ficus benji-progression

[Matthew]

Hi Jamie you fig is looking fantastic what an improvement, the only comment I would make is don't be in too much of a hurry to bring the branches out better to cut and re-grow and cut and re-grow and repeat,repeat and repeat.
Craigw

Jamie i agree with Craig what a improvement. Ive had to cut back hard on some of my trees manly chinese elms and a couple of figs as i had these long branches with good ramification but little taper. i have lost a few seasons with this but the end result of cutting-growing etc will pay off in the end. I think this is a habit of most people fairly new to bonsai , glad im retifying this now and not 10 years later

[Jamie]

gday guys

thanks Graeme all good mate, all are entitled to their opinion!I wasnt happy with the tree as it was, it was ok but not what I wanted for it

cheers for the confimation with regards to benji, I was just thinking possibly not but all is good! the reason why I thought different is its behaviour, my other benji have slightly different growing patterns, this one just doesnt seem to grow like the others. doesnt matter!

thanks for the tips craig I agree I will have to cut back hard in time, letting it grow out now and getting some base branching then a hard cut back will work, it will also help thicken the new leader which is one other thing that I have noticed with this one is that it thickens quite well, especially being that it has grown in a pot for so long.

jamie

[Jamie]

and a little update.

benji 2.jpg

much happier with how this one is turning out. need to stay on top of it now to build ramification. the branching is coming along well.

[hugh grant]

coming long very nicely ther jamie i love the way you put lots of movement in those branches, its something that alot of people dont do quite enough.

Hugh