Baby Ben

[Blackfoot]

Thought i'd throw this one out there for critiquing etc.
a ficus benjamina which i recieved from a member of our local bonsai club who was moving away. Unfortunately i didnt take a single photo of it in its previous incarnation but im currently trying to contact the original owner for pictures.
it had quite an interesting exposed root system but instantly became narrow and dead straight with about a foot of empty trunk before a very leggy canopy.
over the last 6 months ive been backbudding and trying to push the foliage down the trunk.
excited to see where this ben goes and always open to input.

[Boics]

I'd say this is most likely a Ginseng Fig as opposed to a Ficus Benjamina.

Have a search around - these Fig's (Ginseng) are mass produced and imported and sold through every place known to man.
The give away is the big bulbous roots that you can see.

Have a search on the forums and online to learn more.

In terms of your tree the much smaller compact canopy that is now developing is certainly the way to go IMO.
I've one of these (ginseng fig things) and I've been progressively hacking into the bulbous roots and ground layering to encourage a bunch of smaller roots as opposed to a small number of big tubes. Once again there is a thread on here from I think The Ficus Guy which covers some of this "technique"..

Good luck!

[Blackfoot]

i actually thought it was a ginseng in the begining but the matured leaves (none pictured) dont match up.
this was also originally a root over rock that i dont think took all that well because the rock slid right out.

[Dawson]

There are several cultivars of benjamini. So the leaves could be different sizes. Benjies do not often back bud from a denuded trunk either.

[bonsaibruce]

Greetings, this little fig is pot bound. It would do better with a bigger pot, plant it higher and feed it more. Remember this a fig, it is not a pine. Figs do not have a jin. Remove the tall stick above the leaves.
Happy bonsai,
Bruce