Repotted willow leaf ficus at the national arboretum workshop

[MrFancyPlants]

It is a great feeling to have a direction to go with a healthy tree. I know the basics of repotting, but Jack Sustic was a real pro and was able to provide me with that direction. The roots were very one sided, but on subsequent repottings I am going to move the trunk further back into the right rear quadrant of the pot. He hinted that it was time to do some thinning of the top, but I am going to wait until signs of new growth and recovery from the repotting. He also hinted at wiring a new leader, but I am dubious if my own wiring skills and more comfortable at clip and grow, but maybe I shouldn't have lopped off the top as soon as I got it home a few years ago. He did have me remove one branch right near the newest back buds on the trunk.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I saw signs if new growth and went for a healthy trim. On Jack's advise, I reduced everything to a fork (no 3 branches from the same spot). I then also cut of the tips of most of the remaining buds leaving at least 2 leaves, and mostly more. I am hoping to induce some more back budding since most I the branches are lanky and out of scale. I haven't rule out reducing to the bottom two buds that I left untouched, but I'll give it a go working with what I've got.

Here is an update and a bonus photo from the workshop.

 

[KennedyMarx]

Looks like it already has decent taper for such a little tree. Does it have a back branch? I have a ficus cutting about that same size, but the only back branch I have is sprouting near the apex.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

All the branches are putting out leaves a bit to far from the trunk except for the two volunteer back buds that popped up nice and low soon after I put them in the led tank. There are some branches from each side up the trunk, bud unless they back bud closer, i doin they'll make the "final" design. Here is a photo from the back. Sorry for the busy photo, it is kind of a pain to take it out of the tank.

 

[KennedyMarx]

If I were you I would wire some initial movement into this branches. It looks like they're getting long enough.

 

[Dan W.]

Cool little ficus. I love the pot!

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Thanks guys,
I think it might be the first positive feedback I've received on a tree/pot so far, at least in the forum. I probably will try doing some wiring this summer when it starts to pick up steam again. Jack was also a fan of the pot which I picked up on etsy last month . The willow leaf material I picked up at the annual bonsai festival at the arboretum two years ago. It has really been happier since I put it in the tank with the LED floodlights.

Thanks again,
Dave

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I was trying the dusk shot, but may have waited too long. I still need I figure out how to take a decent photo.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I've been semi successful at chasing back the growth a bit on some of the branches over the summer, which is good because I am hoping not to have to reduce to the bottom two branches. The leader has budded back nicely but it's still not in line with the parabolic curve of the rest of the trunk. Unfortunately I have a bad habit of taking new material and hastily trimming of the leader, "in order to induce back budding". Then I usually plant it at a funny angle to "create interest and movement in the trunk". So I am left with the leader that doesn't quite match the rest of the trunk.
Hopefully I'll have a chance to bring this to a club meeting where Martha from Meehans will be present this Saturday. And hopefully I'll get some slick pointers on how to proceed and maybe even some hands on experience wiring and styling. This is perhaps my closest to refinement tree that I have right now which I realize is not saying a lot, but hey, it's a learning and growing process.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

(Classy finger over the lens; at least this one is in focus) Anyways, I still haven't styled the one on the right other than chasing back the growth where I could. I am signed up for a workshop with Colin Lewis soon and I think I'll bring this along and maybe one more. I have one of his books but I don't know if he has any particular specialties.
You can see that the cutting has quickly overtaken the mother plant; I am just going to let that one run wild for the summer and maybe chop it back to make room when it is time to bring it in for the winter.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

View attachment 40120

(Classy finger over the lens; at least this one is in focus) Anyways, I still haven't styled the one on the right other than chasing back the growth where I could. I am signed up for a workshop with Colin Lewis soon and I think I'll bring this along and maybe one more. I have one of his books but I don't know if he has any particular specialties.
You can see that the cutting has quickly overtaken the mother plant; I am just going to let that one run wild for the summer and maybe chop it back to make room when it is time to bring it in for the winter.

I was thinking of repotting the OP tree. I’d need to remove that awkward branch in front, of course.

 

[Dan W.]

Dang!!! Look what a decade of development does! Great work.