Young Ficus Microcarpa apex?

[cslarks]

Obviously posting in this thread I'm quite new to bonsai. Currently a college student at the University of Georiga, I chose a ficus microcarpa for its indoor potential. I made a trip about an hour away (on a motorcycle) to one of the largest bonsai nurseries in the South East. You can see this nursery and its amazing collections at plantcitybonsai.com. Before long i found myself leaving with a younger and smaller microcarpa ficus from a chinese banyan collection.

My big questions for you all is what direction should I take with this bonsai? I've checked out a few books from my school's library on bonsai and I'm having trouble classifying this one's style. I know it has some rather long branches (and I want to shorten these), but I can't find a clear apex! Can you? I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's suggestions!

 

[GrimLore]

First and foremost - Welcome to B-Nut! A little advise right off the start - Update your profile with location and your USDA grow zone so we can help. Second - I do not recommend growing it sideways like that "hint"

Grimmy

 

[tim]

welcome.

 

[nathanbs]

with its current branching its lending itself closest to a broom style. Brooms dont typically have one single apex but more of one larger crown.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

Its nice. Let it grow big and strong. In spring if you want defoliate the left side only, then the right side will get thicker, while the left side grows new leaves.

 

[cslarks]

Thank you, I've updated that information on my profile! Haha see I knew that its current lean probably would have to be changed, but what would you currently suggest?

Also, that's the only style that I could really compare with its current stature. I actually wouldn't be against a broom style either. I was thinking about bringing it back down towards the line I marked in the photo but I'm concerned it might be too much. That brings up another question, if you were to cut it would you cut back gradually or all at once?

For people with other suggestions, I'm not 100% set on a brooms style, so please tell me what you think!

 

[cslarks]

Ok, so you do like the way it looks? It's not that I don't like its look (I do), I was just concerned that it wasn't really following much of a bonsai style.

Would you cut back any of the longer branches with 5-6+ leaves so that they branch more lower? Some of the branches are getting quite long, I'd rather that they got thicker with more leaves instead of longer with more leaves.

 

[jk_lewis]

It is pretty small and young to even have a "style" yet, but is will easily turn into a traditional informal upright style tree.

In school, your biggest issue is going to be giving it enough light. If you give it what it needs, your roommate(s) will hate you, because that is about 13 hours of bright light a day. Window and room light won't do it.

Assuming you also live in Georgia, in summer the tree should be outside every day and night -- and in full sun.

Check out Jerry Meislik's website: http://www.bonsaihunk.us/

 

[nathanbs]

now that i have seen it right side up i re-consider it lending to a broom as brooms typically have straight trunks. It is as others suggested an informal upright that based on trunk thickness and movement would likely be best as a naturalistic looking tree.

 

[cslarks]

Thanks for the link!! I love his sight, I've been reading over it for a whole now. See I knew that an indoor bonsai would still require a considerable amount of light, which is one of the main reasons i went with a ficus, particularly the Microcarpa. From research online and several bonsai books, I've been reading that this particular species is capable of handling anything from bright direct sunlight to even some low light environments. I was just reading over the website you mentioned as well and from what I'm reading he's saying the same thing. My intentions are not to keep in such an environment for over a year! It'll be the beginning of next summer when I'm moving into my apartment that will have a patio with nice direct sunlight! For now, however, it seems like it will do okay. My room isn't the darkest, it actually has a pretty good amount of sunlight for most of the day!

If I start to see signs of light deprivation, I will absolutely invest in sufficient artificial lighting!

Back it's shaping though, following the informal upright style, would it be okay to trim back some of the longer branches to promote fuller growth on the branches?

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I know its hard but for now just let it grow wild. Until spring. Then we can chop it up. Lol.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

I know its hard but for now just let it grow wild. Until spring. Then we can chop it up. Lol.

Only if the trunk is the size he wants. I personally wouldn't start chopping this and cutting it up until the trunk is a size that won't make the leaves seem overly large.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

That's exactly what I'm saying. Don't cut it. Don't trim it. Give it time.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

That's exactly what I'm saying. Don't cut it. Don't trim it. Give it time.

Well you said "until spring." It won't grow all that much over winter

 

[daygan]

I know its hard but for now just let it grow wild. Until spring. Then we can chop it up. Lol.

Yeah, Ryan's right.. it's not going to be doing a lot of wild growth between September (now) and March/April of next year If you want wild growth, give it another growing season or two (spring+summer 2014 and spring+summer 2015), then assess.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

If I say hold off till spring the op will learn patience, if i say hold off 2-3 years that sounds unreasonable. As a ficus grower you know they grow fast and put out tons of new growth given ideal growing conditions. That's all I was trying to say. It's hard not to want to begin styling. You can edit out things that are obviously wrong like crossing branches. But I think it's best to wait for ideal times. These are great trees for bonsai. If your going to cut, trim or chop the best time for back budding is when you can give the tree 70 degrees and sunlight 10 hours a day.