Buying my first Ficus

Charlie Farley

I was going to take a stroll down to the Sunday market this weekend to look at some trees.

Perhaps if they have something decent I may even buy one.

I would be looking for an indoor tree, to train for a few years before creating a Bonsai.

From reading previous posts it would seem that a Ficus might be a suitable choice for a beginner, being somewhat easy to look after.

So when buying a Ficus, what should I look for, and what should I not be distracted by?

My thoughts are.....

*SIZE the tree should be small enough to grow into the training pot that I have for it, the pot is 11"w by 10" deep, what size tree would I be looking for...1-2 feet?

*TRUNK needs a taper, not to be too thin, I was thinking of a trunk that curves close to the ground, I thought this might be good to grow some aerial roots from to give an impression of girth lower down, am I on the right track?

*BRANCHES & FOLIAGE Should I look for anything in particular other than healthy foliage.

Any pointers...?

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Carl_Bergstrom

Charlie,

You're definitely on the right track. I'd add one crucial factor to your list: the nebari, or surface-root spread, of the tree.

Look for a tree with a nice roughly symmetrical nebari, with roots of relatively similar sizes radiating out on all sides of the tree. Having a major root coming out from well above the others, or having a tangled mess of overlapping roots, or having roots only on one side of the trunk, would all be considered serious defects and are among the hardest aspects to correct.

When you're looking at nursery stock trees, don't be embarrassed to look closely, or even to push aside the soil around the trunk if necessary to see what the rootage looks like. If there are problems, better to figure that out before you buy the tree than once you get it home.

-Old Mister

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Jay

In addition, there are several hundred types of Ficus. You do not want a Ficus benjamina... you would prefer to get a Ficus retusa or a Ficus nerifolila or a ficus too little these types are better for Bonsai.... there may be other types but the benjamina is difficult.

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TreeBay

Difficult to grow, style or look at? I don't think it's too tough. Wouldn't be among the most popular houseplants if it were.

Regards,

Matt

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Earl

My "bible" , Bonsai in your Home" by Paul Lesniewicz says about Benjamina "As with most Ficus species, they tolerate an indoor climate well throughout the year and are easy to shape into beautiful bonsai forms. ...it can even be kept near or above a radiator or on a warm windowsill, because it loves having 'warm feet.' ...The plant deos well outside by mid spring (above 16c) in full sunlight or partial shade."

Jay

Charlie, listen to the words of others....Matt for one is FAR more knowledgeable than I. But I do know that Benj. do not take well to drastic trunk chops or to total removal of leaves. As for it use as a Bonsai.... I must stand corrected......

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Think before you act... then think again... no good comes from rushing

TreeBay

Taking into account, of course, that "full sunlight" in England is called "partly cloudy" in the rest of the civilised world, except maybe Seattle where it's probably about the same

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Carl_Bergstrom

Just a short post, because there's not a cloud in the vast blue sky here in Seattle and I'd rather be outside with my trees...

For the sake of being contrary (and also because I believe it) I'm with Jay on this one - I find that nerifolia is really a nicer ficus species for bonsai. I much prefer the shape and size of the its leaves. That said, I should also admit that despite having a couple of them, I'm really not a big fan of ficus bonsai. So one should probably take my opinions with a grain of salt.

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Tony

Well there's trunk chops, then there's trunk chops. In my experience the benjamina doesn't do well with dead heading the tree, [cutting below all the foliage]. Sometimes they backbud sometimes they don't, 50/50 chance I'd say. Although chopping to an existing branch doesn't seem to be a problem. Leaf size seems to be unpredictable too.

Charlie, my best advice is to be very particular when choosing nursery stock for bonsai. All of the above info on nebari, trunk line and taper is correct and if you don't find one with the right qualities move on to a new nursery. You may have to look through hundreds [literally] to find one suitable for bonsai. When I first started I'd drag home every God forsaken thing from the nusery that looked "different" thinking I could eventually make it into good bonsai. Take it from me, it's not worth the trouble or time. You can grow your own material from seeds or cuttings quicker that you can correct the problems with most nursery stock.

Tony