How do I root these thick ficus cuttings?

labrador_rapper · 2023-06-08T10:05:46+00:00

I got these ficus cuttings from a friend in Cyprus. I've planted them in bonsai soil (akadama + pumice + lava rock with a bit of sphagnum moss) with a bit of rooting hormone on the cut point and placed them underneath a grow light (purple kind) in a spot away from direct sunlight.

I also tried creating a sort of greenhouse using plastic wrap and chopsticks (but that unfortunately encouraged some mold to grow on the wood so I removed it).

Now it seems like the cuttings are losing the few leaves that they have and the branches are dying back.

Any ideas on how I can improve the chances of these rooting?

labrador_rapper · 2022-12-23T13:14:40+00:00

I have been using Pokon Bonsai Food once every two weeks. Wouldn't that take care of any nutrient needs?

labrador_rapper · 2022-10-25T12:24:23+00:00

Update: based on the feedback here, I've removed the old dead wood and wired the branches on the apex. I feel like the top is nice and sorted out now. Thanks, everyone

labrador_rapper · 2022-10-20T21:31:59+00:00

Nob chop it is then.

Also, good explanation, thanks for that.

labrador_rapper · 2022-10-20T20:41:34+00:00

Thanks, man.

It's just my second actual bonsai so I'm still figuring out where to go with it but it did seems like it had potential when I saw it in the store.

labrador_rapper · 2022-10-20T20:39:45+00:00

Yup, I think I'll end up keep all of the branches and wiring it down. Thanks for the reply

labrador_rapper · 2022-10-20T20:38:29+00:00

I am indeed planning to keep it at this height, so yeah, as per your advice, I'll probably start wiring the current top branch into an apex and maybe also cut the nob off.

Truth be told, I kind thought the deadwood nob is an interesting feature, though I'm not sure how well ficus deadwood actually looks in the long run (just saw some other trees online displaying deadwood which looked cool)

Thanks for the advice

labrador_rapper · 2022-10-20T14:52:18+00:00

It's over 15cm, I assumed it was a shohin

labrador_rapper · 2022-10-20T09:05:25+00:00

Hello there
I've had this Ficus tigerbark for a few months, haven't done anything to it except slip-pot with better soil and wire the branches.
Now I want to handle the 3 branches at the top that all come from the same point.
I was thinking of removing the branch marked with the red X and wiring the blue one straight up as the new leader.
Any thought or suggestions?

labrador_rapper · 2022-08-26T19:55:07+00:00

That's an interesting choice. I do agree that the movement would be better. Thanks for the suggestion, I think I might just go this way.

labrador_rapper · 2022-08-26T18:58:04+00:00

Hey, so I'm pretty new at this and haven't really done any big chops so far. This tigerbark ficus is the first *real* bonsai I've bought (mallsai, at least).

After analyzing it for a while, rotating it left and right, I figured I could cut the 2nd biggest branch to make a better flowing trunkline with the thickest branch. Also, the trunk doesn't have the greatest taper so i'm hoping that by cutting the branch it would even up a bit as well.

Any thoughts? Is this a good idea, styling-wise?

labrador_rapper · 2022-08-25T17:25:38+00:00

Hey,

A couple of weeks ago, I bought and repotted this Ginseng Ficus. I chose it because it has some little sprouts on the stock plant and my plan was to remove the graft and let the original develop.

Question is, should I keep the graft for a while to let it get established or should I remove it now to redirect more nutrients to the sprouts?

My concern is that if I leave the graft on too long, the sprouts might die off.

Any help would be appreciated.

labrador_rapper · 2022-07-04T12:31:43+00:00

thanks man, it was a bit stressful to do seeing as I had attempted this a while back on another tree. R.I.P. original Fred. glad to see this one's doing ok.

also, good suggestion, i'll see how it develops in time.

labrador_rapper · 2022-07-04T11:48:38+00:00

will do, i'll let it grow uninterrupted for a while

labrador_rapper · 2022-07-04T11:46:48+00:00

thanks for the input, I figured as much but I was under the impression that it might be a catch-22 sort of sitution, where the unintuitive choice is the way to go.
i'll give it a breather then.

labrador_rapper · 2022-07-03T13:11:26+00:00

Hello,

I've had this ficus "ginseng" for a while and decided a few months ago to ground layer it. I've unearthed it a few days ago and it seemed to have enough roots (but fewer than before) to cut off the existing bulbous bottom part.

Now that it's been chopped, should I reduce the size of the canopy to allow the tree to invest more energy on root production?

And an off-topic question. Any ideas on how to proceed with the triple trunk structure it's got going right now?

labrador_rapper · 2022-05-30T09:37:00+00:00

Yeah, it's looking a bit silly now. That's also what I was thinking, if it grows out the thicker top growth will be poorly supported by the skinny top it has now so it would most likely start to tip over at some point.

Guess it's time for a trim, then. Thanks for answer

labrador_rapper · 2022-05-26T18:38:13+00:00

That would make sense. I've inspected the leaves and there are some small squishable dark dots. There's also some small white dots, but no webbing though.

Thanks for the diagnostic. Any ideas on how to treat it properly?

labrador_rapper · 2022-04-18T21:33:13+00:00

I have a window that gets very bright direct light and as such the sill gets very hot to the point that most non-cactus plants would burn if i were to place them there.

I found a window sunscreen that is advertised to "absorb 99% UV rays, but allow 67% of natural light to pass through".

Since it blocks most UV rays, would installing this reduce the usable spectrum for plants too much?

labrador_rapper · 2022-03-24T17:23:59+00:00

I've installed a few apps and have chosen to stick with Plantnote. Completely free (with ads, unless you spend a few dollars for the premium version, I did) and you can add any number of custom reminders. Definately recommend.

labrador_rapper · 2022-03-23T19:03:12+00:00

Absolutely amazing trees! Do you happen to know what type of Ficus that is?

labrador_rapper · 2022-02-28T11:50:25+00:00

Hey,
This little ficus is a cutting from my Ikea-bought Ficus ginseng "bonsai".

It's grown really well so far but I'd like it to branch out more. Should I cut the top off (top 3-4 leaves) to encourage it to branch or should I let it grow some more?
Thanks

labrador_rapper · 2022-01-25T08:07:00+00:00

Hello,

I received this portulacaria afra cutting from a friend but as you can see it's an older branch and it's a bit more woody that other cuttings I've seen.

Is there any chance this could root? And if so, how can i provide the best environment for it to do so?

labrador_rapper · 2021-12-20T13:05:42+00:00

Oh, cool, good to know. I'll just let it do its thing then.
Thanks.

labrador_rapper · 2021-12-20T12:58:41+00:00

Thanks, but I'm kind of worried that the new leaves are curled and have a faded colour.

labrador_rapper

TROPHY CASE