Ficus with potential?

[BonsaiBeginnings]

I recently bought this ficus from a local bonsai store. I am still new to bonsai but I made a little picture of what I am hoping to achieve with this tree ( Not sure what everyone uses but I just used paint lol) I really like the aerial root coming down off the trunk and want to add more when I am sure it is healthy and the trunk gets a bit bigger in a few years. I hope to keep expanding the tree out bigger and bigger as the years progress, if that is a possibility?

Let me know what you think of the plan or if you have any better ideas.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

Did you wire that tree? Go ahead and put some more movement in those branches. Not only up and down but back and forth.

 

[BonsaiBeginnings]

Thanks for the tip, I added some more movement and it looks much more natural.

 

[Neli]

You need to learn how to wire...Google...and that tree needs to be trunk chopped...

 

[BonsaiBeginnings]

I wired it loosely because ficus are known to grow quickly (which I learned from google) and I did not want the wires to cut into the bark.
I figured someone would say to chop it but I think the trunk makes it unique. Don't think the aerial roots can make it look better later on?

 

[amcoffeegirl]

Everyone says trunk chop or plant it in the ground. Just let it grow and see what happens. When it gets long leggy growth then trim it back. I have one similar in my collection. I have not wired it. I prefer willow leaf ficus but have 1 tiger bark and 1 green island. Get a few more and try to trunk chop one. What soil are you using? If you're going to grow indoors a fast draining soil will be best. If you put it outside you might be ok with what you have. Soil is important because it allows the roots to breathe. Builds more fine feeder roots rather than thick roots which are not what you want for bonsai.

 

[Neli]

I wired it loosely because ficus are known to grow quickly (which I learned from google) and I did not want the wires to cut into the bark.
I figured someone would say to chop it but I think the trunk makes it unique. Don't think the aerial roots can make it look better later on?

The problem is not that you wired it loosely...the problem is the angle of the wire to the trunk...
The wire is supposed to be 45 degree to the branch...and not 80+

 

[linlaoboo]

The tree isn't healthy as it is now, there's no secondary branch structure which makes the foliage look very thin. If I were you I would not worry about wiring the branches at all b/c in the future most of them won't even be there. If you grow and fertilize it right it will grow like crazy. Grow it in a bigger pot or in the ground will thicken it the fastest. There's many ways to induce aerial roots, just google or look up Jerry Meislick's site for some good info.

Also look up clip and grow methods of pruning and defoliation. It's what ramifies the tree without waiting years and years if you want it to look like your picture.

 

[BonsaiBeginnings]

Okay so I will put it in a bigger pot and remove the wiring. At the moment it mostly has soil from when I bought it so I am not exactly sure the type, but it is growing outside and I am located in 10b .