Huge ficus leaves...

[MrFancyPlants]

It would be pretty cool to edit that photo onto a closeup of one of your tiny ones to throw the scale off.

 

[A Random User]

I have posted this before... But for some strange reason it seems
to fly over everyone's head ???

So, here goes... I will try again...

If you take a Home Depot special, with all those ridiculous ugly tuberous
roots that everyone says you can't make a decent Bonsai with, and you
let it grow aerial roots, it will cover these ugly roots in no time !!!

The reason why these plants are made in the first place, is to drastically
increase the size of ficus trunk in no time. If one grows these in a tropical
location, this plan works great !!! If you live outside of this range you can
just go around telling folks these are useless and not good for Bonsai !!!


If one looks at Adam's tree you can clearly see the larger tuberous roots
tuck back behind some of the smaller newer roots. In the second link to
Adam's Blog that was posted... he pretty much is showing you exactly how
to achieve such a tree !!!
So, yes this was at one time exactly what the OP is doing.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

I have posted this before... But for some strange reason it seems
to fly over everyone's head ???

So, here goes... I will try again...

If you take a Home Depot special, with all those ridiculous ugly tuberous
roots that everyone says you can't make a decent Bonsai with, and you
let it grow aerial roots, it will cover these ugly roots in no time !!!

The reason why these plants are made in the first place, is to drastically
increase the size of ficus trunk in no time. If one grows these in a tropical
location, this plan works great !!! If you live outside of this range you can
just go around telling folks these are useless and not good for Bonsai !!!


If one looks at Adam's tree you can clearly see the larger tuberous roots
tuck back behind some of the smaller newer roots.
So, yes this was at one time exactly what the OP is doing.

Yes, but remember that Adam lives in nice warm Florida, where this is possible. You can't expect someone living up north where winter occurs to be able to do this in a reasonable amount of time. It'd be much easier to just buy nice stock that is bonsai ready.

 

[A Random User]

Yes, but remember that Adam lives in nice warm Florida, where this is possible. You can't expect someone living up north where winter occurs to be able to do this in a reasonable amount of time. It'd be much easier to just buy nice stock that is bonsai ready.

Yes !!!
This would be the part where I said...

"If you live outside of this range you can
just go around telling folks these are
useless and not good for Bonsai !!!"

 

[thams]

It's all about the possibilities of what can be. I think Adam's posts are as much about information as much as inspiration. If you want to make a bonsai of those tubers, then you should do it! It's possible with effort, a decent amount of time, and a little bit of luck.

 

[Bonsaiboy]

​

I have to disagree with you guys, I live in ohio, and have tons of aerial roots all over my ginseng ficus in less than a few weeks by simply using the mini-greenhouse technique. So you can really do this anywhere.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

​

I have to disagree with you guys, I live in ohio, and have tons of aerial roots all over my ginseng ficus in less than a few weeks by simply using the mini-greenhouse technique. So you can really do this anywhere.

Well getting them is easy. These pop aerials like there's no tomorrow. Getting them to thicken like they do down south takes much more time in the north.

 

[Bonsaiboy]

Well getting them is easy. These pop aerials like there's no tomorrow. Getting them to thicken like they do down south takes much more time in the north.

Oh. Well then. I do agree with you guys,lol.