Progression of a Willow Leaf Ficus

Hi everyone,


I thought I would share the progression of a Willow Leaf Ficus that I've had since October of 2011. I bought it from an online site down in Florida. It has a base of about 3 inches and, at the time, stood about two feet tall.

Here it is when it arrived:




I then cut one of the two trunks/branches:


It backbudded pretty well:


So I took one trunk/branch all the way off:


It backbudded once again and kept on growing:

Then I cut back to a selected leader and did a little wiring:


And here we are as of today, growing and backbudding like a weed:




Comments welcome. I'll be sure to keep updating this thread as the tree grows.

You should wire that lower branch differently, it's at a right angle to both the pot and and the new leader.

PeacefulAres wrote:You should wire that lower branch differently, it's at a right angle to both the pot and and the new leader.

Good point, how do you suggest it should be wired? At a downward angle?

Then again, what is so bad about the right angle created? Is it something frowned upon in bonsai? Just curious.

Ryan wrote:Then again, what is so bad about the right angle created? Is it something frowned upon in bonsai? Just curious.

Well, in bonsai one of our goals can be a look of age, aged branches tend to droop some with age, much like our body parts, it also needs movement.

BTW, I think this is an '89.

Billy M. Rhodes wrote:

Ryan wrote:Then again, what is so bad about the right angle created? Is it something frowned upon in bonsai? Just curious.

Well, in bonsai one of our goals can be a look of age, aged branches tend to droop some with age, much like our body parts, it also needs movement.

BTW, I think this is an '89.

LOL, "much like our body parts."

I was thinking about wiring at more of a downward angle, would that work better? Or would wiring the branches downward be too "pine" like?

I don't believe this is an '89. I've compared this ones leaves with my '89, and I can tell there is a difference.

Ryan wrote:

PeacefulAres wrote:You should wire that lower branch differently, it's at a right angle to both the pot and and the new leader.

Good point, how do you suggest it should be wired? At a downward angle?

I'm a novice, but personally, I prefer trees that are styled in the the informal broom style. I'd wire those branches to form additional trunks, and put a bit of a kink in the new leader, so it isn't so straight. That's just my opinion.

How about more downward?

Update pictures, plenty of branch options to choose from:

Typical of the variety. Where are you keeping it? Keep it thinned, don't make it waste energy on stuff you know you don't want.

Don't mist, water the soil when the tree gets dry.

Billy M. Rhodes wrote:Typical of the variety. Where are you keeping it? Keep it thinned, don't make it waste energy on stuff you know you don't want.

Don't mist, water the soil when the tree gets dry.

Thanks Billy. I've got it in a greenhouse inside under some T5 lights. It's been growing like a weed. I don't mist, I just did for the picture. I like the redder bark.

All mine are outside in full Florida sun.

Billy M. Rhodes wrote:All mine are outside in full Florida sun.

Lucky you

Ryan,
Greetings from a Virginia neighbor. Do you have space or access to put any of your tropicals outside during the summer? I've followed a number of your threads with interest, and your indoor setups are much more sophisticated than mine, but it is going to be a long hot summer and that is just what these guys love. I think you'll find that your development will accelerate dramatically if you can manage some full sun.

Keep up the good work,
David

edit: If all that growth between the last sets of pictures was really in just 10 days, I may have to eat my words. It still wouldn't hurt to try some well rooted cuttings out for the summer to compare growth rates. Live long, Bonsai short and prosper

MrFancyPlants wrote:Ryan,
Greetings from a Virginia neighbor. Do you have space or access to put any of your tropicals outside during the summer? I've followed a number of your threads with interest, and your indoor setups are much more sophisticated than mine, but it is going to be a long hot summer and that is just what these guys love. I think you'll find that your development will accelerate dramatically if you can manage some full sun.

Keep up the good work,
David

edit: If all that growth between the last sets of pictures was really in just 10 days, I may have to eat my words. It still wouldn't hurt to try some well rooted cuttings out for the summer to compare growth rates. Live long, Bonsai short and prosper

Thanks David!

I do have a spot outdoors, but I prefer to just leave 'em inside. It's hot and humid outside, but where I have them it is also hot and humid Temps inside the enclosures are low to mid 90s with humidity levels at 99% (that's what the hygrometers tell me, at least).

I find I pay more attention to the trees if I keep them indoors, and it keeps them safe from storms like the one we had Friday! That was an awful storm, hope you and your trees all made it through safely!

Oh and yes, the growth shown between the set of pictures is really from just 10 days. I've got that guy under a 4 foot 4 bulb T5 and the new growth is always bright red, a sign of high light.

Hi Ryan

Your tree looks nice...I would like to see from the backside.

Kind regards Yvonne

Yvonne Graubaek wrote:Hi Ryan

Your tree looks nice...I would like to see from the backside.

Kind regards Yvonne

Thank you Yvonne. There isn't much to the backside, just lots of growth, so you can't quite tell what it looks like back there.




Another front shot:

Hi Ryan

It is a really nice tree you have here. Have you thought about loosing theese two branches, to give a better look at the trunk in the front?



Kind regards Yvonne

Yvonne Graubaek wrote:Hi Ryan

It is a really nice tree you have here. Have you thought about loosing theese two branches, to give a better look at the trunk in the front?



Kind regards Yvonne

Thank you Yvonne! I haven't really been paying attention to the growth, just letting it get really healthy again before I did any more cutting on it. I do like your idea though, and I will probably end up doing that, thanks!

This tree today:

Nice progress. I think this is my favorite of your trees so far. I see this going a bit broomier as it fills out.