Stop being that ugly immediately!

[Alain]

Parental Advisory​

Due to its extreme violence and some graphic images the following thread isn't suitable for minors of less than 17 without adult supervision.

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I always though that the so-called ginseng ficus bonsai that we can find at Walmart and other big stores are the quintessence of ugliness.
However the other day on that forum aml1014 posted a link to Adam's blog showing some incredible works with the ginseng.

So I though, why not? If I find one cheap I'll try to abuse it badly and see if I could get something with it.
The following week-en we were in St Louis, MO, where the taxes are close to nonexistent and where the nursery stock was in clearance at Walmart so I bought one.

I took great care to pick it as ugly as possible and did a pretty good job at it.


As you could see: the classical big balls/tubes and the no-taper-whatsoever trunk in the purest 'toilet brush' style.

But there was more:


A big fat hole in a big fat ball



and a nice X scar in the middle of the tree, go and try making that pass for something natural on any tree which isn't a telephone pole.

So in order to try to make that a fun tree I took my finest carving tool (chainsaw number 4) and did that on the big tubes:



The idea there is that - if I'm lucky - some roots will start to grow all over the cuts. When they'll be abundant enough I'll progressively expose them and wrap them around the base. If everything go as planed after a couple of (months? years? centuries?...) the ugly balls (which are now ugly half-balls) should disappear behind a elegantly disposed curtain of little roots.
One could dream no?

In order avoid the trunk to be jealous of all the attention the roots had I kept doing my demolition work with a shari (well let's say that half the bark is missing now, so I guess it's a shari )



Of course the 1st next step is that the tree has to survive this treatment

 

[Alain]

And it is surviving!

Here is a picture taken this week-end (one week after the surgery) and there are already 3 new leaves growing on there!

At least we have to give that to these ginseng ficus: they may be ugly but they are some strong customers!

 

[amcoffeegirl]

Why? Why? Why?
Can't you just start with a real ficus?

Not the ground gorged malsai ballsack ficus.
Nice prebonsai ficus are just as cheap and just as hardy.
It's cool
Do your thang!

 

[aml1014]

Lmfao she's still hating on em.

 

[Alain]

Why? Why? Why?
Can't you just start with a real ficus?

Not the ground gorged malsai ballsack ficus.
Nice prebonsai ficus are just as cheap and just as hardy.
It's cool
Do your thang!

I already have a Walmart retusa which is turning to be a very nice little tree. I chopped its head and planted it in a pot so now I have a second little retusa which might develop in a sweet multi-trunks shohin. And I have this ginseng ficus plus another one I bought at Walmart also. The 2nd one was not as ugly and in fact has some potential, that's why I bought it once I saw that the 1st one was handling any kind of abuse without even blinking.

So I have 4 ficus, they costed me less than $15 in total and I can do whatever I want with them, first because they were so cheap that even if I kill them it won't be a big deal, second because they are basically bulletproof.
I assumed that the way they were mass-produced, potted, glued with gravel, shipped, stored and displayed have to do with that: a tree that could survive that could survive anything.

Hence to answer your question: I bought them because I have a lot of fun working on them and force them to do whatever I want, my 'nicer' trees are other trees.
To get a nice pre-bonsai ficus in Illinois would cost me at least 2 or 3 times the price I paid for these 4 combined. My mother in law lives in Miami, we are going there for Thanksgiving and my 'nice species of ficus we can't even find here' hunting trip is schedule there.
Like a Minnesotan dentist who would travel to Africa to kill lions in their habitat instead of shooting one in the local zoo

 

[Alain]

Lmfao she's still hating on em.

Ok, I don't understand that

 

[aml1014]

Ok, I don't understand that

She just repeatedly tells people they aren't real ficus and they'd never amount to anything which is funny cause in the smart remarks thread she says what works for some won't for others so I don't get why she says it won't work for us? Just cause she apparently doesn't do well with them.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I already have a Walmart retusa which is turning to be a very nice little tree. I chopped its head and planted it in a pot so now I have a second little retusa which might develop in a sweet multi-trunks shohin. And I have this ginseng ficus plus another one I bought at Walmart also. The 2nd one was not as ugly and in fact has some potential, that's why I bought it once I saw that the 1st one was handling any kind of abuse without even blinking.

So I have 4 ficus, they costed me less than $15 in total and I can do whatever I want with them, first because they were so cheap that even if I kill them it won't be a big deal, second because they are basically bulletproof.
I assumed that the way they were mass-produced, potted, glued with gravel, shipped, stored and displayed have to do with that: a tree that could survive that could survive anything.

Hence to answer your question: I bought them because I have a lot of fun working on them and force them to do whatever I want, my 'nicer' trees are other trees.
To get a nice pre-bonsai ficus in Illinois would cost me at least 2 or 3 times the price I paid for these 4 combined. My mother in law lives in Miami, we are going there for Thanksgiving and my 'nice species of ficus we can't even find here' hunting trip is schedule there.
Like a Minnesotan dentist who would travel to Africa to kill lions in their habitat instead of shooting one in the local zoo

If you're having fun working with them then go ahead.
Have you seen the posts where rooting powder is applied in the cut and hundreds of new roots grow to cover the tubers?

