Two ugly ficus b.

[MrFancyPlants]

Let me start by saying that I know the pots are too small, but inside space is limited, so I have taken to repotting in the fall when I bring them in.

Here is one ficus b. I've been working on; an air layer that I've tried three times at the same terrible graft (first attempt ever). I still doubt that it has taken although there is a little swelling post union. Fortunately there are some buds going out of the same corner that I could resort to. Should I remove one or two?
Just to the left of the tack is another graft attempt in the waiting that I will try and bring up to the outside of the curve crated by the new leader.
The base could use some work if I can ever get it outside for a summer escape...

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Update. It is putting on pretty good growth for the winter , but it didn't seem to like the LED aquarium as much as the smaller plants, so I put him under the t5 for a while. I am looking forward to letting him escape for a pond basket over the summer and was wondering if I should a attempt a graft soon or wait for summer outdoors?

 

[KennedyMarx]

I would wait until summer when you know it's going to grow quickly. I feel like it's more risky trying to graft when the tree is growing slowly.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

That was my instinct too. Thanks for the input.

 

[Ross]

Hi there,
If you have to have your bonsai indoors, this is a good type to play with, but the size of the leaves suggest that it's not getting enough light to grow to its full potential. To increase the chances of successful grafting, I would give it more light. Also, the soil looks pretty dry, and there's no hint of aerial roots, so to me that means that you could really step it up on the watering and humidity levels. The trade-off is that you will also need an increase in airflow, so maybe a small fan or something. The soil components look good, but the particle sizes are very different. In an ideal mix, all the components should be about the same size, which means you might have to crush your lava a little smaller so that it's about the same size as the Turface bits. The easiest thing you can do to help the health of that plant is to yank those little weeds out of the pot because right now their roots are competing with the ficus roots for moisture and space in the pot. Once you get the plant as healthy as you can and growing like gangbusters, then you should be able to graft it, airlayer it...whatever. Summer in VA would be the best time to do any repotting/grafting/airlayering/styling etc...but get the basics under control first and it will make it much easier. Trying to grow a tropical plant in Virginia is an uphill battle, but it is possible given the proper set-up. Keep working at it though, and maybe look back at some of Redwood Ryan's posts on here to see all the work he's done on enclosure's and the results he's had. Good luck.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I must have thrown this soil mix together a while ago because I have a good supply of crushed lava now. It was a bit pricey for dirt, but it didn't break the bank. Someone on ibc said you could run over a bag of landscaping lava w your car to break it up, but bag breaks before rock; I was left with a precious few particles even in the ball park of a granular soil. I've always been surprised at how long we'll draining soil can hold moisture even when it appears dry on the surface. That is why I also like to give my plants a little company of liverworts(?). I can watch for signs of wilting on the tender plants first, for the greater health of the subject. I've pruned off a few air roots in the wrong places back when it was in the tank, but I don't think the design requires any at this point. Especially since the air roots tended to spring up from where I am trying to graft to.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

So I bit the bullet and attempted the branch graft today. I have a good feeling about it. I had to wait an extra month because I accidentally chemically defoliated the entire tree by fertilizing drunk. Fortunately it sprung back quickly and had regained a full head of hair. I used the sharp grafting knife that I was gifted and then pinned it in place with a push pin. The trunk was tougher than I imagined so I used vice grips to firmly set the pin into the branch into the trunk. It had a snug satisfying firmness.

 

[KennedyMarx]

Good luck on the graft. I haven't done any grafts on my ficus in training, but they're supposed to take pretty easily.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

This guy recovered pretty well with growth over the summer, but I don't think my graft took putting me at 0 for 3 with grafting. Summer is running short; Should I:

give it more time

Carve a much bigger channel to put the branch in

Try again but use sealant or wax (preferably a household substitute)




I was hoping to be wiring and styling at this point as some of the growth is getting too leggy and say from the trunk... I know, what was I expecting from ugly Betty benjamina? ... A good learning experience.

 

[KennedyMarx]

I don't have any advice for the graft, but I would go ahead and wire some initial movement into the branching you have already. It will help set the shape a bit before it gets two thick to alter. Wiring the branches would also let more light into the interior and maybe cause some backbudding.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I apologies for double posting on IBC, but I was really hoping for another opinion or six about how to proceed with this graft attempt. I am not sure if it has taken and even if it has, is it too thick to be a believable union any time soon. However, it is on the back, and I would rather have a one sided tree than have to wait another two years for the branch. So I was thinking of crossing my fingers and taking a dremel to the source of the graft branch. If it lives I'll try and work with it and I it doesn't I can at least start healing the wound and grow out another approach. I might even try a thread since the first few approaches haven't worked out for me. Then it comes back to timing. I wish I had taken it out of the pond basket as soon as I brought it in this fall, so that I wouldn't have any competing priorities with it, but the basket takes up too much room inside and dries out too quick.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

No opinions or suggestions on this graft attempt? Maybe I'll give the "van meer" technique a shot on any resulting wounds from separation.