Dale Cochoy

"With some top growth and aerial roots that tree will look ancient! Good makings for a nice Banyan, if that is where you are going with it?"

Sauce,
Top growth won't be a problem, but I've never had a benjamina drop aerial roots in Ohio. The only thing I've ever gotten aerial roots to produce/survive on are arboricola. I always tell people, "if you want arial roots in Ohio, buy a tree with aerial roots!" such as the nerifolias and G.I. ficus I have/bring home from Florida. I always get the ones with the most aerial roots because you can't get them here unless you get lucky with the straw trick.
note: If you go to the "defoliated arboricola" thread you can see several roots on mine that were straw-drop-downs.
however,
you CAN pull existing branches down to the soil, strip leaves, and root them thereby creating a faux aerial root. That works fine if you get a sucker coming off the bottom of a branch, let it extend, and pull it straight down to soil.

BTW Sauce, If you live near north Tampa YOU ARE GONNA WANT TO GO TO BSF NEXT YEAR IN GAINSVILLE on Memorial Day weekend.

__________________
________________________________
If you want to be Different....
You have to DO something Different!
__________________________________________

Some people NEVER take the time to do a job right the first time....
but, they always seem to make the time to do it over again...
____________________________________________
Dale Cochoy
Wild Things Bonsai Studio
Yakimono no Kokoro Bonsai Pottery
Hartville, Ohio