Large new Ficus sp.

[rodtheworm]

Hello folks,

A very generous person planning to leave the country has just gifted me this impressive looking Ficus, apparently about 10 years old - it's far and away the oldest and most impressive tree I own, given I'm only about five years into the hobby with a minimal budget. I think the most I've spent on a tree is £15.



I'll be taking it along to my local bonsai group for further advice later this evening, but thought I'd ask for opinions about potential routes on here too, particularly as most of mine have been outdoor trees.

There is a little discolouration of some of the leaves. Is this just residue from evaporated tap water?



The soil also looks like it needs changing at some point - normally I'd leave this until spring with the outdoor trees, but am unsure whether indoor trees follow the seasons as strictly.



I'm not going to criticise too much, though, as he's clearly kept it alive and growing well!

As always, I'm very grateful to anyone who takes the time to reply and offer any feedback. I may be relatively new and lack the funds to buy established trees, but I do hope to grow some that the next generation will want to keep working on.

 

[Maiden69]

There is a little discolouration of some of the leaves. Is this just residue from evaporated tap water?

Yes

The soil also looks like it needs changing at some point - normally I'd leave this until spring with the outdoor trees, but am unsure whether indoor trees follow the seasons as strictly.

There are no indoor trees, trees that tolerate being inside yes, but ALL trees are outdoor trees. Ficus is a tropical tree, which means no 4 seasons. Bring it inside into a place that will maintain temps above 40 F with plenty of light for at least 16 hrs a day. The hotter the better as they do not go dormant as deciduous trees do. With proper care they will grow all year round.

Also, ficus is not picky about the soil if grows into, I have mine with the lower portion of the roots touching water all the time and roots grow out of the pot into the water. Not ideal, but they do very well given plenty of light and heat.

The base can be improved upon repotting. And, be mindful and keep an eye on those aerial roots, they thicken fast and will look out of proportion with the design of the tree in no time. Also, once they thicken they start to swell the area above them and will produce inverse taper, something you may want to avoid.

 

[rodtheworm]

Thank you for your advice, that's been very helpful. The point about aerial roots producing inverse taper is something I should have thought of already, given I knew about multiple branches from the same spot causing it.

I've had a bit more of a look around at examples of Ficus and do like the look of the roots, as well as the amazing trunk fusions that can develop.

I'm wondering whether I can use those to fill out the base a little more and at least give the impression of taper, even if they haven't actually fursed yet. Something like this as a goal?:



Although looking again at that, I wonder if it loses some of the movement ?

Styling is definitely an area I need to improve on!

 

[Shibui]

Most tropicals prefer repotting in warm weather. We do all our ficus through summer but any time from late Spring through to Mid summer is OK. They do not seem to mind massive root reduction even when temps are high. Root pruning ficus in the normal early spring repotting window can set them back severely.

White on the leaves is almost certainly mineral residue from water. That occurs when someone mists the leaves regularly, especially where evaporation is high. It may rub off with a wet sponge but if it is persistent you may just have to wait until you can defoliate or until natural leaf change happens.

Your proposed fused aerial root trunk does take some of the bends out of the trunk but that's inevitable when thickening the trunk so much. You'll have to decide whether thin with dynamic bends or thicker with less bend.

Getting new aerial roots is not always easy. High humidity seems to be the key so regular misting or some sort of humidity tray and/or closed container can help.

 

[Maiden69]

I'm wondering whether I can use those to fill out the base a little more and at least give the impression of taper, even if they haven't actually fursed yet. Something like this as a goal?:

Something like this?



A year later.


Almost 2 years after grafting.

 

[rodtheworm]

Most tropicals prefer repotting in warm weather. We do all our ficus through summer but any time from late Spring through to Mid summer is OK. They do not seem to mind massive root reduction even when temps are high. Root pruning ficus in the normal early spring repotting window can set them back severely.
...
Getting new aerial roots is not always easy. High humidity seems to be the key so regular misting or some sort of humidity tray and/or closed container can help.

That's great information to know - I think he said it had been repotted last year, so I'll leave it until next summer if we're leaving the ideal window.

I'd heard that nicking the bark and applying rooting hormone may help with roots too - perhaps if I use a large plastic bag to trap some humidity, I can further encourage some?

 

[rodtheworm]

Something like this?
... View attachment 562735

Exactly! It still has some movement to it, but that base looks so much more powerful and solid!