Are ficus benjamina really that bad?

[lackhand]

I don't know if any of you read this blog regularly, but his post today about the oft-cursed Ficus benjamina got me thinking. I've been pretty dissatisfied with the ones I have, to the point that I've almost pitched them despite being the trees I've owned the longest. But this made me think again. Maybe they're not so bad, I just need to learn more about them.

http://adamaskwhy.wordpress.com/2014/07 ... benjamina/

Anyway, if you have any opinions, please feel free to share. I'm still not convinced that they're wonderful trees, but he does make some interesting points.

[kennedymarx]

I clicked the thread title thinking I would be posting a link to that article. I have one that I bought this summer as a kind of experimental tree. I cut it down to the first branch and am regrowing the trunkline. He mentions that they have good nebari characteristics in the article and this one definitely does without (seemingly) any work having been done on it for bonsai before I bought it from the houseplant section. I suppose what Adam is getting at is that all trees have different annoyances, but we learn what we have to do to take care of them properly without totally trashing the tree.

Oh, and I like the Benji he worked on quite a bit. It looks like a couple old trees.

[Rory]

I don't know if any of you read this blog regularly, but his post today about the oft-cursed Ficus benjamina got me thinking. I've been pretty dissatisfied with the ones I have, to the point that I've almost pitched them despite being the trees I've owned the longest. But this made me think again. Maybe they're not so bad, I just need to learn more about them.

http://adamaskwhy.wordpress.com/2014/07 ... benjamina/

Anyway, if you have any opinions, please feel free to share. I'm still not convinced that they're wonderful trees, but he does make some interesting points.

Great post! Very inspiring lackhand. Gave me a few pointers I wasn't aware of for my benjamina too. It was a great read and very insightful too. I love his blunt matter of fact opinions, hahaha. I've always loved this species, such beautiful leaves are what i love best about it.

[treeman]

I don't think they are particularly good subjects unless you can keep the temp high at night (20C)
They also do much better with a very acid substrate (pH 4 to 5) so use Urea and ammonium based fertilizers.
Probably great in the tropics.

[boom64]

I would have to agree with Adam, good subjects if you stay on top of them........John.