Is this ficus worth keeping?

subnet_rx

Just got a ficus from a local nursery. I don't know if it was intended to be a bonsai, it didn't say anything about that on the tag, but it seemed to look like a good candidate to me. I'd like to get opinions here about the shape of the tree. It's supposed to be a ficus ginseng, but didn't look like the bulbous root versions that I'm used to seeing. Also, the tag says it's hand-grafted. What does that mean?

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treebeard55

Looks to me like a tree that could become a good bonsai, but will need some time and work.

The biggest issue I see is lack of trunk taper. Unless you want to make a bunjin out of it -- and Ficus grow too fast to make good bunjin, IMO -- you need to correct that. Best ways I know are, 1) encourage low sacrifice branches, and 2) put it in a larger pot for a couple of years and feed it well.

On your side is the fact that figs are fast growers.

"Hand-grafted" apparently means the trunk was grafted onto a rootstock of another species. But that surprises me. To my knowledge, grafting isn't used much with Ficus; much more common with pines, for example. But I could be wrong. Anyone else more familiar with grafting of Ficus?

__________________
Treebeard 55

"To do bunjin is easy. However, to do a bunjin masterpiece is difficult." -- Susumu Nakamura, at MBS '07

subnet_rx

Trunk taper. Hmm, well, I've read several articles on pruning, but most just brush over it. I've already got one book "101 Bonsai Tips" coming, but might have to order another if it doesn't going into good detail about pruning. I'm kind of in the dark about the best methods to use and what I should do to get the shape that I want, which is pretty much a broom style with a nice-sized trunk.

bubbafrga

if you looking at purchasing books...the best one that I had / have when I first started was Harry Tomlinson's BONASI. I still reference its A-Z Bonsai Species chapter. It's a good book for starting out.........I have a couple of MALLASI that have been given to me as gifts that look like this plant...they do grow very fast. Its a ficus but not sure of kind.

Best of luck with it.

bisjoe

Ficus grafting is as not often done to put a variety on the roots of a different one, but more to add branches where they were needed. I guess "Hand grafted" sounds like it should fetch a better price. There are tools that make for easier grafting but have never seen a machine that does it all.

lagunamadre

To answer your question, sure, it's worth keeping. Judging from the specks on the bark, and the leaves, I'd say it's a ficus retusa. Just my opinion ,but if you're set on a broom style, you might do better with a tree that grows that way naturally, like a Zelkova. A more natural way to train your ficus would be banyan style, with horizontal branches and eventual aerial roots.
Whatever you decide, it needs to be slip potted into a, say 9x12" collander type pot, about 3" deep, to give it room to grow. Pick a few branches to keep and wire them per your design, and let them grow freely to thicken up. Have fun, Larry

eeiko321

nice intresting trunk bend and roots......

just needs smaller leaves and it will look nicer

subnet_rx

Thanks for the comments. I do think it's a tiger bark retusa after looking around. With some of the close-up pictures I've seen of the tiger bark, mine looks exactly the same. I am thinking of getting another tree, maybe a dwarf jade to get the classic broom style look.

Also, thanks for the pot advice, I've been trying to decide what it should go in. I want to leave plenty of room to grow for now, because from what I've read, I should let it go for at least a year before I start training it.

As for the leaves, I'm giving it as much light as I can through window sunlight and florescent at night. I am just not in the position to put them outside right now, maybe after I move in a year or two. I'm told I'm supposed to defoliate it to get the leaves even smaller, but I'm going to wait to do that after it's acclimated to the new environment and I've read a bit more about the practice.

lagunamadre

Hi Sub. Cutting all the leaves off of a tree in hopes of smaller ones comming back is absolutely the LAST thing to do now. You want it to grow-grow-grow, and a bigger pot will help. At this point, it needs thicker branches, and any trimming at all will make that goal take so much longer. Patience is the key. Take one step at a time. Think branches for now, and later on, branch ramification. The bonsai will come in good time. Larry