SOME HELP PLEASE can tiger bark ficus be defoliated

WOOB

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I would like to fully defoliate cut back and wire my tree but not sure ... I do have other ficus willow leaf and it works fine no problem at all. THANKS
 

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Clicio

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I would like to fully defoliate cut back and wire my tree but not sure ... I do have other ficus willow leaf and it works fine no problem at all. THANKS

I do defoliate my Ficus every summer, with no issues.
 
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Very nice tree. How long have you had it for? It looks healthy enough for a defoliation and it is the right time of year for the temperate climate.

If you haven't defoliated before you could work up to it by leaf cutting. Cut off half or most of the leaves and wait for new ones to form before fully removing the cut leaves.
 

WOOB

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How do you have such a quality “finished” tree and not know something as fundamental as what techniques are appropriate to develop it?
It was a question on this variety and the fact I have never defoliated it before. After .... I realize I don't know everything but one day I hope to be as smart as the rest of the world.
 

coh

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LOL...try to not let the obnoxious comments get to you :)

Nice tree. I don't have any that developed, but I've had no problems defoliating any type of ficus - including willow leaf and tiger bark (plus some unidentified types). However, since you're relatively far north (though not as far as me), you should probably get it done as soon as possible so the tree has plenty of time to recover.

How do you overwinter this tree? Do you have a greenhouse, indoor lighting, some other setup?
 

GrimLore

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It was a question on this variety and the fact I have never defoliated it before. After .... I realize I don't know everything but one day I hope to be as smart as the rest of the world.

I am not so far away and although it is a bit warm here it is the proper time to do as you planned. I can't imagine what the lat Summer two week hot spell will bring :p I ask questions here too and sometimes mis-id a tree o_O Honest, I should not, life I guess...

Yes I do spend money on my trees. But after 5 years and multiple wirings and repotting's and all the rest. I think I have brought it a long way ...

Nice plant and nice work :)

Gri
 

bonsai-ben

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How do you have such a quality “finished” tree and not know something as fundamental as what techniques are appropriate to develop it?

He has the money because he is smart enough to ask the right question in the right venue to the right people before doing something that might be the wrong mistake. Do that in real life, and you'll be a success too.. ;)

Cheers
 

WOOB

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LOL...try to not let the obnoxious comments get to you :)

Nice tree. I don't have any that developed, but I've had no problems defoliating any type of ficus - including willow leaf and tiger bark (plus some unidentified types). However, since you're relatively far north (though not as far as me), you should probably get it done as soon as possible so the tree has plenty of time to recover.

How do you overwinter this tree? Do you have a greenhouse, indoor lighting, some other setup?
I just don't get commits like that but ....

I like tropical I keep them on wire racks (like the ones at HD) under light/floresnts nothing fancy, I am thinking of LED . I do get a lot of natural sunlight from big windows facing south. I have a clump nerafoila I have been growing from a stump for 15 years (for the guy who questioned my fundamental as what techniques) that I showed at the national show 4 years ago. Sorry I digress anyway I thought I lost it a bunch of years ago bugs and all. I got so mad I put it in the shower and hosed it off for 2 days I MEAN HOSED IT with the hand held shower thing FULLL BLAST. I am telling you with in a week it was 100 percent better. So now all my tropical get a shower once a week ... I know it makes a difference and is the way to go.
 

WOOB

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I dig that pot, so if some of the newbie advice you get here doesn’t work out well, shoot me a price.?
LOL the story of the pot. David E. was saying in jest he had a friend that saw a very good tree in a yellow pot and yellow was the only way to go. So I said if that is the difference I need a yellow pot .... not for this tree but a yellow pot. I was looking for a pot for a blue spruce and Alex from Europe had one I liked so I bought it and I said "do you have a yellow pot" he did I got both of them. years or so latter I showed Matt O. from the US the tree and pot he said I know that pot I sold it to Alex ... So the pot cam from Japan to the US to Europe to the US ... DAM! Its a killer pot and makes the tree I think? :)
 

coh

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I just don't get commits like that but ....

I like tropical I keep them on wire racks (like the ones at HD) under light/floresnts nothing fancy, I am thinking of LED . I do get a lot of natural sunlight from big windows facing south. I have a clump nerafoila I have been growing from a stump for 15 years (for the guy who questioned my fundamental as what techniques) that I showed at the national show 4 years ago. Sorry I digress anyway I thought I lost it a bunch of years ago bugs and all. I got so mad I put it in the shower and hosed it off for 2 days I MEAN HOSED IT with the hand held shower thing FULLL BLAST. I am telling you with in a week it was 100 percent better. So now all my tropical get a shower once a week ... I know it makes a difference and is the way to go.
Just found the clump in the 2014 exhibition book. Congrats on getting it into the show! Nice tree.

Funny, I've never had any big problems with bugs indoors (some scale but that is relatively easy to deal with) but I just can't figure out the lighting. I've tried metal halide, LED, fluorescent but my tropicals just don't handle winter very well. Might be the dryness up here. Drafty old house combined with long brutally cold dark winters...not an easy combo to deal with.
 

WOOB

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Just found the clump in the 2014 exhibition book. Congrats on getting it into the show! Nice tree.

Funny, I've never had any big problems with bugs indoors (some scale but that is relatively easy to deal with) but I just can't figure out the lighting. I've tried metal halide, LED, fluorescent but my tropicals just don't handle winter very well. Might be the dryness up here. Drafty old house combined with long brutally cold dark winters...not an easy combo to deal with.
Thank you ...

I went to a 2 day teaching thing in PA years ago the guest was David D. I wish I know then what I knew now I would have gotten a lot more out of the weekend. He said the research that Wherhouser did show that florescent were as good as anything (back then) but it was the distance from the light. The light has to be right on top of the tree, my rain trees grow right up into them. I also keep them on 22 hours a day.

I am telling you its the shower ... think about it the need the soaking the bark leaves and all. If you are using inorganic soil it doesn't hold the water like orchid soil it need to be soaked.
 
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