whats next

10 years ago

Ive been reading about bonsai for a couple years and been seriously learning by experiance for eight months or so. This is my first post here, but Ive been reading the forum for months and have learned a lot. I should mention that Im an ex pat living in Costa Rica, at about 1000 meters elevation. Mostly I have a few unidentified strangler fig species but also lots of other tropicals. The rainy season has ended and now we have 12 hours and change of light. The hours of light only change about a half hour all year.

So, as mentioned I have a bunch of ficus\strangler figs of a couple species, all yamadori other than two which I believe are a f. microcarpa cultivar but came with no useful name.

My first question is whats next? I collected (read tore, hacked, and cut) a bunch a few months ago and now I know which are going to live and get trained. So some are two inches or so around the trunk. I chopped them down to what I hope are decent sizes to start with. Most have no usable branches and some have only sprouts that will be branches. So the first thing I need to know is when to start training the branches. I can post pics but really dont think they will help. Lets say for example a trunk is two inches thick and eight inches tall. Branches are popping out, more everyday from the soil to the cuts. How long do they need to be for selection and pruning or wiring? Do they need to grow out a certain length first? Do I need to cut them to introduce taper soon or when?

They all live in my house-greenhouse or outside. Either way there growing about the same. There planted in gravel, which is not perfect but its the best Ive found so far. They have varying amounts of organics mixed in. I have watering under control and have a quick acting fertalizer in pellet form. My trees seem quite healty and ready for the next stage. But maybe they need to grow out more? I will post pics if they will help. The branches in question are up to five or six inches long and growing daily.

Thanks in advance for helping! If anyone knows or has experiance with the native ficus of Costa Rica or Panamá, maybe we can id these species too. I have two that are common, collected from fruit trees and coffee bushes where they are considered a nuicance, so collecting them is win win win. They avoid the machete, the landowners get rid of them, and I get to play bonsai with them.

Featured Answer

breathnez

10 years ago

In this last picture, you have a branch growing back to the left at about the midpoint of the trunk. I would trunk chop just above it, let it become the new leader and grow out, thereby creating some movement in the trunk.

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Comments (8)

Eric Ferguson
Original Author
10 years ago
I took pics of a couple of the trees Im asking about. This is the most common species. F.aurea maybe? I dont have many of the other type. One at a time..
sorry for the bad pics. Costa Rican cell phone cameras are not the best...I should mention that there are no clubs close to me, no bonsai store, and I only know of one local that tortures trees a anywhere near me.. And he sells them as bonsai but imo there prebonsai or potensai. Or pretendsai, but not finished bonsai. (Bonsai is never finished)
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Eric Ferguson
Original Author
10 years ago
Okay, I tried to post more pics but cant for some reason. Theres one in my profile (i think) under new projects.

I will chop it where Ez says. These trees swell a bit at the chop. Should I chop at an angle or strait across? An angle seems like it would make more taper. In that case, how much angle and how do I cut? So the scar is in front? If that branch is to be the new apex, does it end up in front of, behind or to one side? Thanks again, I have more to chop so it would be nice if I did it right. I have fatter ones also that need the same treatment.
Eric Ferguson
Original Author
10 years ago
Ok I chopped it. I still need to know about branches/when to wire. Before they turn brown? Or let them grow out and cut back like a trunk to make taper? Maybe cut back now? Some branches are hardening on others too, so I need to know. If I need to wait its okay. I just dont want to set them back or love them to death..
breathnez
10 years ago
Ficus retain flexibility in the branches for quite a while- no rush. I would let it grow wild for a year before another pruning. Should grow fast in your climate, so maybe show us some pictures in six months if it is really taking off.

ez
Eric Ferguson thanked breathnez
Eric Ferguson
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks, like I said I have severel at that stage so now I know to leave them a while to just grow. Im going hunting for more today. Now I know to just bring the fat or curvey trunks to the house. I want a few more of the rounder leafed type which may be f aurea. It grows a natural taper and tends to have a cooler trunk. Thanks Ez, I will let it grow outside in the sun and take pics in a half year.

Im trying bouganvillas too. They need wire sooner, right? I got some really cool, curvey cuttings yesterday. When they are rooted and strong I will post them for ideas..
breathnez
10 years ago
Maybe others with more experience will chime in on the bougies. Good luck!

ez
Eric Ferguson thanked breathnez
Eric Ferguson
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks! The bougies get brittle quicker. I have colors Id never seen before. Purple is normal in Fl. But here Ive found yellow, orange, white, red, pink and also veriagated with pink, with purple and with white. But I still like ficus more!

So I dont need to keep them short with close folliage? There thickening and sub branching faster than I thought they would. And they like to send out several branches from one place. Am I right cutting the extras out and leaving one per location? Seems like maybe they could make reverse taper with three or four in one spot. Or is it no problem to leave them? I already took off anything that would have made bar branches. I figure there a waste of energy. Several in one spot seems like a waste too, like maybe its better to concentrate the energy where we want it. Or is my thinking off? I need to read up on tree growth. Never quit learning! Thanks again for your time and advice. Muy amable as they say here.