My first bonsai willow leaf ficus

mcmcderm

This is my first bonsai its a willow leaf...just wondering what you think
I also wanted to know if there's any way to induce aerial roots. Thanks

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Sailor_Jerry

Nice little tree, I love ficus.


As for aerial roots, the answer's here somewhere, it came up recently. Try searching "aerial roots".

GrumbleGuts

depending on the tree, you can sometimes induce aerial roots by keeping the air around the plant humid, constant spraying and the like, or more reliably, you can wrap some moist peat moss around the branch or trunk where you want the roots to grow and seal it in plastic wrap until it starts to shoot roots. Then you can put them in a straw to direct their growth direction.

__________________
When I battle with water bombs I freeze them first.

kingkong

Ok, excuse me.....load explosion of air sounds, now that my nasal passages are clear we can continue. This plant is set up perfectly for a ficus 'cloud' look which in my opinion is the best looking style. So it's all oars in the water and ram speed. In order to achieve all your goals I would plant this ficus in a shallow 4 inch trey or tray. Put the tree in a tray now in a well drained soil and grow all those lateral branches outwards. Keep the apex shoot growing skyward until later date. DO NOT remove any of those branches if you now what's good for you. As the tree shades its inner core, conditions will become favorable for the much sought after aerial roots. As regular under soil roots spread...branches spread and visa versa. Age will also be important so I hope you are young.

___snorty, age 55 caveman years

mcmcderm

thanks caveman yep I'm only 18 so i can wait a while

kingkong

You should have a nice tree when your 35 or so. Read and experiment for now and you should have one good bonsai some day.
Here is the 'look' to work towards. Nice design for ficus start.
___caveman

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Sailor_Jerry

Here's another to look at , MC.


This tree's a ficus bejamina, about 10-15 years old I think.
My next move is exactly what Kong recommnends, develop a more widely spread canopy. I plan to use small weights if I can get away with it.

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kingkong

Very nice material to work with Jerry. I use plastic grow trays because of size and I drill holes every 2 inches around the perimiter to secure wire to while we start dogging down branches. Easy does it but they will not grow horizontally on there own. You got to force that upon their will.

Sailor_Jerry

Thanks, Kong, I really like it!

The garden center I frequent had it reduced to $60 last year and I couldn't pass it up.

I hear yah about encouraging lateral growth. I think it's a great look, and seems to be common in old bayan figs, but I guess the limbs in bonsai lack the weight for it to happen naturally.

How well do trained limbs retain their new shape? Do they tend to spring back and need re-working, or do they tend to adapt quickly? Thanks for any info.

MC: sorry to hijack your thread, I'll quit now!