Ficus retusa

Michael P

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Wonderful ficus! Will you thin it before it comes in for the winter? I ask because several of mine are in a similar state of growth, if not nearly as nice as yours.
 

markyscott

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Wonderful ficus! Will you thin it before it comes in for the winter? I ask because several of mine are in a similar state of growth, if not nearly as nice as yours.

Hi MP -

In general, I thin and apply a systemic insecticide before putting my tropicals into the greenhouse. This one is pretty big though and my greenhouse is pretty small. I know I don’t have space for it in there. However, this species is pretty cold hardy - it can certainly handle temperatures into the upper 30’s and low 40’s. I plan on just leavIng it outside. I’ll move it into the garage when we get a freeze warning - that generally only happens two or three times in winter here. Sometimes it never happens.

- S
 

markyscott

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Wonderful ficus! Will you thin it before it comes in for the winter? I ask because several of mine are in a similar state of growth, if not nearly as nice as yours.
There is one more freeze option. I can do what I do with my staghorn fern. It doesn’t fit in the greenhouse either because it’s about the size of a VW beetle. I built a wood frame that goes around it. I wrap the frame with a tarp that extends all the way to the ground. Then I run an incandescent hand lamp out there and stick it under the tarp. It‘s generally enough to keep it from freezing.

- S
 

Bonsai Nut

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Your tree reminds me of this one I've been working on for a while. The only way I've been able to get it to heavily ramify is to let it run, and then in the late spring, completely defoliate it and wire out all the branches. I let it run this entire summer to gain strength (it currently looks like a mop), and I will do it again next spring. The second push of leaves is significantly smaller and the internodes are shorter.

Before:
ficus1.jpg

Today:
ficus2.jpg
 

markyscott

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Doing well so far this winter.
B9CF2F0D-D3C0-40D6-8B91-4BECA94C5A9D.jpeg

However. Way too big for my greenhouse. My solution was to build a frame and cover it with shade cloth.
5CAF1C1F-600F-4630-98A2-2F06753BE57D.jpeg

On cold nights when there is danger of frost, I place the frame over the tree and put a heat lamp under the tree. I’ve monitored the temperature inside the shelter and it’s always several degrees above ambient. Once the danger of frost is over, I remove the frame and heat lamp. Right now it’s in the mid 70s.

Scott
 

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Carol 83

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Doing well so far this winter.
View attachment 350682

However. Way too big for my greenhouse. My solution was to build a frame and cover it with shade cloth.
View attachment 350685

On cold nights when there is danger of frost, I place the frame over the tree and put a heat lamp under the tree. I’ve monitored the temperature inside the shelter and it’s always several degrees above ambient. Once the danger of frost is over, I remove the frame and heat lamp. Right now it’s in the mid 70s.

Scott
I love that tree, looks like something out of an enchanted forest.
 
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It's funny that you mention that they don't do well as small trees. I currently have two, a larger one (comparatively, yours would be in a different atmosphere, though) and a smaller one.

Here's the smaller one

SVKPERW.jpg


I've been looking at this 5-6" plant for awhile now and honestly, I'm starting to think I like the idea of it as a weird little plant in a pot better than a bonsai

The big one I think is going to be a good learning experience, I think, in terms of providing opportunities to think about developing ramification, general maintenance, maybe a big decision or two... I've kinda started to look at it as a tree with a lot of things I can do, but also a tree where I can show some restraint and not do everything to, and it's interesting enough to do as well as possible.

wV8zA0b.jpg


I dunno, I think they're fun, and I think this as well as the willowleaf species are probably what really made bonsai in general begin to click for me
 
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It's funny that you mention that they don't do well as small trees. I currently have two, a larger one (comparatively, yours would be in a different atmosphere, though) and a smaller one.

I believe both the trees you have posted are small-leaf cultivars. Standard microcarpa has much larger leaves.
 

markyscott

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It's funny that you mention that they don't do well as small trees.
My meaning was that it is difficult for me to produce with them the dense, tight ramification that smaller trees require. The loose ramification they develop easily looks more natural on larger trees, at least to my eye. I have one I’d consider medium sized and I’ve had (past tense) smaller ones as well. For my taste, the medium sized tree I referenced is about the smallest I’d want to go. I’ve never seen one that I’d consider to be a great shohin, for instance, whereas there are many shohin willow leaf ficus. When you look at pictures from shows in Taiwan, where they crank out some absolutely amazing bonsai of this variety, they almost all appear to be Imperial sized trees.

None of this is to say it can’t be done. I’m just thinking it’s just easier to work with the tree and what it does naturally.

S
 
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Hartinez

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I really like this tree Scott, as usual with your work it’s very well documented and handled. I wonder though how you feel about the primary trunk where it nears the apex? It looks amazing in leaf, but when defoliated, it’s got that abrupt end to the primary trunk, before a few very thin (at least compared to the trunk) branches form the apex. Is that something you see as an issue? Or because ficus aren’t seasonal deciduous trees and are only naked when defoliated, is it all about the image in leaf? Do you think the tree would look good or better with a leader that extends past the current profile with a new apex higher than pictured? Just my curious observation on an otherwise stunner of a tree!
Danny
 

markyscott

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I really like this tree Scott, as usual with your work it’s very well documented and handled. I wonder though how you feel about the primary trunk where it nears the apex? It looks amazing in leaf, but when defoliated, it’s got that abrupt end to the primary trunk, before a few very thin (at least compared to the trunk) branches form the apex. Is that something you see as an issue? Or because ficus aren’t seasonal deciduous trees and are only naked when defoliated, is it all about the image in leaf? Do you think the tree would look good or better with a leader that extends past the current profile with a new apex higher than pictured? Just my curious observation on an otherwise stunner of a tree!
Danny
Hi Danny -

Yes - you’ve hit on what I see as a major flaw in this tree. There is an abrupt chop near the apex with a lot of deadwood exposed. The cambium has started to rolll over the deadwood, but it was not cleaned up well and will never heal as is. The plan is to grow a new apex - that means I’ll allow an apical shoot to extend to build caliper and promote healing of the wound. I’ll also carve down the apical deadwood and re-would the surrounding callous tissue. Seems unlikely that I’ll ever see it healed completely, but I can improve it and make the apical taper more gradual.

- S
 

Hartinez

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Hi Danny -

Yes - you’ve hit on what I see as a major flaw in this tree. There is an abrupt chop near the apex with a lot of deadwood exposed. The cambium has started to rolll over the deadwood, but it was not cleaned up well and will never heal as is. The plan is to grow a new apex - that means I’ll allow an apical shoot to extend to build caliper and promote healing of the wound. I’ll also carve down the apical deadwood and re-would the surrounding callous tissue. Seems unlikely that I’ll ever see it healed completely, but I can improve it and make the apical taper more gradual.

- S
It looks so good in leaf and is already so funky and characterful a trunk, that the chop issue is hardly noticeable. I look forward and can’t wait to see the next steps of your documented process!
 
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