Ficus benjamina so much wrong

[morrie]

this fig is a bit of a mess, i have been avoiding doing anything with it out of sheer embarrassment.
the fig was a volunteer that appeared in a pot that was sitting under a back yard tree in a past renter.... i potted it and pretty much ignored it, played with it a couple of times before i knew anything about bonsai.
truth is i'm quite sentimentally attached to this tree as it is the same age as my daughter (16)
time to front up and get some advice, i think i was going for a broom weeping style????

IMG_1662ben fig april 2015.JPG

IMG_9609 ben fig sept 16.JPG

IMG_9630 sept 16.JPG

IMG_9610sept 16.JPG

IMG_9612 sept16.JPG

IMG_9624sept 16.JPG

circling the base

IMG_9626 sept16.JPG

IMG_9627 sept16.JPG

IMG_9628 sept 16.JPG

[thoglette]

time to front up and get some advice, i think i was going for a broom weeping style????

I'll just chime in and say that if you want add/move branches, I've had a fair bit of success with thread grafting on f. Benji

[Akhi]

You got two trees there. Air layer the top where the new lowere branch starts and then grow out the lower branch for some taper. Try approach grafting to get those beautiful buttressed roots the way you have the clothes clip positioned. Know it's a long term project but could be worth the while. I have worked with them in the past in more tropical environment and were a very good subject except for leaf size.

[morrie]

grafting .. now there's an idea
did a bit of research .. seems easy enough as described..
got me thinking about thread grafting roots to improve the Nebari ...i could only find descriptions using seedlings
the tree has a rather long thin unattractive root - see pic

IMG_9646 comp.JPG

... i wondered if it would work if i lifted it and threaded it back through a hole in the trunk to a more suitable spot??