Ugly Ficus b. Experiment #2

I'm on a roll.

I got this ugly office tree from a co-worker. Members of another forum told me it had no character and no potential as a bonsai.

Sooooo, I have to prove them wrong!



I've pruned it back, a bunch and have started to air-layer one of the branches. I'll take a new photo tonight of the air-layering and post it tomorrow. I startred the AL about 4 weeks ago. Hopefully, within 4 to 8 more weeks, I should be able to cut it off and pot it up for stage 3.

forbey

im looking forward to some pic's i have somthing the same and was wondering after i airlayer all the branches will the tree shoot new branches lower ?

Keep us posted. This will be fun.
Jerry
www.bonsaihunk.us

Finally gor my photos downloaded. The tree is in my office and we are undergoing a major reshuffling of cubicles. The tree now sits on a ledge overlooking the building atrium. Great light.

From the original tree, I pruned it back hard. Now I am working on one branch.

I was originally concerned about the pooling water in the plastic wrapping, but I found that leaving it keeps the humidity up in the air-layering and healps keep the moss wet without being soggy.

I was wondering if it is possible to do more than one at a time; and, if I should wait until Spring or just keep doing them.

I hope to get 8 or 10 trees of various trunk thicknesses with the final tree including the nebari of the original tree.

Jay

Yes, you can do multiple layers on this one tree.
Jerry
www.bonsaihunk.us

Just make sure that the layers are all put on seperate branches, not one above each other on the trunk. Only the top one would receive any goodness from photosynthesis and the lower ones would fail.

Thanks, I'll think I'll start the other main branches once this one is removed (or I get to my new cubicle).