I need ideas/help for ficus

Trimaptim

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I've cut this back and it is growing back well with much more movement in the upper trunk now. My question to you all is this, I've started the lower branches and gotten them to about the width they need to be for the nebari base. But I'm not sure how tall I should make the tree...at about the height it is now, or around this area? I'm not sure. This is the pot I'm thinking for it. For a size reference, the nebari is about 6 inches wide and deep.
 

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I think you could extend the lower branches by at least 50% and lower the apex a few inches. I would also be tempted to chop the roots to plant it lower but that might be risky.

Nice pot!
 

sorce

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The red is ok.

I like the idea of planting it deeper.

This as a soil line.
Capture+_2020-08-23-08-11-18.png

I would house it in a basket a little smaller than that for a year or 2 before the pot. Give it a good while to build feeder roots that will get enough without it having to send giant wraparounds.

Sorce
 

Trimaptim

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Thank you all for the reply and kind words. It has been a great progression for me coming from a bare trunk chop and forming it from a tall nursery tree to this and eventually a good bonsai. About the depth you all mentioned...the reason I chose that pot (thank you btw, I love that pot as well) is because when I repotted last time into this training pot it's in now, it actually could have been potted in a lot shallower pot but I wanted to work on getting good rooting for when it goes into the smaller pot. It could have probably fit in that pot now, but I didn't want to stress the tree too much. Sorce, are you saying that box you drew would be flat so you're saying plant the tree at that much of an angle?
 

Forsoothe!

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What do you want it to look like? Forgive me, but it looks dishelved. It doesn't have a shape to be maintained, being essentially two trees: a nice bottom and a weedy top. I say all this because you need to define where you want to go before you set out on a trip. It's easier to style trees of any kind with all the foliage off so you can see all the branches, wire them and put them where they are best. This is not the time of year to do that unless you have superior wintering conditions. WLF puts out almost too many little twigs when cut back hard and that's what this looks like. They need to be thinned and wired sideways to create layers instead of wild balls of foliage. That's lots of 1mm wire work when defoliated. It's potentially a very nice tree.
 

Trimaptim

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What do you want it to look like? Forgive me, but it looks dishelved. It doesn't have a shape to be maintained, being essentially two trees: a nice bottom and a weedy top. I say all this because you need to define where you want to go before you set out on a trip. It's easier to style trees of any kind with all the foliage off so you can see all the branches, wire them and put them where they are best. This is not the time of year to do that unless you have superior wintering conditions. WLF puts out almost too many little twigs when cut back hard and that's what this looks like. They need to be thinned and wired sideways to create layers instead of wild balls of foliage. That's lots of 1mm wire work when defoliated. It's potentially a very nice tree.
I'm aware of what it needs. If you read through the posts you'll see I'm deciding on where to take it at the moment while letting it grow a new Apex...It was just trunk chopped. So of course it looks disheveled. I'm letting it grow to thicken the branches and thicken the new top of the trunk. Opinions on the height and base are what is needed which is what I need at the moment. I'm in central Florida. I just defoliated and removed extra branching about a month ago. It's very vigorous. Sorry about snapping but people always give unneeded answers and it is a serious let down.
 

Trimaptim

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I vote for a shorter silhouette. More sumo...making a statement.

They can do much shallower pots. Pot looks really deep.
Do you have any pics of what you're thinking? I'm not sure I've seen a sumo bonsai with this much nebari and thick of a trunk.
 

Cadillactaste

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Do you have any pics of what you're thinking? I'm not sure I've seen a sumo bonsai with this much nebari and thick of a trunk.
Sumo is typically a wide chunky base. Shorter tree.

Mike Pollock's tree
FB_IMG_1598198651360.jpg

Hiram Macias tree originally...later sold.
FB_IMG_1598198632229.jpg
 

Trimaptim

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Here is an update of the tree after working it a little bit. I'm letting the top go crazy for a while to thicken, but I'm still trying to see the future tree so I'm looking to start ramification on select branches in the next few weeks.
 

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Cadillactaste

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Maybe not this drastically...but, I ponder a slight angle change. Just so the trunk isn't dead center but comes off to the side. I'm a sucker for things not perfect dead center. But that's just me. I think the base screams sumo. Good luck with it. Fun project for sure.

willow leaf (2)_LI.jpg
 

Trimaptim

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Here is where it is at now. Eventually planting to right above the paint stick, and once the upper trunk thickens, it will be cut back to have an Apex around here and some of these new growths will become branches in these areas. What do y'all think about this assessment? Agree or have a different idea? Now I'm thinking about going with a slightly smaller oval pot than the one I posted earlier if the root base is going to be smaller.
 

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Trenthany

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I like the nebari base personally. But I am strange like that. I think unusual is a character trait. Boring is meh.
I was thinking higher originally but the more people with experience in this forum show styles the more I’m thinking chop lower. Or in this case keep the apex lower.
 

Cadillactaste

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I was thinking higher originally but the more people with experience in this forum show styles the more I’m thinking chop lower. Or in this case keep the apex lower.
Just make sure it's your vision.

Chopping the tree lowers the apex. I'm not sure removing nebari makes me see the apex lowered. To me...narrowing the nebari makes the trunk look longer. A deeper chunky base...always takes presidence in my mind.

So chew it over. Make sure its your vision before you take big steps.

Enjoy your journey.

Wait...different poster. I'm confused.
 

Trenthany

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Just make sure it's your vision.

Chopping the tree lowers the apex. I'm not sure removing nebari makes me see the apex lowered. To me...narrowing the nebari makes the trunk look longer. A deeper chunky base...always takes presidence in my mind.

So chew it over. Make sure its your vision before you take big steps.

Enjoy your journey.

Wait...different poster. I'm confused.
Lol I have a tendency to view my trees high. He seems to have a decent vision although I too like the off center/angled planting you and sorce are describing.
 
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Trimaptim

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After pondering on it for a while, I think I will do a slight slanted repotting, angling the right side downward a little. I will also be letting that right side branching grow longer to go e it a longer side that will hang over the edge of the pot while being planted on the left side edge of the pot. I will also need to find a smaller pot as I think the blue one I pictured will be too bit for the finished tree possibly. I will have to wait and see. The issue is, the nebari is just as wide as it is depth wise. So I need at least 12x12 to have about an inch and a half spacing all around. So to go smaller than the blue pot I showed, it won't fit the back of the nebari. A 14inch wide oval only ends up being about 11 or 10 deep, so it HAS to be a little oversized on the sides to fit the back...will post updates periodically. Thanks again for the advice all!
 

Trimaptim

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Here is where it's at after this weekend. I trimmed a dead end root off the back that was an eye sore and a couple other little ones. It bought me the width I need to get into a smaller pot. Here's what I'm thinking for future growth. I doodled into the pics of where it's at today. Also I figured I'd throw in a top view pic to show the beauty of ramification and bending the branches to show age and movement.
 

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Trimaptim

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Here's an update of where it's at as of tonight. Cut it back because the lower branches stopped growing from no light. Figured I'd start seeing my options for new apex now so I got it wired up for the moment. Any thoughts as of now?
 

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