Tiger bark

Bonsaihead

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So I purchased this tiger bark about a month and a half ago. When I purchased it the guy told me it was a tiger bark/Micocarpa but when I search for tiger bark it to learn about it, it comes up as a retusa. Trying to understand what it exactly is so I know I'm learning the correct info. IMAG0252.jpg IMAG0254.jpg IMAG0256.jpg when I received it in the mail the pot was broken and after two or three days after it started to drop leafs and probably ended up losing about 40% of its foliage and seems this branch bit the dust as well.IMAG0253.jpgI'm sure it just went into shock and partially defoliated. since then it's recovered and has replaced probably half the leaves it lost but still is dropping one to two leaves a day, any reason to be concerned? It's in good mix. It stays outside but unfortunately the only place I have to keep it really takes a hit in terms of sunlight during the shorter days. Roughly three to four hours of direct light. Gets watered before it drys out and don't keep it soaked.

If all is well I would like to know should I go ahead and wire the secondary branches now and let them grow in the spring or let them grow this spring and then wire? Would also hear some input from the Picassos on what you would do interms of direction, leave the foundation and keep working it the path that it's headed or do something drastic? Thank you in advance!
 

Bonsaihead

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So anybody got any advice on wiring now or waiting and path ideas on a direction or something that needs to be corrected for the tree to look convincing
 

barrosinc

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Ficus usually drop leaves when changing environmental conditions
 

sorce

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If all is well

but still is dropping one to two leaves a day,

should I go ahead and wire the secondary branches

full circle
?

You're In Florida ?
It won't be long till you're good to go!

The shape it's heading in looks great!

I'd let it grow till midsummer then take it back rather hard for taper and more fine branching.

Nice base!

Sorce
 

GSCarlson

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Maybe it is the camera angle, but the first branch looks disproportionally large. I would air-layer it off.
 

Bonsaihead

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?

You're In Florida ?
It won't be long till you're good to go!

The shape it's heading in looks great!

I'd let it grow till midsummer then take it back rather hard for taper and more fine branching.

Nice base!

Sorce
Yup in Daytona beach. Pretty much what I planned to do. Just letting it grow other then wiring it up. Thanks for your opinion and advise!
 

Bonsaihead

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Maybe it is the camera angle, but the first branch looks disproportionally large. I would air-layer it off.
You know, that's honestly something I've been tossing around. It's not that disproportionate other then a large knot from a branch that was removed before I got it that makes it look that way.IMAG0257.jpg do you think that it's something I could get in there and dig out to correct?
 

Bonsai Nut

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@Bonsaihead
The debate between retusa and microcarpa is what I was talking about in your other thread when I said the "taxonomy gestapo" is coming for @Bonsai Nut

I refer to ginseng as retusa... but I don't want the gestapo after me :) It's a ficus :) Keep it alive and then name it after someone on the site :)
 
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It is still a bit heavy even without the knot although you could carve it down. Personally, I wouldn't air layer it off, but I would take a big cutting. I would cut it flush to the trunk with out going concave as ficus don't seem to cover concave cuts as well for whatever reason. Then I would whittle the bark off of the cut branch to place the future transition from roots to trunk right where you want them. i.e if there is a swelling due to an old wound, you can cut around the swelling at a pleasing angle to generate instant taper. I leave as much wood as possible below the new base as an anchor and then place the branch in a cup of water with some long spaghnum moss (like for orchids) and refill with water as needed. You'll be suprised how quick the water fills with roots, esp. in Florida.

edit: ah the lump is on your leader not your first branch. Yeah you can carve it down, but not out. ficus don't fill hollows easily, but it will cover it up if it is flat eventually. Do it in stages. Flatten out one side and let it cover up and then flatten out the remaining bit of the lump later.
 
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Bonsaihead

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Interesting comments... So I guess yeah it is the new main leader and would be pretty open and hollow looking if it was removed. Interesting side note, It looks like the original main leader was bent to the right and is now the right branch. So I guess I will just carve it down. When you say "flatten out" do you mean round it off to match the rest of the branch? If so with out digging out too much would you recommend leaving it slightly smaller then the rest of the branch? (Like half of a millimeter)
 
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I think just flatten so that it matches the contour of the branch. I'll post a picture(later) of a Ficus b. that I treated this way and you can be the judge.
 

Bonsaihead

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Interesting and I like it but do you think going that direction would have a big enough pay off to make it worth losing the development of the branching? Like I feel like the tree would gain one cool point but lose two development points...
 

f1pt4

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Interesting and I like it but do you think going that direction would have a big enough pay off to make it worth losing the development of the branching? Like I feel like the tree would gain one cool point but lose two development points...

You can always root those cuttings, easy peasy, and then eventually you'll be gaining some points, or trees, or tiger bark tinkering things.

You're in Florida, so these should just grow like mad.

Give it sun, water, food and humidity, and you'll see how well they grow.

After it recovers, and starts vigorously growing again, I'd repot it.
 
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