Some type of Ficus... question.

[aml1014]

adam is a close friend of mine. now is not that time to chop roots on ficus unless you are working with a heated greenhouse. just wait.

I'm planning on trying to meeting him this May at the epcot international flower and garden festival, I wish I lived were you guys do.

 

[carp]

I'm planning on trying to meeting him this May at the epcot international flower and garden festival, I wish I lived were you guys do.

why don't you plan to attend the BSF Convention in March instead? Bjorn Bjorholm and Juan Andrade are headlining.

http://bonsai-bsf.com/

 

[aml1014]

why don't you plan to attend the BSF Convention in March instead? Bjorn Bjorholm and Juan Andrade are headlining.

http://bonsai-bsf.com/

I'll be there in May for my 5 year anniversary otherwise I would rather go sooner.

 

[carp]

well, you better get with him before you plan your Epcot trip to make sure he will be there. have you ever been to the EPCOT show? its not really a bonsai show.

 

[aml1014]

well, you better get with him before you plan your Epcot trip to make sure he will be there. have you ever been to the EPCOT show? its not really a bonsai show.

I know I'm just gonna be in town at the exact time so I wanted to check it out, I did message him a couple months ago and he said if hes not around I can go see his nursery just to make an appointment first.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

IMO, I wouldn't put this over a rock. It's common for people new to the hobby to think they can take something with exposed roots and shove a rock under them, but that's not how ROR works. These roots are already solid and formed, so your idea wouldn't work or look natural. ROR works best with young roots, so that they can grow and fuse to the rock. These tubers would never fuse to any rock you put under them, as they're already solidified.

 

[just.wing.it]

IMO, I wouldn't put this over a rock. It's common for people new to the hobby to think they can take something with exposed roots and shove a rock under them, but that's not how ROR works. These roots are already solid and formed, so your idea wouldn't work or look natural. ROR works best with young roots, so that they can grow and fuse to the rock. These tubers would never fuse to any rock you put under them, as they're already solidified.

That's why I asked about that. The thought just struck me when I was looking at it.
I have seen real ROR methods, and I'm aware that shoving a rock in there isn't the way to do it.
Thanks for chiming in.
I probably will still cut that center root out, it's barely rooted at all. I think it'll look better.
Maybe I'll put a smashed up HotWheels car under it... Or nothing at all.

 

[just.wing.it]

More questions about ficus...
Are the "tubers" actually part of the roots that were once buried?
Or, are they considered the trunk(s)?

 

[carp]

Yes they are roots, but they (the roots) are specifically grown for this appearance. Essentially it's a very, very poor representation of the Neagari style.

The "Ginseng Ficus" is not a species, its a marketing term. What a "Ginseng Ficus" is, is a seed grown, large leaf Ficus microcarpa, top grafted with a medium leaf Ficus microcarpa. Ficus microcarpa is native to China, and the natural growth habbit of seed grown Ficus is to form tuber like roots. If you cut below the graft union, you will see the large leaf pop out.

The best treatment for these is to first clean and heal the graft union to utilize the smaller leaf size. Then, find the widest point of the tuber-like roots, and cut there and create a shohin with a ton of taper instantly.

 

[just.wing.it]

Do they respond well to defoliation?

 

[carp]

Do they respond well to defoliation?

yes, but now is not the time for that.

 

[just.wing.it]

yes, but now is not the time for that.

I figured as much...
Thanks!

 

[just.wing.it]

Just gonna leave it till spring..

 

[carp]

I cropped the photo to show you where you should make the soil line, and circled and pointed out where the graft union is.

 

[carp]

Here are examples of the seedling growth habbit. These are seedling volunteers NOT cuttings. You can see in the first photo that the seedling is already forming the bulbous roots, and in the second you can see the root's tuber like appearance.

 

[just.wing.it]

Here are examples of the seedling growth habbit. These are seedling volunteers NOT cuttings. You can see in the first photo that the seedling is already forming the bulbous roots, and in the second you can see the root's tuber like appearance.

Yeah, I see that...
It looked to me like a trunk chop, then the two shoots that are there grew after, they even roll over the chop a bit.
I did not know about the grafting done with these tho.
So what benefit would I have to bury it up to there, now?

 

[carp]

Yeah, I see that...
It looked to me like a trunk chop, then the two shoots that are there grew after, they even roll over the chop a bit.
I did not know about the grafting done with these tho.
So what benefit would I have to bury it up to there, now?

You're not going to bury it, and you're not going to do it now.

In the spring, when the growth is active and vigorous, you're going to cut right through the roots where you see the red arrow. There will be no roots on your tree at this point. They will grow back if the timing is right. Timing is critical. You'll plant the tree in it's pot at the appropriate level (the cropped photo) so that those tuber-like roots actually look like a trunk.

 

[carp]

This is basically what you'll end up doing if you do it right. Create a super fat, and short tree.

 

[carp]

Notice the roots are bulbous here as well, but look like part of the trunk instead of "tubers".

 

[just.wing.it]

You're not going to bury it, and you're not going to do it now.

In the spring, when the growth is active and vigorous, you're going to cut right through the roots where you see the red arrow. There will be no roots on your tree at this point. They will grow back if the timing is right. Timing is critical. You'll plant the tree in it's pot at the appropriate level (the cropped photo) so that those tuber-like roots actually look like a trunk.

Ahh, I see now. I like that idea! Thanks so much!