 

[Alain]

If you're having fun working with them then go ahead.
Have you seen the posts where rooting powder is applied in the cut and hundreds of new roots grow to cover the tubers?

I didn't see this post but I applied a bunch of rooting hormone and also I put some aspirin pills on the soil and I will water them with willow water...

These ficus are actually my crash-test dummies that the reason I'm having so much fun with them, even if the manipulations I do aren't recommended for sensitive souls
Also I learn a lot with them in the 'what can I do/what can't I do?' department.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

She just repeatedly tells people they aren't real ficus and they'd never amount to anything which is funny cause in the smart remarks thread she says what works for some won't for others so I don't get why she says it won't work for us? Just cause she apparently doesn't do well with them.

It's not that they don't grow well for me
I just don't agree that they are the best ficus for bonsai.
There are some out there who say schefflera are not real bonsai. Or mimosa. Or any tropical tree.
It's just my opinion that there are better ficus suited for material that will be more attractive in a faster time.
Retusa and willow leaf recover quickly and can be worked hard.
If I see one I like I am certain I will put my money down again.
Can it be done?- sure
You go ahead

 

[aml1014]

Can it be done?- sure
You go ahead

Gladly, I happen to enjoy all plants so if that's your deficiency then that's your problem. So I shall continue to have my gastly, hideous, not worth the time ficus

 

[JoeR]

Why? Why? Why?
Can't you just start with a real ficus?

Not the ground gorged malsai ballsack ficus.
Nice prebonsai ficus are just as cheap and just as hardy.
It's cool
Do your thang!

I lost it here.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

Gladly, I happen to enjoy all plants so if that's your deficiency then that's your problem. So I shall continue to have my gastly, hideous, not worth the time ficus

Best of luck
When they are finished please post a photo.

 

[Alain]

I just don't agree that they are the best ficus for bonsai...
...Retusa and willow leaf recover quickly and can be worked hard.

I totally agree as I said: I always find them ugly. However Adam's blog convinced me that they could actually be not that bad (in fact they become fine when you succeed getting rid of the big tubs, so when you bring them back to be the microcarpa they were before some sadistic guy decided to overgrow their roots).

I also agree that willow leaves or retusa are much nicer, however try to find a willow leaves in IL for less than 10 bucks...
So the ginseng could be a nice alternative if you want to keep your hands busy, not spend too much money and also practice on trees you won't be pissed if you kill them. If on top of that you could - as it seems possible - turn them in ok trees then I think they are worth trying for fun.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I totally agree as I said: I always find them ugly. However Adam's blog convinced me that they could actually be not that bad (in fact they become fine when you succeed getting rid of the big tubs, so when you bring them back to be the microcarpa they were before some sadistic guy decided to overgrow their roots).

I also agree that willow leaves or retusa are much nicer, however try to find a willow leaves in IL for less than 10 bucks...
So the ginseng could be a nice alternative if you want to keep your hands busy, not spend too much money and also practice on trees you won't be pissed if you kill them. If on top of that you could - as it seems possible - turn them in ok trees then I think they are worth trying for fun.

If that's what you want to do- go for it.
I will happily watch your efforts.

Sometimes walmart has tiger bark
Or fukien tea. I would grab one also. Not lately though.
And I may own a ginseng in the future who knows.
I'm in iowa so we are in the same situation.

 

[Alain]

Sometimes walmart has tiger bark

I did (see my post 'one year torturing a Walmart retusa)
But right now they don't have any and also with the Walmart retusa the thing I find really ugly is the hyper developed 'S' shape (which I succeeded getting rid of on mine).

 

[aml1014]

Best of luck
When they are finished please post a photo.

Bonsai are never "finished"

 

[amcoffeegirl]

Bonsai are never "finished"

Omg
When it is designed to your liking and you're proud to call it bonsai.
Why are you bustin my chops?
Do you hate women?
Wtf
The quieter you are- the more you can hear.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I did (see my post 'one year torturing a Walmart retusa)
But right now they don't have any and also with the Walmart retusa the thing I find really ugly is the hyper developed 'S' shape (which I succeeded getting rid of on mine).

I did see your other post.

 

[aml1014]

Omg
When it is designed to your liking and you're proud to call it bonsai.
Why are you bustin my chops?
Do you hate women?
Wtf
The quieter you are- the more you can hear.

Lmfao my girlfriend couldn't stop laughing when she read that, it has nothing to do with you being a women, I personally don't like when people don't care for a species and try to get others to not like them as well. I have willow leaf, retusa, microcarpa, orientalis, Benjamina, and the dreaded ginseng and guess what I like them all. When I don't like a variety of tree I just don't look at the thread, I don't say oh that's not really good material.