box. I'm not planning on doing anything till its hot outside and they're growing good. Airial roots dont seem to be a problem as I usually cut them off but these coulple have been neglected.
Do you think potitioned as shown but closer together will look too contrived?
Also is the group of whips a negative or a positive? I could just use the two older ficus.
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Attmos]

Can you make a banyan style with Tiger Bark ficus?

 

[coachspinks]

I think you can make it work. But instead of an individual tree, I could see a multi tree planting that has naturally grown together. I am adding one I pulled over the web as an example.

 

[coachspinks]

Can you make a banyan style with Tiger Bark ficus?

Under the right conditions, they will readily make air roots and are tough trees.

 

[Michael P]

I would work only with the two larger trees. The bundle of cuttings has a completely different form than the big ones and likely will look out of place.

 

[crab apple]

These like to make air roots, and i've never even encouraged them. with a litte higher humidity they will go crazy. But first i need to get them potted and kinda start looking like a tree.

 

[coachspinks]

In December, my wife and I found a good deal on an 8' X 16' greenhouse. I'm not going to fill it up with bonsai because it is "our" greenhouse and she will create a sitting area in it. However, there will be a select 3- 5 tropicals. One of them will be a banyan style tree. I was leaning toward a schefflera but you have made consider a tiger bark ficus.

 

[MrCarterthePotter]

In my *limited* understanding/experience, I’d go for the two larger trees, fuse the two trunks and allow the aerial roots to go nuts, can always prune what you don’t need. I’ve seen a few folks train aerial roots with a slight undulation to them as well. I think your proposed center is out of character for the other two. Sounds like an interesting project though! Looking forward to whatever you do!

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

These like to make air roots, and i've never even encouraged them. with a litte higher humidity they will go crazy. But first i need to get them potted and kinda start looking like a tree.

Do you have a vision of what you want the "finished" tree to look like? I'd put the two big ones in a bigger training pot and use them together to make one big tree. Then use the cuttings to fill in if needed. I did the same two plants into one pot, while creating my Banyan Schefflera tree. I have a progression thread on it. Ficus banyan will absorb a a lot of roots, which would be cool. Good luck. I love banyan trees.