Uriah
Seed
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- 2
- Reaction score
- 1
Hi all,
First bonsai and first post here!
I have been researching bonsai for quite some time and have a lot of experience with horticulture, but this is a completely different world to me. I picked up a Ficus Retusa to learn on which was trained in the S-shape, and I really don't like the initial trunk style, so I am having some difficulty determining the first steps for this tree.
It is approximately 3 years old according to DallasBonsai already almost 10 inches tall with the current foliage, and the nebari at soil level is only a little over half an inch. I have attached pictures from four sides labeled A, B, C and D for reference.
The first thing I noticed is that near the top where it was clipped there is a lot of branching, causing swelling and inverse taper. Besides that, the trunk is nearly uniform in diameter and in my opinion the tree is already quite tall for how thin the trunk it is.
What I don't like is that the curve of the trunk isn't the typical upright S-shape I've seen pictures of, but instead the trunk is nearly horizontal at the first bend, visible on sides A and C, and then further up the trunk would either curve toward or away from you depending on which side you're looking at. The only side I like is side A, but still something just looks off to me, but maybe I can't see the long term potential of the tree, so please correct me if I am wrong.
From my understanding, if I want to develop the nebari and trunk taper, I could do a trunk chop, re-pot and start developing radial roots. I found a spot where I could air layer and get a really nice cutting. I have marked approximately where I am considering doing the air layer and trunk chop. This would leave the two thin branches on the main trunk with at least some amount of foliage remaining on the original tree and I believe it will easily recover, as the tree looks really healthy and I understand Ficus is quite vigorous.
I actually really like the flow and style of the tree above where I am considering cutting the trunk, especially from side A. The inverse taper has thickened that area and it could make a really nice short and relatively thick start for a second bonsai.
#1. Is my plan to air layer and chop the trunk at this location a wise decision or is there a better alternative?
#2. Since I just got the tree this week, shipped from Texas, should I wait before air layering? It is summer growing season (in Florida) but should I see how the tree adjusts to the climate first and maybe feed it some 7-9-5 for a while?
#3. If I go ahead with that plan, should I re-pot the original tree into a bonsai pot and trim the roots when I chop the trunk?
#4. If I air layer, how much bark do I need to remove? There isn't very much height to work with where the trunk bends there, maybe only a little more than half an inch. Is that not enough?
#5. Is this the completely wrong approach? Should I instead just re-pot, trim and start developing radial roots and do some selective branch cutting and try to get rid of the inverse taper?
I would really appreciate any suggestions and feedback, thanks!
Regards,
Uriah
First bonsai and first post here!
I have been researching bonsai for quite some time and have a lot of experience with horticulture, but this is a completely different world to me. I picked up a Ficus Retusa to learn on which was trained in the S-shape, and I really don't like the initial trunk style, so I am having some difficulty determining the first steps for this tree.
It is approximately 3 years old according to DallasBonsai already almost 10 inches tall with the current foliage, and the nebari at soil level is only a little over half an inch. I have attached pictures from four sides labeled A, B, C and D for reference.
The first thing I noticed is that near the top where it was clipped there is a lot of branching, causing swelling and inverse taper. Besides that, the trunk is nearly uniform in diameter and in my opinion the tree is already quite tall for how thin the trunk it is.
What I don't like is that the curve of the trunk isn't the typical upright S-shape I've seen pictures of, but instead the trunk is nearly horizontal at the first bend, visible on sides A and C, and then further up the trunk would either curve toward or away from you depending on which side you're looking at. The only side I like is side A, but still something just looks off to me, but maybe I can't see the long term potential of the tree, so please correct me if I am wrong.
From my understanding, if I want to develop the nebari and trunk taper, I could do a trunk chop, re-pot and start developing radial roots. I found a spot where I could air layer and get a really nice cutting. I have marked approximately where I am considering doing the air layer and trunk chop. This would leave the two thin branches on the main trunk with at least some amount of foliage remaining on the original tree and I believe it will easily recover, as the tree looks really healthy and I understand Ficus is quite vigorous.
I actually really like the flow and style of the tree above where I am considering cutting the trunk, especially from side A. The inverse taper has thickened that area and it could make a really nice short and relatively thick start for a second bonsai.
#1. Is my plan to air layer and chop the trunk at this location a wise decision or is there a better alternative?
#2. Since I just got the tree this week, shipped from Texas, should I wait before air layering? It is summer growing season (in Florida) but should I see how the tree adjusts to the climate first and maybe feed it some 7-9-5 for a while?
#3. If I go ahead with that plan, should I re-pot the original tree into a bonsai pot and trim the roots when I chop the trunk?
#4. If I air layer, how much bark do I need to remove? There isn't very much height to work with where the trunk bends there, maybe only a little more than half an inch. Is that not enough?
#5. Is this the completely wrong approach? Should I instead just re-pot, trim and start developing radial roots and do some selective branch cutting and try to get rid of the inverse taper?
I would really appreciate any suggestions and feedback, thanks!
Regards,
Uriah
