My New Ficus "Rudy" Wired and Defoliated

[SockUnicorn]

 

[Ali Raza]

Nice trunk and exposed chunky root.

 

[SockUnicorn]

 

[SockUnicorn]

Rudy got the karate chop

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I don't understand where you are taking this. That last "chop" ruined the tree, at least to my eye. Maybe you will get lucky, and get a useful bud or two, ficus are forgiving that way. I just don't see the planned course of action requiring that chop.

 

[SockUnicorn]

I don't understand where you are taking this. That last "chop" ruined the tree, at least to my eye. Maybe you will get lucky, and get a useful bud or two, ficus are forgiving that way. I just don't see the planned course of action requiring that chop.

I totally understand what you're saying, it's a complete rebuild really. It's very jarring. My plan is to keep this guy this size now. I know it didn't look like it because I did my best to hide it, but that upper right section had a ton of issues.

And I mean, it was interesting, but look it, it was also pretty damn strange looking to begin with despite me apply bonsai techniques to it.

The branch is now going to be the main source of canopy. The fat trunk is now just a feature, maybe I'll have a lower branch push out of it, but I do NOT want to continue a new leader from the top right at this point.

Maybe that design makes no sense but I do have a vision and in my head it looks pretty cool .

 

[Carol 83]

I liked if before.............

 

[SockUnicorn]

I liked if before.............

Hopefully you like it in the future as well. Gonna be a solid growing season for this one.

 

[MHBonsai]

Are you going to root that top section as a cutting?

 

[SockUnicorn]

Are you going to root that top section as a cutting?

It's in a pot!

 

[SilverShoe99]

I bet that chop took some courage!

That is a wild little tree, I really like it. I'm very curious to see where this one goes.

 

[sorce]

I get what you mean about that section being hideous.

Good on you for chopping it.

That nub coming out of the branch left....
If it was a root, you could probly train it down to fill in that whole left gap above the root.

A few more and you'll have a nice little sumo joint.

It should grow those roots pretty easy.

If I leave mine on the ground it has roots popping everywhere below tallest weed in the yard level.

Sorce

 

[SockUnicorn]

I get what you mean about that section being hideous.

Good on you for chopping it.

That nub coming out of the branch left....
If it was a root, you could probly train it down to fill in that whole left gap above the root.

A few more and you'll have a nice little sumo joint.

It should grow those roots pretty easy.

If I leave mine on the ground it has roots popping everywhere below tallest weed in the yard level.

Sorce

It was a branch and it was incredible thick, just too out of place, I want fragility over on that side.

Now I'm in south Florida so aerial roots are a real possibility for me on any of my ficus.

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

If everyone really looks at the section I chopped, it was actually just a straight line jutting out from the thick trunk at a 45 degree angle to the top right. Not very visually appealing.

 

[KennedyMarx]

It's not the path I think I would have gone, but it's hard to tell from 2D pics. I'm sure you'll have a good tree once buds pop and you can choose your branching.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I totally understand what you're saying, it's a complete rebuild really. It's very jarring. My plan is to keep this guy this size now. I know it didn't look like it because I did my best to hide it, but that upper right section had a ton of issues.

And I mean, it was interesting, but look it, it was also pretty damn strange looking to begin with despite me apply bonsai techniques to it.

The branch is now going to be the main source of canopy. The fat trunk is now just a feature, maybe I'll have a lower branch push out of it, but I do NOT want to continue a new leader from the top right at this point.

Maybe that design makes no sense but I do have a vision and in my head it looks pretty cool .

Okay, as long as you have a plan. And you are in South Florida, where these things grow wild. Up north, they are so much slower. Personally I would have shortened the branch you chopped, but you are the one seeing the tree in 3 Dimensions. I only see the photos you post.

 

[SockUnicorn]

Some people might call this a silver lining....

 

[SockUnicorn]

Nothing like a vision starting to come to fruition.

 

[Mycin]

Reading through for the first time today, I too thought "wtf is he doing??" but I like it much much more now. The way the trunk moves back to get to the first branch is just terrific. Way to take a gamble

 

[SockUnicorn]

Reading through for the first time today, I too thought "wtf is he doing??" but I like it much much more now. The way the trunk moves back to get to the first branch is just terrific. Way to take a gamble

Thanks a lot! It's funny because it felt like a gamble to everyone but honestly I just had a really strong vision of exactly this happening. I found that lower left branch transition so incredible and the top right portion of the tree was so out of wack.

I'm excited to thicken this thing up now.

 

[LittleDingus]

Nothing like a vision starting to come to fruition.

I like it!

My one criticism: the small branch off the right of the new trunk looks out of place between the thicker new trunk and the two new branches off the original trunk. It might be different in 3D, but in the photo, I find it distracting. I can see the two branches on the right getting more and more out of proportion with that guy and stealing back the show. It almost looks like you'll end up with a mother/daughter situation in a few years rather than an integrated single canopy??

Do you have plans to try and control that? Or am I wrong in thinking you were after a single canopy??