Ficus nerifolia info source?

Anyone have a good Ficus nerifolia information source giving soil needs/mixes, pruning roots/etc, tips, and tricks? I've looked at Bonsai4me but I didn't see the specifics I'm looking for.

I've never done Ficus bonsai and I've just ordered a small Ficus nerifolia to start on. I want to mainly grow it into a fat sumo, stumpy bugger and I need all the secrets to do the fast trunk development with it.

What kind of heat/sun can these take? All I've ever seen is the common benjamin ficus grown indoors having issues with leaf-drop due to moving it.

The rules for ficus are generally applicable to most members of the species, some want a little more light than others, take a look at this
http://www.absolutebonsai.com/ficus_bonsai

-Jay

Nowadays, you may get better results looking it up under the correct name, Ficus salicaria. It should be very happy in Texas, except it likes fairly high humidity.
Iris

I grow F. nerifolia on the Florida Space Coast. The soil is use varies sometimes I use the regular bonsai mix of 1/3 Turface, 1/3 lava or pea gravel and 1/3 Fafard Composted Pine Bark. Pea gravel makes the mix heavy in big container, lava is preferred. I use Osmocote time release fertilizer, I should repot every year but seldom make it. I defoliate in late winter. The only insects I have noticed are scale which I control by manual removal. The wood is soft and will rot if big cuts are not made so they drain.
I will be happy to answwer any specific questions.

I grow them in full sun and in winter I put the tree in a greenhouse. I try to keep the tree above 50 F when possible, although the trees will tolerate temps close to 32 F. but will be damaged by frost or freeze.

They are probably the least particular and least fussy of the (few) figs I've grown. The do tend to lose leaves when their environment changes, however.

They do fine in hot and dry Los Angeles. I just use a basic bonsai mix and keep them in almost full sun ( a little shaded on summer afternoons). They will be harmed by frost and freeze but can take cold down to just above freezing with no problems. They root easily either in water or in a typical rooting mix ie. perlite, vermiculite and sand. All in all a very easy tree. To let the trunks develop fast let it root into the ground and grow wild. I've gotten 3" diameter bases in 3-4 years from pencil size cuttings by letting the roots grow out of the pot into the ground.

rock wrote:

Bob Pressler wrote:They do fine in hot and dry Los Angeles.

Bob knows a lot about this tree. Watch him style one...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un-dZUhYwt0

I watched the video. Point one, Ficus nerifolia 89 has larger leaves not smaller.

Point two, he leaves too much foliage and too many small branches.

We would take off every leave first, then select the branches to retain, then wire.

I have watched Jim Smith of Vero Beach work with F. nerifolia many times. The particular variety was discovered by Joe Samuels in Miami in the early 1950's and developed as bonsai material by Jim Smith.

In fact that particular plant would make a great sumo.