Looking for Styling Advice for Ficus Bonsai

[w201]

Greetings all,

As the title states, I'm looking to hopefully get some styling advice for my Ficus. This is my one and only bonsai tree. It lives under artificial light. Space is kind of tight here, so I'm limited to one tree and a few other plants , however this bonsai has been with me the longest, 15+ years, but the styling has gotten away from me. Indoor growth is slow, so I do prune roughly once or twice a month. I feel like the styling could be better but I just don't know where to go with it. Hoping to hear some tips.

Thanks,
w201

 

[luvinthemountains]

Maybe shorten it?

 

[Ply]

I would first focus on getting it really vigorous. Let it grow out for a while, don't prune it. Pruning it once or twice a month is probably too much indoors, and especially in your climate. That might work in a tropical climate on refined trees during summer, but even then it seems like a lot. Pruning keeps the tree in the shape we want, but it also weakens it.

In hot summer months put it outdoors, it will grow vastly better than you'll ever see inside. Keep an eye on the min temperature (5 degrees celsius +, dont go below it).

I'm not sure on the species of ficus this is, maybe benjamina? Most ficus species will backbud well if you cutback once it's been growing really hard and vigorously.

Once it's healty and thriving you can worry about the design. Considering we're going towards the winter months now, that'll probably be next year. At that point consider trying to wire down the first branch and its branches (lower the angle, it's reaching upwards a lot right now) and maybe shorten the second branch. Also I don't know what your desired front is but make sure to face your desired front to long side of the bonsai pot.

 

[w201]

Never thought about shortening it but I can see the potential in the design there. Thank you.

Ply, I need to update my location. I'm in Florida now. Got it. Taper off on the pruning, wire down the first branches... Vigorous growth would be ideal. I can't put the tree outside but I can get higher wattage bulbs. I think you might be correct about the species, and it does backbud quite easily. The second picture is the front, i think. I'm not sure honestly, which is probably why I potted it that way. Thank you for the advice guys. Progress will be slow but I'll update with some results in the future.

 

[JoeWilson]

If you can't move it outside a bright, full spectrum grow light on a timer will help.

 

[w201]

If you can't move it outside a bright, full spectrum grow light on a timer will help.

That's exactly my setup. It gets about 14 hours of light. I just need to up the wattage. It's been on my mind quite some time actually.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Grow lights have come a long way in the last decade. You can to a significant degree make up for low intensity by increasing day length. Instead of 14 hours, bump the light period up to 18 hours. This is about the max. Not much further benefit leaving lights on longer than 18 hours. Plants do have a dark cycle where the photosynthetic system needs to "rest" or "reset", actually just finish up processing everything made during the daylight period.

Check out some of the books on bonsai design. Authors I recommend are DeGroot and another is Colin Lewis. There are many, many other authors, some others are quite good too. For design the old (1970s) John Naka books are excellent, but the horticulture advice is woefully out of date.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I think you are right, second photo is probably the front, but a tree's front can change several times in its course of development.

Letting it grow out for several months, then a sharp cutting back will force back budding much further down. I would not remove any of your older, thicker branches at this point. After you have seriously contemplated a new design, possibly one of the old branches might have to go, but I can't see which I'd get rid of at this point. So keep the heavy branches. Letting it grow out, then cutting back, will force more fine branches to develop. You need more green in closer to the trunks. You can think of your heavy branches as trunks or sub-trunks, and develop each as if they were their own tree.

Try drawing out the design. Draw exactly what is there, then in a different color pencil or ink, draw what you'd like the tree to grow. And mark potential deletions. Take your time, I often will take a year or more to implement a design once I've drawn it. Gives me time to contemplate it.

 

[Paradox]

I agree this tree needs to regain vigor. It doesn't look like its growing strong right now. Also agree more light and less frequent pruning will help. I prune my ficus 2 or 3 times a year.

 

[w201]

Leo, thank you, Sir! This is exactly the type of guidance I needed. Dang! I feel like I've been neglecting this tree now. Thank you guys, I feel newly inspired now to implement some of these changes.

 

[w201]

Hey guys, just wanted to ask some followup questions and give you an update. Hardly enough time has passed to see any significant changes, but I did get an additional light and the tree is responding with faster growth. I also added wire to lower the branches.

My question is regarding a suggestion to someone made to shorten the tree. I think it would make the tree look more balanced as that top branch is getting thick, but is that a cut that should come sooner rather than later or vice versa? What are your thoughts? I also have a top down view of the tree, and I see a branch there that might have to go eventually as it curves back toward the tree a bit.

Alright that's all I have for now.

Thanks!

 

[MrFancyPlants]

It looks like a benjamina ‘too little’ I have some I have been working on for over a decade, and the growth habit always tends to be akward with them. One of mine, I decided to grow out to be a houseplant size.. though there are some years left in the process.
That being said, yours looks really nice. The heavy branches do seem to work and balance the tree.
I wouldn’t cut the top section off, but would trim it back hard. You might get a bud to replace the top or break up the straight section there. And you might even get it to ramify, though the species can make that difficult. I think having some length to the top balances it with the branches, but just my opinion.

I prefer the ‘Christine’ variety of benjamina, though the leaves are larger.

 

[w201]

It looks like a benjamina ‘too little’ I have some I have been working on for over a decade, and the growth habit always tends to be akward with them. One of mine, I decided to grow out to be a houseplant size.. though there are some years left in the process.
That being said, yours looks really nice. The heavy branches do seem to work and balance the tree.
I wouldn’t cut the top section off, but would trim it back hard. You might get a bud to replace the top or break up the straight section there. And you might even get it to ramify, though the species can make that difficult. I think having some length to the top balances it with the branches, but just my opinion.

I prefer the ‘Christine’ variety of benjamina, though the leaves are larger.

Thanks for the guidance, brother. I think you are correct about the species. Its grown quite a bit in the years that its been under my care. The tree that you see reflects my styling efforts over the years and I totally agree with the awkward growth. I had other trees in the past but they are no more. Bonsai has a learning curve in the beginning, especially cultivating them indoors. Eventually Ill take another tree under my care now that I can confidently keep them alive.

 

[oranjeaap]

I like how it looks. No major restyling needed.
It just needs more ramification and ideally a little closer to the trunk. You can maybe force it to backbud by trimming at the right moment. I have a similar cultivar (f. benjamina Natasja) that doesn't backbud so no guarantees. Humidity makes a huge difference though. Since I started misting the trunk daily it's starting to grow roots above soil level. I've been wondering if I wrap some branches in foil and keep them moist they will backbud more easily (or grow aerial roots maybe).

 

[w201]

I like how it looks. No major restyling needed.
It just needs more ramification and ideally a little closer to the trunk. You can maybe force it to backbud by trimming at the right moment. I have a similar cultivar (f. benjamina Natasja) that doesn't backbud so no guarantees. Humidity makes a huge difference though. Since I started misting the trunk daily it's starting to grow roots above soil level. I've been wondering if I wrap some branches in foil and keep them moist they will backbud more easily (or grow aerial roots maybe).

Thanks man, and thank you for the tips. I think the plan of action now is to let it grow out a bit, store up some energy then cut back hard and hope for some back budding. Do certain tree species ramify better than others? That's always been a challenge. BTW- never seen arial roots on this one. Either this species doesn't do it or I'm not providing the proper conditions.