biggest ficus microcarpa cutting that will survive?

[thailand-steve]

i have several nursery bought Chinese banyan trees plumping up nicely but want to get some free stuff going too. there are a few huge banyans growing wild around my house and i want to take some cuttings (air layering isn't really an option)

i've had a lot of success with 1/2" dia cuttings in normal potting soil but would like to try something larger, maybe 1" or more. do you think they will take? how would you try propagate them? potting soil? bonsai mix? pumice stone? coconut coir? sphagnum moss? all of the above? when taking a cutting of this size would you totally defoliate or leave some leaves on?

thanks, steve

FYI, i am aware of this article http://www.bonsaihunk.us/info/FigPropagate.html

update, i just found this http://www.bonsaisouth.com.au/bonsai/index.php/forum/25-ficus/23906-ficus-microcarpa-branch-cutting but you need to register to look at the pics. the cutting was pretty huge, looks about 4" diameter and is growing well so clearly its possible

 

[KennedyMarx]

I just saw a post on another forum where a guy cut off the top half of a healthy ficus and put it into a pond basket filled with turface and it was pushing roots to the edges unless an a week. I cut the top off of one I found at Walmart and wired it into a bonsai pot with bonsai soil. In less than two weeks I could see roots popping out at the edge of the pot. I didn't cut any of the foliage off either.

 

[Jason_mazzy]

If you tent it i wouldn't hesitate to do 2-3 inches. They are very vigorous.

 

[thailand-steve]

yes, it looks like they will grow from just about anything. and i guess once you get a trunk growing strong, you can do a few thread grafts and root grafts to add in all the missing stuff.

i'm looking for some suitable trees to have a go at. there is a really old one (guessing 100 years plus) close to me. its huge but it doesn't have a lot of leaves, i don't know how long these trees live for but i'm thinking that one is too old already.

anyhow, if i find something i'll post some photos