Please cyber-trim my Bonsai!

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by Paulina, Sep 24, 2006.

  1. Paulina

    Paulina Active Member

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    I'm not sure what type of Bonsai this is, but it was planted in 1974, according to the greenhouse I bought it from. I've trimmed it before, but have no idea if I did it right or not. It loves the environment here, I've got two little ones rooted and growing inte big plants too from previous cuttings. How do I trim it to keep it a Bonsai rather than a massive plant without hacking it to bits? The cuttings root very quickly and also grow very quickly, so I'll root whatever I cut off of the big one to make new plants.

    Any ideas on where to start cutting, how many branches to cut, or even what type of Bonsai this is? HELP! Here are all 4 sides of the plant.
     

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  2. RuthS

    RuthS Member

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    Dear Paulina,
    I am new to this forum, so I would not presume to tell you how to trim this beautiful plant. However, the trunk and leaves look like camellia to me.
     
  3. Paulina

    Paulina Active Member

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    Camellia?? I bought the plant 7 years ago, it's never flowered, so I'm guessing it's not a Camellia but rather a type of Bonsai from Japan... I think that's where Bonsai's come from...
     
  4. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Ficus microcarpa (syn. F. retusa), Laurel Fig?
     
  5. Paulina

    Paulina Active Member

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    That's exactly it! Thank you!
     
  6. Rima

    Rima Active Member

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    Paulina - l974? I don't think so - 1994 seems more likely, but the species is F. m. You said you've had it 7 yrs? I find that hard to believe as well - or is that layer of stones on top not glued down? If it is, it has to come off - how on earth can you judge wetness, dryness, etc. of the soil, or the nature of the soil, or deal with any problems that could be brewing underneath? How large is that pot BTW? As far as pruning goes, you need to choose which of the branches you want to concentrate on (one, or 3) and focus the tree's energy on, cut back all others entirely and then cut back the 1-3 (odd #'s look good, not even) to just a couple of leaves and let it grow new, finer branches and smaller foliage, making it more treelike. Or you could just let it be a house plant - but still neaten up the branches a bit. If you want aerial roots (which it should make easily) then make sure it's growing in a highly humid atmosphere in supplemented light.
     
  7. Paulina

    Paulina Active Member

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    I'm guessing that by cutting the branches so short makes the trunk fatter?
     
  8. Paulina

    Paulina Active Member

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    I've definitely had it for 7 years, I remember buying it at the Metrotown mall and the guy told me it was planted in 1974.

    I use one of those metal sticks with the guage in it to check on all my houseplants for water. I use the same with my Bonsai.

    I would LOVE to have the aerial roots like the ones I've seen on the internet. How do I do that? I don't want to kill it... I can definitely put it in a humid atmosphere and supplemented light, but do I need to take out some of the soil and bare some of the underground roots?

    I do water it regularly, that's why it's so healthy. I let it dry between waterings and then soak it in the sink. I also keep the tray underneath it full of gravel & water just as they told me to when I bought it.

    The gravel on top is just for show... You asked if it was 'glued' down? Is that something I need to do? Totally new at this Bonsai thing, so bear with me...

    I will get to work on it tonight and will post the results.

    The pot is quite large, I don't have measurements, but the stool it's sitting on for the photo is a regular sized stool and the pot's about 4" - 6" in height.
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2006
  9. Rima

    Rima Active Member

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    Hi, NO don't glue anything down! I mentioned that because SO many 'mall-sai' (from Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc. come with a layer of glued on pebbles (orig. meant to hold the 'bonsai' - cutting! - in the pot during transport) and it's impossible to water, to dry out the soil, etc. etc. with them on top. You cut back hard to start new smaller (more proportional to the big 'old' trunk) branches and foliage going. That's how bonsai get to be bonsai... not by just choking them off in little pots :-). One tip - don't ever let that water underneath touch the pot or roots will rot... it's always better with figs to err on the side of 'too dry' than otherwise, especially over the winter (but you're obviously doing something right by now!). I DO suggest that (certainly by now) you learn to water because you appreciate that it needs water - because you pay attn to it every day and have learned when it's just starting to look a bit tired, if not droopy, and once you figure that out, you'll be a lot further ahead - watering's the hardest thing to learn in bonsai because every tree's soil is different, as is the tree itself, and where it lives, etc. etc. but if you get in the habit of it, then you'll be able to deal with lots of other trees too. Don't depend on 'things', but your own instincts and what the plant's telling you.
     
