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24-Aug-2005
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#1 |
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bonsaiTALK Artisan
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Help my mallsai!
So I was thinking, how do I style this tree? I thought, 'Jin!!! Yes, jin right down the side, oh how beautiful you would be my little ficus'. Days pass, same tree, now I'm thinking 'A trunk chop, right below the knot. I could fill it out, work a branch up as a leader. What a wonderful thing it would be'.
Long story short, I'm torn...and here I am AGAIN, asking for help. Give me your input. What do you think I should do? I'm planning on putting it in a training pot next season and then working on it so, I've got some time. The pic on the left is the "front" of the tree and the other is the back.
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24-Aug-2005
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#2 |
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The Cat's Apprentice
 
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Yo dude
Before you start cutting anything, this tree needs to gain some strength. It looks like it may be over-watered. Do you let the soil dry out between waterings? And give it as much light as possible. pootsie |
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24-Aug-2005
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#3 | |
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bonsaiTALK Artisan
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Quote:
More light...got it.
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Hobby?! It's more like a bad habit. |
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24-Aug-2005
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#4 | |
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The Cat's Apprentice
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Quote:
Have you been pruning for a particular design? I wil admit, when I first started this bonsai thing, I cut because, well, isn't that what you are supposed to do? But then I found I was cutting for the sake of cutting. Prune with a purpose, young grashopper.  pootsie Last edited by pootsie : 24-Aug-2005 at 04:28 PM. Reason: hrorilbe spleling |
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24-Aug-2005
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#5 |
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Always learning
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John,
Pootsie has made some really good points...all of which I could endorse. But, you said something about "jin". To me jin and/or shari don't go well with ficus trees. The reason being is that the wood is very soft compared to buttonwood, juniper, pines, and all the other trees you most commonly see deadwood featured. If you were to jin/shari this little guy the wood would rot in no time flat.  Sorry to burst any hopes you had for some jin and shari work....Best Always, Ryan
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"If God meant for us to run around naked, we would have been born that way!" ----a Quote from my uncle's fridge |
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24-Aug-2005
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#6 |
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bonsaiTALK Artisan
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Yes, master-son. I prune for ramification, thinking broom style. I'm trying to convince the tree it needs some branches a bit lower in order to get closer to where I was thinking of doing the jin. I was hoping to fill it out for a season or two prior to doing any intensive work on it.
Okay, so it's obviously a mallsai. I really see some potential for this tree, I don't think it will ever be show quality, but it sure does like to grow and it's something nice to train on. I've actually learned alot with this little tree. Help me style it pootsie. Give me guidance, oh master 'o bonsai.
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24-Aug-2005
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#7 | |
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bonsaiTALK Artisan
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Quote:
Kinda why I asked. You don't really see alot of tropical trees with shari/jin on them. Deadwood is more suited to pines etc. Thanks for your input. No bubbles bursting here...that's why I'm asking. What do you think of chopping the trunk right below the knot?
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Hobby?! It's more like a bad habit. |
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24-Aug-2005
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#8 |
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Always learning
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I am by no means an expert with ficus, I'll leave the final answers to those who are "in the know". But, I don't think you would have a problem with it back-budding if you were to chop...but then again wait for someone who has experience with this particular variety of ficus.
If you are using this plant as practice, go at it! but I don't do trunk chops unless the material I am working on has really, really, ridiculously good nebari. Other wise I won't waste my time. No what I mean? Ryan
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"If God meant for us to run around naked, we would have been born that way!" ----a Quote from my uncle's fridge |
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24-Aug-2005
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#9 |
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bonsaiTALK Artisan
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Nebari, I'm diggin it or as the kids might put it these days...I'm feelin' ya.
As stated, it is a learning tree for me. I've not got access to anyone in my area, so I rely on you guys here alot and then just trial and error. I figure chopping a tree for the first time will definately be an experience. I've read up on the net about this and I'm fairly confident that I would get a decent broom from this tree.
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Hobby?! It's more like a bad habit. |
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25-Aug-2005
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#10 |
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bonsaiTALK ArchMaster
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"You don't really see alot of tropical trees with shari/jin on them."
That's because tropical environments rot exposed wood pretty quickly. It's not really natural on a tropical species (with some notable exceptions, like causarina and some others). Additionally, if the tree is growing like a weed, jin and shari would "fill in" with scar tissue pretty quickly. You would have to re-create, or at least re-cut, jin and shari on a ficus every year or so to keep it. Also, a lush, fast growing tree is incongruent with deadwood. A prosperous tree that can grow freely rarely has alot of deadwood on it... |
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