The starter Ficus repository!

Forrestford

Shohin
Messages
377
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708
Location
Western CT
USDA Zone
6b
Aren't both in the USA?
I don’t think so, he said he paid 25$ for the tree but international shipping fees were high. I’ve thought about tryin it. The tropiclas they can grow in Indonesia, Thailand etc. are incredible. And Here I am trying to force aerial roots with no avail
 

Cattwooduk

Shohin
Messages
496
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694
Location
Bristol, UK
I rescued this fused benjamina from the lobby area at work a couple of years ago. It was placed between two sets of automatic sliding doors so during the winter it was constantly blasted by icy wind and had practically died. I took it home and cut away all the dead stuff which was about 3/4 of the plant. Past couple of years it has greened up nicely and is pretty healthy, only problem is that almost all the growth is at the ends of super long branches although there are a good amount of lower secondary branches as well. The roots were crap as well but all I had at the time was general organic compost and a garden pot.

I'm torn between leaving it as a pretty cool generic house pot plant as I like the height, or giving it the bonsai chop! I've read that benjamina don't really appreciate hard pruning and won't back-bud, and rather just kill off the branch instead.

Is there any way to stimulate budding lower down at all or shall I just leave this guy alone now he's narrowly escaped death? I'm going to re-pot it into a shallower pot with better soil either way just so it looks a bit nicer and should be healthier for it.

Oh and the pebbles were my attempt to stop the cat squatting on the side of the pot and peeing when she can't be bothered to go outside...

Apologies for the crap lighting I was just about to head out when I took it!
20190130_143218.jpg20190130_143014.jpg
 

defra

Masterpiece
Messages
3,237
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5,991
Location
The netherlands Zone 8b
USDA Zone
8b
My Ficus did great indoors in my aquarium with led build in now some more time before its allowed to go outsider again :)
 

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Anthony

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,290
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8,388
Location
West Indies [ Caribbean ]
USDA Zone
13
Latest image - 4 / 4 / 2019
Ficus b.

soil is 9 parts 5 mm inorganic - 1 part organic
Thus far mix and 1/3 strength Lawn Fertiliser Miracle Gro keeps the
tree lush.

Wounds heal a few mm every year.

Trying to place branchlets at optimum points and as many as can be had.
Soil is controlling the tendancy to rapidly trunk thicken.

Over thickened at the middle/top section. Carved and waiting for the
lower section to catch up.

ficus b2.JPG

Apologies - camera has but one eye.
Flattens 3d.

Branch close-up

ficus.JPG
 

Carol 83

Flower Girl
Messages
11,120
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27,114
Location
IL
My brother gave me this Wal-mart beauty, complete with the glued on rocks in 2016. I just cut it back and stuck it in a deep flower pot. This summer the pot got knocked over and broke. So I got out a saw and sawed off as much of the tuberous roots as I could without harming the aerial roots. Still nothing much, but somewhat better. new ficus.jpgficus.jpg
 

StoneCloud

Omono
Messages
1,314
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1,917
Location
North Carolina
USDA Zone
7b
You can only pass a Ficus prisoner at Wally World so many times before you have to make a change!

I don't buy lotto tickets, but I will take a $12.97 gamble on what a ficus might be hiding any day!!!! :cool:

The Glued rocks were removed with a mallsai jack hammer prior to this picture.

20200210_100648.jpg

Check out that strangler root!!! Haha, it will become a cutting that maybe will make a grotesque tree one day.

For now it's getting paired with a cheap pot I've had sitting around for a while. I got this one from Dennis at the Bonsai Shop in Ft. Lauderdale

20200210_100750.jpg


20200210_102647_1581952383497.jpg

Some alive, Mostly dead rotted roots though as expected. But....it's still alive!!!

I combed out the roots and got rid of as much of that gunk as possible.

Then I took some off the top:

20200210_124925.jpg


Here is the result of temptation and winter boredom:

20200212_234605.jpg


I worked on this tree a little over a week ago, still kicking and no leaf drop! Love it!!
 
Messages
20
Reaction score
29
Location
SE UK
USDA Zone
9a
Thought I'd dump my starter Ficus Microcarpa/Retusa here instead of starting a new thread. Bought May 2021 for something to play with, while everything else grew.
Tips very welcome.
Excuse the lighting on the last few, it was dark so had to use the flash.

IMG20210418082833.jpgOriginal - After a new pot (This pot, I plan on changing in the future, it's all I had other than those deeper blue things)

IMG20210608183813.jpg Some Progress same year.

