AusBonsai

Rintar wrote:sorry Nathan, meant to hit preview not submit here is the thread with the 3 photos

viewtopic.php?f=134&t=11958

as you can see VS says benji due to the leaf tip but I can in some shots see a similarity in yours

any help for or against would be great

will try get some shots of it dry on Monday

Cheers Rin

If you have a look dude, the leaves on your tree weep and have a sharp point to them. In time you'll recognise the small subtleties between ficus variations

thanks VS the others i have are all so much alike is all and its different and the more i look online the more i think its not a benji but I'm new and unsure that's why I'm seeking multiple clarification. The leaf tips a re similar but the bark all looks grey and smooth on the benjis that i can find were this is a little rougher and seems to have a more orangeish or yellowish tone to it. I guess i really just want to clarify before i try enter anything in anbita next year or year after before i actually start to develop anything not just get it healthy.

Thanks for all the comments guys it's still growing
Didn't get to repot it though :s Oh well, spring will be here soon enough!

Rintar, I definiely think yours is a small leaf benji variation. I would be totall confident it isn't tiger bark.

NathanM wrote:Thanks for all the comments guys it's still growing
Didn't get to repot it though :s Oh well, spring will be here soon enough!

Sorry for derailing the thread Nathan. Im always on the lookout for retusa stock, its just not that common where i am.

I hope you dont mind me doctoring your pic but i thought maybe theres two trees [maybe 3] that could be utilized:

The main part could be styled as such:



And if you found theres too much space between the first branch and the base of the tree you could air layer it just above the root and make a sumo shohin out of the base. Then take the top of mid summer and treat it as a hard wood cutting.

But in saying that, iv never worked on retusa and i dont know what they are like compared to Macrophylla and Rubiginosa.

Hope this helps in someway lol