Ficus benjamina questions

Hello everyone!

I have the opportunity to buy a couple 8ft tall Ficus Benjamina with a 4-5" trunks. They seem to be healthy as far as I can see.
The question I have for anyone with some experience on this specie:

If I get them, I will need to chop them down really hard (maybe a foot or so) to add some movement and a little more taper to the trunk, would it be safe for the tree to take such a drastic change?
Now if I do chop them down, do I need to leave a leader or will buds start popping out from around the cut?

I haven't had much luck chopping them without leaving live growth. Id suggest passing on them if your thinking about making bonsai's from them. Unless you airlayer the tops, that might work.

My BIG Benjamina is, or rather was, one such as what you have pictured, I keep it as a mother plant for clones which I grow out and work with. It stands about 7 ft tall and has a good 5 foot wide canopy. I just keep it as a nice ornamental "tree" I occasionally get little buds that pop out from down low on the trunk, but in my heart (knowing of their need for live foliage) I have never been able to bring myself to chop it. There are sentimental factors involved too.

Benjamina are difficult/annoying bonsai subjects for many reasons, and the time spend working against all their various foibles could be better spent on more workable species. Having said that I confess to having 3 in training, the afore mentioned clone mother, and a shohin.

-Jay

What would be a better (ficus) Bonsai material? Willow Leaf perhaps?

Definitely willow leaf.

Bob, since you are local, Do you know of a good place to find some decent Willow raw material?

PM sent

I just read it.. thanks!

alonsou wrote:What would be a better (ficus) Bonsai material? Willow Leaf perhaps?

I sometimes look at my Benjaminas that I have to jump through all sorts of wierd pruning and styling hoops with and say to them "why can't you just act like a willow leaf!"

-Jay

alonsou wrote:Bob, since you are local, Do you know of a good place to find some decent Willow raw material?

Anyone in LA should go see Bob P he has the goods !

rock wrote:

alonsou wrote:Bob, since you are local, Do you know of a good place to find some decent Willow raw material?

Anyone in LA should go see Bob P he has the goods !

Isn't retusa/microcarpa available out there? Doesn't get much easier then that one.

Russell Coker wrote:Isn't retusa/microcarpa available out there? Doesn't get much easier then that one.

Sorry Russell, I have "0" experience with any Ficus, I will contact Bob Pressler one more time and ask him about this specie, last night he sent me a few pictures of some very interesting Willow-leaf, but I will totally consider Retusa/Microcarpa if its even easier (or same) to work with than Willow-Leaf.

DrGonzo, i think your the most interesting man in the world.

Alonzo, I think the microcarpa/retusas easier than willowleaf as they seem to get less leaf drop and insects yet where you live you probably leave them outside all year so that probably wouldnt be an issue. I would get both the willowleaf and the retusa as they look completely different in terms of leaves and trunk. I wouldnt waste the time with the benjamanis, I stupidly got lots of large ones of them including different cultivars when I started off, now that I realize they are not as good for bonsai Ive been stuck with them because im attached to them even though they are big, uglier, and take up lots of valuable room in the sunroom.

Russell Coker wrote:

rock wrote:

alonsou wrote:Bob, since you are local, Do you know of a good place to find some decent Willow raw material?

Anyone in LA should go see Bob P he has the goods !

Isn't retusa/microcarpa available out there? Doesn't get much easier then that one.

Thanks Rock.
They are available by the thousands, most with ruler straight trunks though. Its probably the most common hedging material used in L.A.. The best thing if you want to start your own is to start cuttings about 8-10" long and thumb size then put some movement in the trunk with wire. On e of the ones I have is a huge one that was in the landscape.

From my limited experience, I would also say that F. microcarpa is easier than F. salicaria 'Willow Leaf.' Try the tiger bark with its intriguing texture. Only don't call it retusa. That is an old error that got into the trade. F. retusa is a separate species which is probably not in cultivation.
Later on, try 'Willow Leaf.' It is quite different and makes exquisite shohin bonsai, but some of us find it more difficult.

I don't know but since we keep them out all year with only minimal protection in winter we don't seem to have problems with willow leaf. They both are easy and different enough that I'd suggest both.

Russell Coker wrote:


Isn't retusa/microcarpa available out there? Doesn't get much easier then that one.

Yes I hear you...but

do you know that word u·biq·ui·tous/
Adjective:
Present, appearing, or found everywhere: "his ubiquitous influence".

That is what its like. We just dont use it, only really seen as mailsai and swapmeetsai. Silly I think we are crazy about the willow leafer.

It reminds me of the person I read somewhere who posted they couldn't find good material, they lived in the great northwest. Well when I was up there every tom dick or harry nursery had killler little dwarf conifers all over the place we would die to grow in so cal.
Every nursery in town has ficus galore and hardly anyone uses them

I worked one down that was originally 6 feet tall. It looks rough now as I haven't been taking the best care of it, it's been attacked by bugs, and it needs a wiring. Basically all I did was air layer, which made sprouts pop down lower. I also kept it in a very humid greenhouse. Here's the tree, don't laugh:

rock wrote:

Russell Coker wrote:


Isn't retusa/microcarpa available out there? Doesn't get much easier then that one.

Yes I hear you...but

do you know that word u·biq·ui·tous/
Adjective:
Present, appearing, or found everywhere: "his ubiquitous influence".

That is what its like. We just dont use it, only really seen as mailsai and swapmeetsai. Silly I think we are crazy about the willow leafer.

It reminds me of the person I read somewhere who posted they couldn't find good material, they lived in the great northwest. Well when I was up there every tom dick or harry nursery had killler little dwarf conifers all over the place we would die to grow in so cal.
Every nursery in town has ficus galore and hardly anyone uses them

Yes, well, that's like boxwood here - but I'm sure as hell not going to let that stop me!