Ficus Nerifolia

[jezz_39]

I've just gotten home from a little holiday in NSW and made my way to Sydney to go see Leong Kwong's Bonsai South Nursery. Was truly gobsmacking, very nicely set out and the presentation of the finished Bonsai was top notch. Easily spent the first half hour drooling over the big Figs and of course the Pines and Junipers.

I went in with a plan but not knowing what I would find there, had to keep an open mind. I was contemplating whether to get a nice advanced Ficus but I was really hoping to find a large Seiju Elm for one of the Erin Pots I purchased recently. Unfortunately I only found 2 Seiju's of good size and price, only, looking at them my imagination seemed to be failing me at the time and I couldn't come up with any immediate styling plan. Hmm, go for another few laps of the nursery. Some real nice Crabapples. All the Pines are to die for, lots of options and very healthy, but I don't have any experience with them. Same goes with the Junipers.

In the end I realised I had kept walking past 6 big Ficus Nerifolia's which I absolutely love, I currently have a very thin little guy in development and I find them very easy to work with. Great features from their reddish to fluro green new foliage to the somewhat rough bark, also the small leaf and tight internodes. So I got right amongst them all and picked out what I found most interesting.

So after getting home and receiving a good drink I've done an initial styling to get things on the way. I would've preferred to do such work a month earlier but I know my climate and this guy will thrive. At this stage I left all foliage on the new leader to thicken it up a bit more, seeing how things progress it should be able to be cut back in Spring to introduce more movement. The large wound of the trunk chop will also get a good clean up with the dremel as the angle isnt quite right. There is a bud that could make a left hand branch but hopefully something will pop in a better position.
Potted up plenty of cuttings too

Ive done a dodgy virt to show where I see this going (I promise I will get myself a program other than 'Paint' )
Would welcome any opinions good or bad.

Regards,
Jeremy

[Steven]

G'day Jeremy,

Great stock and I like your vision for its future. Leongs nursery sure is full of some great inspiration!

I'd be getting in and working the roots now too. Nerifolia roots can get very large and bulbous if they are left untrimmed. Don't be afraid to cut them back hard at the widest point and grow a fresh base. I've flat bottom cut large Nerifolia and treated them like cuttings and they have not skipped a beat. It's still not too late in the season especially up your way. They strike really well from root cutting too (takes about 6 weeks) and you get some gnarly shaped trunks.

Keep us posted on the progress.

Regards,
Steven

[jezz_39]

Cheers for the info, Steven.
At this stage I'm happy to wait until Mid Spring to do the re-pot, this way I've got maximum energy pushing into the new leader in prep for another cut back later in the year. I'll also be taking a lot of root cuttings, word has it that its getting harder and harder to source Nerifolia's these days so I gotta prepare for the future. Plenty of space in the grow beds

Anyone else have anything to add regarding the styling of this one?

Regards,
Jeremy