IMG20220210102703.jpgMore wiring recently, I quite like the "flat pad" look, but still not sure.

IMG20220210102940.jpg Some top view, as with most of these mass-produced Asian things, not much 3D movement.

IMG20220210102736.jpgWill probably stick it in this pot eventually. It might need a few years in a wider container to produce some nice nebari?

ficus-shop1.jpgPossibly a classic S-shape pine style like this, or is that a bit ridiculous for this?

Any thoughts much appreciated.

Also, the sphagnum moss thing, that does work right? Was hoping they would get fat and start fusing in a few years. Noticed some small new roots there when I re-dressed it. I might try even more exposed root or maybe get them over a rock...

Cheers.
 

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Linn01

Mame
Messages
202
Reaction score
245
Location
Belgium
USDA Zone
8b
So lately there have been a few starter Ficus turning up on the forum and they are a great species for not only beginners but all of us. They are often one of the first trees that you will buy when starting out, I know I got one as my second tree.
With that in mind I thought it might be a good idea to have an ongoing thread specifically for our Ficus to show off how they started out and what work that has been done to them, kind of like an evolution of the mallsai thing.

And also it might be a good thread for us beginners to ask questions that you otherwise might not of asked if it meant you had to start a thread of your own.

It will only work if we all chip in and I hope that others do too as it could be a nice resource to have.
Anyway, I'll get it started, I'm not fraid. :D

So here are a few of mine, the first I got over a year ago and really this is the tree that inspired this idea. It hasn't really missed a beat. I have for the most part left it alone after an initial repot and tried my best to dig the rusted stainless steel from the trunk.
Soon I am going to defoliate it and have a good look at what is under the canopy for a clear out, I will update here once do it.

d-jpg.88608


Next up is another Retusa, recently purchased. Much smaller and I probably should get it out of the muck soil it is in.
View attachment 143397

And what Ficus thread would be complete without one of these?
img_1112-jpg.129765


I have not done work really on any of these so it will be interesting to see how they end up, maybe some chopping and growing is in order.

So c'mon, lets see yours if you dare, before and after pics are cool too as it should show you just what can be achieved with starter material.
Completely OT but....First u have a pic with a beer of outstanding quality, and then you come up with this can of horse piss, I cannot focus on the trees as I should that way... Sorry for the useless rant.
 

SerSwanky

Yamadori
Messages
82
Reaction score
28
Location
Spokane, Washington
USDA Zone
6b
Ficuses unite!

F.benj has been my first plant/tree/bonsai after I got super stoked about bonsai randomly one day. But after getting it and doing a ton of research watching videos and reading articles on soils, pruning, wiring, repotting etc etc I realize I still don’t know where to even start styling this clump.

Long story regarding the uneven soil, the bad soil, exposed feeder roots etc can be found here: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/repotting-soil-rookie-mistake.54256/#post-940826

But regarding the tree clump styling I really don’t even know where to start and was hoping for some inspiration/ideas. I haven’t pruned it at all, I cut back the roots a bit in January of 2022 when I potted it but that’s been it. I’m not really a fan of the entertwined trunks or the S style trunks so I’m not sure what other options I have. I had a hard time finding comparable photos online. If I wire it I’m just not sure where to angle each trunk to give it some movement. The seventh photo from the left has the most developed branches, the rest are currently trunks with leaves. Any styling ideas or recommendations?
 

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Messages
20
Reaction score
29
Location
SE UK
USDA Zone
9a
Ficuses unite!

F.benj has been my first plant/tree/bonsai after I got super stoked about bonsai randomly one day. But after getting it and doing a ton of research watching videos and reading articles on soils, pruning, wiring, repotting etc etc I realize I still don’t know where to even start styling this clump.

Long story regarding the uneven soil, the bad soil, exposed feeder roots etc can be found here: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/repotting-soil-rookie-mistake.54256/#post-940826

But regarding the tree clump styling I really don’t even know where to start and was hoping for some inspiration/ideas. I haven’t pruned it at all, I cut back the roots a bit in January of 2022 when I potted it but that’s been it. I’m not really a fan of the entertwined trunks or the S style trunks so I’m not sure what other options I have. I had a hard time finding comparable photos online. If I wire it I’m just not sure where to angle each trunk to give it some movement. The seventh photo from the left has the most developed branches, the rest are currently trunks with leaves. Any styling ideas or recommendations?
Personally, I would wire out the tranks in a nice fan and then just let it grow for a few years to thicken. Maybe even pot up into a larger container if you want to speed up that process.
 
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