There’s a cute little devil!
This little tree is a ficus salicaria (nerifolia, salicifolia,willowleafyanus) a willow leaf ficus (or narrow leaf).
I like to refer to it as the ficus formerly known as……..
The view from all angles.
Here is the trunk chop site
The tree probably looked like this before
Which is a typical 2-3 year old cutting, albeit this one has a decent base on it.
I got the little cutie pie from Emblem Bonsai out of Southeast Florida. He has very good material and I suggest you look him up.
Anyway, it was probably cut like so
And allowed to grow out for a season ( I bought this in January) The growth is about equal to 3-4 months in Florida, it hasn’t grown since I got it and its March now. Lets kickstart it’s heart.
A willow leaf ficus will almost always sprout all over from the the chop site like this
pushing copious amounts of shoots. One technique for branch selection is to allow nature to choose the strongest leader (it might not choose the best placement though)
Or, choose your own
Start pruning out the little guys
Then let it grow.
How much?
Until the branches are thick enough to be wired without them breaking off.
Which brings us to this point
More wire.
Defoliation (so we can see the branches)
The thing to do now is let it grow.
I’ll repot it soon into a shallower pot. Believe it or not, a ficus is different than any other tree. The base will widen and improve in a bonsai pot.
It will.
S’truth, promise!
Not lyin’
I have a little willow leaf root cutting I’ve been working on. I got it from Schley’s last October, but it hasn’t been doing too much under lights here in Indiana. Hopefully this spring it starts chugging along and I can wire it.
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Get it outside as soon as weather permits, Charles, and fertilize the heck out of it. Best advice a fellow Hoosier can give!
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Are you guys even going to have spring?
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Reblogged this on Wolf's Birding and Bonsai Blog.
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