AusBonsai

G'day,
I'm completely new to bonsai, I got this ficus retusa for father’s day. I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the information on here, I believe I got the gist of basic caring but just after some guidance on cleaning it up and styling? I haven’t done anything to it besides giving it a water.
Cheers, Whitey

Hi Whitey,
Welcome to the wonderful world of bonsai. My thoughts on what to do with this tree are very dramatic. Being a newbie to bonsai you may be horrified with what I would suggest. The first question to ask therefore, is, would you be willing to do same major work at this stage or do you just want to grow the tree for a time?

Regards Ray

G'day Ray,

If it will make a better bonsai in the long run I am willing to take the dramatic approach. As I haven't had it very long I'm not that attached to it as opposed to having it for years and years.

I thin Ray will suggest air layering a new set of roots and then giving it a big chop

I wouldn't think air layering is something i'd recommend to a newbie, but I can see why it would be recommended.

bonsaibuddyman wrote:I wouldn't think air layering is something i'd recommend to a newbie, but I can see why it would be recommended.

Depends on how brave you are and how much you can learn by reading and following pictures

Whitey you say you are learning and can keep it alive by watering, but hey it is a Fig and largely that is all you need to do along with a dose of liquid fert every week.

Re the layering, if you have someone near or a club, then ask their help by all means, but in the meantime have a read of this wiki page and the threads linked off it on how to put on an airlayer.
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... =Air_layer

They are some great examples and getting back to your tree, I would put one on the yellow line as a practice, and then once youtake that off, put one on about the red line. This will give you a new set of roots to train and another smaller tree first to experiment with .

Grab another branch off any tree handy and put a few on too as practice.


Ken

My posts are not appearing I put in two? After the first didn't appear?

Hi, I will try again. It is a lovely fig, and my advice is definitely don't rush into cropping or chopping before you know what you are doing, actually Ken has good ideas, so follow him.
Air layer, air layer what, for starters it is too small and not necessary. The air roots are one of the best features in figs.

But I would re-pott it in a larger pot. Good drainage a must, but also retain some organic mix.
Read how to re-pot and root prune a fig. Usually you leave some soil underneath the trunk (about 20% of the root ball/soil) and where the feeder roots start, leaving the surface roots free. Usually you place the trunk on a hill of soil, so water drains down, and I would push the aerial roots slightly into to soil. They don't like being water logged, nor do they like too long periods of dry.

Then water and fertilise with weak Seasol or similar for a year or two, before any major chopping. Remember it is a rain forest tree, so is used to some shade during the day.
Townsville should be a good environment for it. But read and read and look up YouTubes, and get a feel for the tree's needs in its particular niche.

It's a lovely tree, just needs a re=pot really firstly. I am a beginner too, so my thoughts were always, softly softly, look and keep the tree alive for a few years, (with small ones) feed and keep watered and drained, before I get out the cutters and wire.

But some experts in the field, can work miracles whereas some beginners work disasters. attempting the same operation.LOL. Air layering is one.

You've joined a good place for advice anyway. Welcolme.

It won't apply to you in Townsville, unless you have deciduous trees, but I bought figs and other sub tropicals and tropicals from Bunnings. Some were in full leaf, when trees of the same species were still to break bud here in Armidale. Usually succulents don't appreciate our harsh winter, and to bring them up from a warm greenhouse environment in Sydney, I acclimatise them, in a aquarium set outside but under cover of the porch where they get a bit of sun, but not direct. I didn't do this to one fig and it died on me first sign of cold nights.

So if your fig has been bought from a local nursery, then I would still acclimatise it slowly if you place it outdoors or from indoors to outdoors. Just in case the temp change or sunshine scorches its thick leaves. Gud luck.

Air layer, air layer what, for starters it is too small and not necessary.
[/quote]

Huh!!
Layering this one is absolutely necessary if you want to improve the roots and Nebari

Re the Size, this thread is one of my Shohin comp trees and was layered off a larger tree. viewtopic.php?f=147&t=14537 . You can see it not very big and I have layered 2 other Figs off of this section

here is a Mame sized Banksia integrifolia that was shohin sized before layering off 2 other trees from the top of it You can layer any size tree so long as you clean off enough of the bark and cambium so it doesnot join, and you can get you fingers in to wrap it Kids are agreat help with that

Bush bunny wrote: But some experts in the field, can work miracles whereas some beginners work disasters. attempting the same operation.LOL. Air layering is one.

I disagree, If you follow the process and make sure the layer does not dry out, Anyone should be able to layer a fig with near 100% success. I could not think of an easier tree to try as a first attempt, and if you did the branch first ( as it would be otherwise cut off anyway) then you have nothing to lose.

Have a go, you have noting to lose and everything to gain
Ken

Just found this picture of the Banksia before layering the others off.
Can you pick where the 2 layers were?

Note they were both on at the same time too Ken

kcpoole wrote:Layering this one is absolutely necessary if you want to improve the roots and Nebari

Agreed

kcpoole wrote: I disagree, If you follow the process and make sure the layer does not dry out, Anyone should be able to layer a fig with near 100% success. I could not think of an easier tree to try as a first attempt, and if you did the branch first ( as it would be otherwise cut off anyway) then you have nothing to lose.
Ken

Yes, I'll have to rethink that, yeah I'll have to stop applying my judgement to other members who are new. I wonder if I would have attempted an air layer if someone had suggested the same to me when I started growing bonsai. To be honest I would have probably put that in the 'too hard basket', but I shouldn't assume others would. Considering it is a fig, you are right, and attempting the first air layer on a small branch is a great idea. This brings to mind the giant fig that was completely uprooted, and completely flipped horizontally at University of NSW in a violent storm many decades ago, and then simply started growing new roots straight down from the branches now mashed into the ground and the roots up in the air became the new branches.

bonsaibuddyman wrote:To be honest I would have probably put that in the 'too hard basket', but I shouldn't assume others would. Considering it is a fig, you are right, and attempting the first air layer on a small branch is a great idea. .

I agree and I probably would have myself, unless someone encouraged me.
No doubt we will make mistakes in the process, but by good examples and well thought out processes on Ausbonsai, it should not be too hard nor too scary

I cannot remember my first airlayer now, but i do remember it was a sucess and was after i saw it demoed.

Ken

Hi Whitey,
Sorry I haven't replied, I have been away for a couple of days. I see two main problems. The tree is root bound. Looking at the 5th and 6th photos you will see how the roots have circled in the pot. I would remove the tree from this pot and place it into a larger pot whilst you are working on the tree developing it into a bonsai. To get it out of the pot you will have to run a knife around the inside edge of the pot. You will notice the top edge of the pot is a lesser diameter than the outside of the pot. The roots will be very tight under the lip. By running a knife around you will be able to lift the tree out without damaging the pot. The second problem is the thickness of the branches at the top of the tree. They would be very difficult to work with. I would certainly agree with Ken concerning air layering the tree. I see at least three layers. For now you could apply two layers, indicated by the yellow and green lines.
Regards Ray

Appreciate all the advice from everyone, Ray I wish you posted this morning because I did take it out of the pot to have a gander. Common sense should of kicked in with the knife tip but I eventually persuaded it with a lot of gentle side to side wiggles. I will put it into a bigger pot which leaves me to more reading about what potting medium to use?
Anyway it seems the consensus is some air layering is needed. I have been reading a lot of articles, threads, and youtube how to's and feel confident in giving it a crack. It looks fun and I accept the challenge. I will take Ken's advice and test run on a branch first. I think I have all the items needed for a basic air layering -
Sharp knife
Root hormone powder
sphagnum moss
cling wrap
tape
Have I missed anything?

Cheers