I posted a pic of this tree on the Ficus Study Group in Facebook. People had suggestions about the lower-left branch, including to cut it because it looks as though the tree is unstable and leaning on the aerial roots, like a crutch I suppose.

I can't, thus far, bring myself to chop it though!

Nigel Saunders has a video on growing aerials roots by wrapping it in tin-foil and filling it with bonsai soil. I'm thinking about trying this, up to the first branch on the left. My hope is that it would give a really wide base and dramatic taper in the future, when the aerial roots fill in and begin to fuse.

However, I will be out of town at some point this summer, in about a month. I'm worried whomever house sits will not water often enough to keep that bonsai soil moist enough for aerial roots. Do you think:

• I should try this?
• If I try it, will watering every other day (probably plus rain) be enough while I'm out of town?

I'm thinking of doing the same thing with my schefflera.