AusBonsai

Here's a question for everyone:

Somebody comes to you for advice on their recently acquired bonsai. Your heart sinks when you see it's one of those mass produced pot bellied figs that looks something like this:
What advice do you give? Try and find a way to work with it? Tell them to toss it and try again? Burn it with fire? What would YOU say?

Matt.

....point them in the direction of the nearest bonsai nursery!! .... use it a a Kris Kringle present!!

I am asssuming they are newbie so treat them gently
Somethig like
"Ok we have have a quite different looking ficus, Def not the conventional bonsai material, but a great tree to cut the teeth on and learn"

Now its time for them to learn how to care for it, Wire it, Branch prune it fertilise etc.
Check out Ausbonsai forums and the wiki to use as a starting point to get ideas and knowledge?

Teach how to care for it and keep alive and in 6 months of learnign they will realise themselves it not the great tree they thought it might be.

Ken

on these----------think I read somewhere here that these can grow through this stage and become --something acceptable?

I think I would have to agree with Ken. It may not be great material in terms of bonsai outright but it would be a good test dummy for somebody starting out and learning about trimming, wire, branch selection and creating a silhouette etc... not to mention just practicing basic skills to keep it alive and healthy. So I would say it is a good building block to gain some experience as you start your bonsai journey... maybe...

To be fair I have one of these which I was gifted a couple of years back when I developed my interest in bonsai. I reckon it is a pretty common present for a newbie from people who don't know much about bonsai, and while it's not awesome I have learnt stuff off it and developed it to a better place than it was so I think it was worthwhile.

My advise with this particular tree would be to replant it back to the original soil height for a few years . The roots ,i.e. The trunk on the one on this photo is a bit boring . With time you can get some interesting shapes . Is it bonsai ? I'll leave that answer for others . I have one and I enjoy growing it .

I think it is a great starter, it will be fast growing, robust and forgiving. My heart sinks when I see some of the material that some people start on. 3 months of summer growth and this little guy could get some serious pruning and styling.

I do have one inside but I am not a fan.
They sulk when it's cold in Melbourne.
Need lots of light.
Hate drying out.
Frizzle up at the the first opportunity when placed outside.
Rot off the roots when you water in Summer.

The negatives are boundless.
A positive is they look good at Bunnings and for that matter good nurseries until you get the home and try to acclimatize them to Victorian conditions.
Mass produced in their thousands...As mentioned a Kriss Kringle gift is all.
But a great starter for a newbie. They are the epitome of the 'highs and lows' of Bonsai.
Steve.