PVC Ficus :)

[Bonsai Nut]

You asked for it

I have done very little major work on this tree in the last six months. Rather, I have been selectively letting parts grow out, while trimming in other areas. I cut back a lot of summer growth about a month ago. The point of this photo is not to show that the tree is even close to being complete, but rather how much progress you can make in a single year. If you look back to the first photo in this thread (taken about a year ago) the change is dramatic.

 

[Attila Soos]

Very impressive! And it has a promising nebari. You just need to cut the bottom of the rootball flat, so that nothing is growing downward (to avoid the dreaded tuberous root swelling), and let sideways-growing roots grow very long, so that they can thicken and fuse. I would let it grow in the ground, so that you have a great nebari in 3 seasons, instead of waiting 5 - 6 years if growing in the containter.
But if you are in no rush, it doesn't matter.

Of course, this tree will look the best if the trunks thicken to the extent that they become one large trunk with bulging "muscles", instead of what is now, which is a clump of individual trees. When the first 5 inches of the trunk are fused, you can take it to the bank for the big bucks .

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Of course, this tree will look the best if the trunks thicken to the extent that they become one large trunk with bulging "muscles", instead of what is now, which is a clump of individual trees. When the first 5 inches of the trunk are fused, you can take it to the bank for the big bucks .

I have been moving in the direction of expanding the pot width while making it more shallow. When I traded up growing containers, I took a sawsall to the bottom of the root ball and cut off the bottom 6". Next container will be wider and shallower. I want to make sure I don't move too dramatically because I want the tree to continue to grow strongly.

I have difficulty sticking stuff in the ground where I live - I am on the side of a hill with no lawn to speak of. It is not impossible, but it is not particularly convenient

Several of the trunks have already fused to 1" above the ground. If you look carefully between the farthest left trunk and the center trunk there is a new 1/4" trunk that I am growing as a sacrifice to fill in that gap. Many of the roots are already fusing at the base of the trunk. I am impressed with the speed of the development!

 

[jjbacoomba]

WOW!! Awesome job.

 

[Concorde]

Nice looking ficus.

 

[akhater]

any update on this tree 2 years later ?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I just chopped it way back. I'll shoot some photos and post.

 

[barrosinc]

still got it? updates?