Thank you. I will first post what I learned from various critques and opinions by friends and masters at the show.
1. The trunk and the overall tree shape suggest an old tree, would be nice to show it in a more antique looking pot. Yes, I thought about artificially ageing the pot a couple of weeks ago by immersing the pot in a mild acid bath to subdue the shine, and rub with shoe polish. This is one way how unscrupulous antique dealers fake old porcelain. I think humic acid would also work since it stained my pots when I used it to supplement the fertilizer. Perhaps Ironite will also work. I did not for fear of screwing it up. Some of you might have read my previous post sorting opinion on pot selection, it is hard to find a right size and color pot. This one is 21.5" wide, and it comes from my good friend Yvonne Padilla, all the way from Corpus Christi. Thanks to all who suggested, especially Redwood Ryan, who photoshopped the cream pot with the tree for better visualization.
2. A darker or black color stand would be better for the tree to stand out. The thickness of the stand is also on the heavy side. I tossed back and forth whether to spend big bucks to custom make a stand or not. Did not! I just wanted to participate and did not shoot for winning, so just used an old stand I have. Other comment I received is, so you loose some points in the presentation, (meaning: a so so stand) but it is the tree that counts.
3. The size of the kusamono matches the tree, not stealing the attention. Its total height is at the height of the stand, and that is good. The kusamono also looks natural and wild, not like it was planted a week ago from nursery plants.
4. The tree and kusamono combination is simple and effective. I did bring two scrolls but did not use them. My thought was with a long scroll it would cram the display. In this case, less is better.
5. The left lowest branch could be trimmed back a bit, making it less pointy. Fully agreed. This is a display perspective problem I encountered. If you face the tree directly, the left lowest branch, though slightly more pointy and longer than the right one, the pointiness is not obvious, please see earlier post photo with a black background. But when we stand in the center of the display and when not far away enough, we view the tree at an angle. The left branch looks more elongated. In most local club show, space is limited, but this one is a 6-foot wide table; the main tree and accent are set further apart and that give a different perspective.
6. Leave size is appropriate for ficus of this size. Tree is about 20" tall and 36" wide.
7. The leaves are layered but are arranged more naturally with ups and down. Ficus in some shows are layered too neatly with very distinct pads.
I think these are what I remembered.
In preparation, I should have left the thicker wires on the branch until the last minute. I removed them too early. Some secondary branches began to grow upwards or perhaps spring back too much as the tree continued to grow. Below is a photo of the tree about 3 weeks before the show. It looks more covered with lower secondary branches.
Anthony, I had previously posted in blog the progressive work on this tree and how to build nebari and trunk. I am in zone 9. Ficus microcarpa does not need winter rest, it grows rampant in Indonesia, Malaysia etc. right in the tropic. For training I used 70% expanded shale and 30% composted soil conditioner. Ficus likes a lot of sun, water and fertilizer. I fertilize with chicken manure in tea bags, and supplemented with liquid kelp and humic acid for other micro nutrients. I also foliar feed , perhaps once a month with very dilute, 1/4 teaspoon/gal water of Monty's Joice Juice.