  10. jamkh

    jamkh Active Member

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    Paulina,
    First let's us shed some light as to the possible reasons for the discrepancies that had cropped up.
    I would agree with Rima that for the last 7 years, since you had the plant the growth is very sluggish. I had the same plant I bought this summer and it doubled its size in one growing season. This plant was placed in the front stairways and received the sun from morning until 3.00pm, (a lot of sunlight). Whereas I had another ficus which had been kept in the basement with poor light for 7 years and it had grown no bigger than the one mentioned above. The reason the growth is retarded because it had received neither sufficient or strong light. Could this factor apply to your plant as well?
    It is evident that you have been having your ficus sitting on water over pebbles each time you water it. Obviously there is no root rot as your plant is still alive. Perhaps it has become acclimatized to sitting in water. In the tropics I had a fine leaf ficus which had even sent out aerial roots into my fish pond and created a massive root mass directly in the water. Ficus is a water loving plant and I doubt over-watering will kill it.
    Now on the issue of turning it into a bonsai, I must say that this is a difficult plant to bonsai. It is bushy with multiple trunks and the internodes are long.
    Now your first step is to decide what style you want to incorporate in and how many stems do you want train. I believe a 2 or 3 trunk informal style goes well with ficus. In such a case there is no need for a gradual taper from the swollen root top to the single trunk. The large root blends well into the 3 smaller trunks.
    Now in Bonsai, the style must be chosen by the bonsaiist. The beauty in art lies in the eyes of the beholder, thus likewise in the art of Bonsai. 95% of people taking up bonsai as a hobby is not going to venture into competition, they grow it for their own appreciation and enjoyment. As an art piece reflects the individuality of the artist, so a bonsai must reflect the tastes of the bonsaiist. So just pick the style you like most and follow it as closely as possible. In my case I would prefer to create my own variation that suits more to my tastes. It doesn't matter if your friends don't like it; why, because it wasn't made for them it's for you. So follow your feelings and moods and you and your bonsai will surely find equilibrium like horse and carriage
     
  11. Rima

    Rima Active Member

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    If her plant pot was raised above the water on the pebbles in the humidity tray, the roots would not wick up the water and rot, which is what they do otherwise - and no plant gets 'acclimatized' to that, plus ficus do need to dry out to some extent between waterings - houses in the N. hemisphere are not the tropics, much as we try to emulate conditions there, and we need to take that into account when growing tropicals. It is also important (whether or not you plan to exhibit anywhere) to choose a style somewhat appropriate to the species you're growing, or you won't know why your tree looks strange (eventually), and/or won't 'behave' in training (it may want to cascade, when you want it to grow upright) and in the end you won't really have a bonsai, or a tree that looks natural, if miniaturized, but an experiment. Which is not to say rules should be rigidly followed, but an understanding of the reasons behind them is definitely important.
     
  12. jamkh

    jamkh Active Member

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    Paulina,
    I do not know what your preference is. Suppose you have chosen a particular style and used a plant that may not suit this style. Suppose you do come up eventually with a strange looking specimen, consider how you would feel.
    In my case this would be my reaction. I shall be more than happy to have come up with a unique (instead of calling it strange) specimen. Of course the 'purists' would snub their noses at your specimen but there will be some eyes that see some beauty in your creation. If they decide to imitate your 'new style', eventually your style takes root and becomes a new form of Bonsai. This is also perfectly true in the world of art and modern art no doubt took the same course as that described above. There is a bonus side on experimentation, it provides you with the opportunity to evolve a new form of art. I hate sticking to authority because it stifles my originality and horizon of expression, and at best my specimen comes out as a 'copy'. I am not saying there is anything wrong being a copy cat in bonsai, what I am saying is some of us are more adventurous and strike out into uncharted terrains.
    You will find this posture is even more strikingly true with bonsai in China, where it had practiced Penjing from antiquity. Art is never static but always evolving and given sufficient time will evolve new forms. When I first went into the web to search for 'Bonsai in China' I was attracted to the Szechuan style because it was unnatural but unique and yet it possessed aesthetic qualities and a charm of its own. Here perhaps in a remote past, some penjing-ist must have experimented with this right angled bend and his style finally influenced the penjing world in the province of Szechuan and its surrounding areas and became the symbol of the Szechuan school of penjing. Similarly in the 'one inch 3 bends' style, we may claim that it imitates nature to a certain extent. But it had exaggerated the frequency of bends you find in nature and thus can be called a variation of the style found in nature as you do find such variations in the forms of classical music. Maybe the Japanese are more conservative and their styles follow nature pretty closely. But give it another thousand or even two thousand years to evolve I feel confident that a departure from the traditional styles will take root.
    Thus, Paulina, I would encourage you to experiment especially if you like to be adventurous, free and original. I hope no readers would consider my message as confrontational; it is not, I am only on the other side of the coin.
     

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