Can this Ficus nerifolia grow more?

tree3

Yamadori
Messages
71
Reaction score
31
Location
Florida Zone 11A
USDA Zone
11A
I bought this Ficus nerifolia already planted in a 7 inch rectangular pot and now I regret it because it only measures about 10 inches high and it just looks too miniaturized. I had the choice of buying it in a seedling pot. Instead I chose this 'mallsai' type of plant, already in the bonsai pot and it looks too miniaturized, 10 inches high. I feel like taking it out and planting it in a deeper pot to give a second chance to grow some more. It's like undoing all the work the Chinese Bonsai farm did, but it just looks too small for this pot. It barely had any roots.

500px IMG_1215.jpg
 
Messages
1,940
Reaction score
1,359
Location
Coastal S.C.
USDA Zone
8b

choppychoppy

Chumono
Messages
720
Reaction score
1,306
Location
N. Florida
I bought this Ficus nerifolia already planted in a 7 inch rectangular pot and now I regret it because it only measures about 10 inches high and it just looks too miniaturized. I had the choice of buying it in a seedling pot. Instead I chose this 'mallsai' type of plant, already in the bonsai pot and it looks too miniaturized, 10 inches high. I feel like taking it out and planting it in a deeper pot to give a second chance to grow some more. It's like undoing all the work the Chinese Bonsai farm did, but it just looks too small for this pot. It barely had any roots.

View attachment 211054




Plant it in a much wider pot and put it outside in the fullest sun ya got. Feed it like mad and it will triple in size in a year.

20180924_170016.jpg20180924_165954.jpg
 

tree3

Yamadori
Messages
71
Reaction score
31
Location
Florida Zone 11A
USDA Zone
11A
I would grow it where it is and take some cuttings to experiments with. I root mine in sphagnum and water. Train the top to bring the growth closer in and keep an eye for your future tree as another somewhere around where the top chop is, with nice movement and taper.

here are a couple ficus I developed from cuttings:

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/willow-leaf-f-cutting.11461/

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/shohin-benjamina.31828/

You got great results. Thanks for the images! I remember seeing Dr. Levitt's channel "Bonsai9723" on YouTube about this method.
 

tree3

Yamadori
Messages
71
Reaction score
31
Location
Florida Zone 11A
USDA Zone
11A
Plant it in a much wider pot and put it outside in the fullest sun ya got. Feed it like mad and it will triple in size in a year.

So a wider pot is actually better than perhaps a deeper one.
 

cockroach

Chumono
Messages
563
Reaction score
1,550
Location
Taichung, Taiwan
So a wider pot is actually better than perhaps a deeper one.
It is for developing a nice nebari on ficus.
I too would leave it in the current pot. Fertilize and let grow wild to add girth. A bit of wiring wouldn't go unnoticed.
 

The Ficus Guy

Seedling
Messages
22
Reaction score
33
Honestly since you're in Florida I would just plant it in a bulb pan of some sort and feed it and let it grow wild. It would be great if you're in an area where you could just plant it in the ground too, then it'll really take off.
 

tree3

Yamadori
Messages
71
Reaction score
31
Location
Florida Zone 11A
USDA Zone
11A
It is for developing a nice nebari on ficus.
I too would leave it in the current pot. Fertilize and let grow wild to add girth. A bit of wiring wouldn't go unnoticed.

That makes sense. Thanks so much for your reply.
 

tree3

Yamadori
Messages
71
Reaction score
31
Location
Florida Zone 11A
USDA Zone
11A
Honestly since you're in Florida I would just plant it in a bulb pan of some sort and feed it and let it grow wild. It would be great if you're in an area where you could just plant it in the ground too, then it'll really take off.

My fear is that it may have been kept too small for too long. It's definitely a"mallsai", a commercial tree made to look a certain way.
 

The Ficus Guy

Seedling
Messages
22
Reaction score
33
My fear is that it may have been kept too small for too long. It's definitely a"mallsai", a commercial tree made to look a certain way.

Nah, that's nothing. It's just a normal tree that's been trimmed back. Don't trim it and it'll revert back to its old habits. Let it grow.
 

W3rk

Chumono
Messages
606
Reaction score
898
Location
MD
USDA Zone
7a
I bought this Ficus nerifolia already planted in a 7 inch rectangular pot and now I regret it because it only measures about 10 inches high and it just looks too miniaturized. I had the choice of buying it in a seedling pot. Instead I chose this 'mallsai' type of plant, already in the bonsai pot and it looks too miniaturized, 10 inches high. I feel like taking it out and planting it in a deeper pot to give a second chance to grow some more. It's like undoing all the work the Chinese Bonsai farm did, but it just looks too small for this pot. It barely had any roots.

View attachment 211054
I have a Willow Leaf Ficus. Over the course of this growing season my canopy has about doubled in size. It's the one tree I own that I *had to* thin out some to let light in. And that's with at best about a half a year growing season up here.

As others have said just let it grow. For yours I'd let it grow a bit first, develop more/better roots and look at repotting later.
 

tree3

Yamadori
Messages
71
Reaction score
31
Location
Florida Zone 11A
USDA Zone
11A
I have a Willow Leaf Ficus. Over the course of this growing season my canopy has about doubled in size. It's the one tree I own that I *had to* thin out some to let light in. And that's with at best about a half a year growing season up here.

As others have said just let it grow. For yours I'd let it grow a bit first, develop more/better roots and look at repotting later.

Thanks for your feedback. The canopy this one had was a lot fuller when I first got it. I'm letting it grow now as all have suggested here.
 
Top Bottom