For you folks in the warmer tropical climates, I have a question. Some of our growers of tropical bonsai here in the New England, USA area (zone 6ish) have asked me about inducing back budding on ficus benjamina. Seems we have more trouble getting plenti
ful budding along the branches and trunks than on, say, the Ficus Nerifolia which is an awesome plant for bonsai. With the narrow leaf ficus, we can score the bark in the spring and defoliate (before putting outside) and then new buds often emerge these t
hese sites. This has been pretty successful. Not successful with the benjamina though. Any help would be appreciated (also any pertinent cultural care for this species).
thanks,
John Romano


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John,
Back budding on a benjamina is an iffy proposition.
Scoring the bark works sometimes.
Also allowing the tree full rampant growth and then de-budding and
defoliating the whole tree. It also helps to keep your fingers crossed.
Grafting is the surest was to get a branch where it is needed.
Culturally the benjamina is happiest in good strong light and allowed to get
a bit dry before watering again.
Good luck.
Jerry Meislik
Whitefish Montana USA
Zone 4-5
http://www.bonsaihunk.8m.com/
For you folks in the warmer tropical climates, I have a question. Some of our
growers of tropical bonsai here in the New England, USA area (zone 6ish) have
asked me about inducing back budding on ficus benjamina. Seems we have more
trouble getting plentiful budding along the branches and trunks than on, say,
the Ficus Nerifolia which is an awesome plant for bonsai. With the narrow
leaf ficus, we can score the bark in the spring and defoliate (before putting
outside) and then new buds often emerge these these sites. This has been
pretty successful. Not successful with the benjamina though. Any help would
be appreciated (also any pertinent cultural care for this species).
thanks,
John Romano


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You are right Jerry. It is much easier to get back budding on benjamina by
grafting. We used to drill a hole on the trunk and insert a thin branch in
it. It will gradually grow thicker and become the new branch. Just a safe
way of grafting.
Budi
----- Original Message -----
From: Jerry Meislik
To:
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 11:37 PM
Subject: [IBC] ficus benjamina


John,
Back budding on a benjamina is an iffy proposition.
Scoring the bark works sometimes.
Also allowing the tree full rampant growth and then de-budding and
defoliating the whole tree. It also helps to keep your fingers crossed.
Grafting is the surest was to get a branch where it is needed.
Culturally the benjamina is happiest in good strong light and allowed to
get
a bit dry before watering again.
Good luck.
Jerry Meislik
Whitefish Montana USA
Zone 4-5
http://www.bonsaihunk.8m.com/
For you folks in the warmer tropical climates, I have a question. Some
of our
growers of tropical bonsai here in the New England, USA area (zone 6ish)
have
asked me about inducing back budding on ficus benjamina. Seems we have
more
trouble getting plentiful budding along the branches and trunks than on,
say,
the Ficus Nerifolia which is an awesome plant for bonsai. With the
narrow
leaf ficus, we can score the bark in the spring and defoliate (before
putting
outside) and then new buds often emerge these these sites. This has
been
pretty successful. Not successful with the benjamina though. Any help
would
be appreciated (also any pertinent cultural care for this species).
thanks,
John Romano



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+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++



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In a message dated 2/8/2005 4:09:06 PM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:


The other is to cut it very short. This doesn't actually
make the trunk bigger, but it makes the perception of its size
bigger because of scale. And bonsai is primarily about perception
after all.

The Ficus benjamina will not reliably back bud if all foliage is removed, so
be careful with trunk chops.

Billy on the Florida Space Coast

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In a message dated 2/8/2005 5:58:10 PM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

With the direction the window is facing, It gets direct light
from about 1:00 on.

Light through a window is never the same as outside, some frequencies
are cut out. As far north as you are the light intensity is also greatly
reduced.

I also have a small fluorescent light I put on it

Unless the light is within one inch of the foliage you are not helping
much.

Light is a fascinating subject. Direct sun is just about impossible to
reproduce. Artificial light sources such as florescent tend to drop off in
effective energy for plants very quickly,

Billy on the Florida Space Coast

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Yes, growing Ficus outside is better. Mine grow faster, larger (thicker),
greener; the leaves are closer together and the leaves are smaller -- more
in tune with a bonsai look rather than a waxleaf bush in a pot look.

I have two that I can swap out here and there.

I seem to remember a Japanese bonsai book recommended having a number of
trees then just taking one home on the weekend and bringing a new one on
Monday -- not more than a week at a time. Of course he was talking Maples,
Elms and such, not Ficus.

That said, I did keep one of them (Ficus benjamina that is) on my desk with
bright but indirect light only (there were trees in front of the East facing
window) for about 6 months straight before I moved and I still have it three
years later.

Odd thing is, I move them in and out and all around the yard from
half-direct sun to no full sun all the time and they don't drop their
leaves. When I was a kid, just moving them around inside the house would
often result in complete leaf drop. Wonder if keeping them outside helps
with that or if these are a newer 'breed' that they have 'fixed' that in.

John
in Houston



"Billy M. Rhodes" wrote in message
...
In a message dated 2/8/2005 5:58:10 PM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

With the direction the window is facing, It gets direct light
from about 1:00 on.

Light through a window is never the same as outside, some
frequencies
are cut out. As far north as you are the light intensity is also greatly
reduced.

I also have a small fluorescent light I put on it

Unless the light is within one inch of the foliage you are not
helping
much.

Light is a fascinating subject. Direct sun is just about impossible
to
reproduce. Artificial light sources such as florescent tend to drop off in
effective energy for plants very quickly,

Billy on the Florida Space Coast


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I seem to remember a Japanese bonsai book recommended having a number of
trees then just taking one home on the weekend and bringing a new one on
Monday -- not more than a week at a time.

I used to have a display area in my office when I lived/worked in the Chicago
area. I'd rotate a tree for a week at a time in the office, which had no
windows. I had rigged up a couple "gro-lights", and the trees didn't appear to
suffer undully from the treatment. They didn't *like* it, but it worked.

And my staff thought it was rather cool

Nic
Aotearoa / New Zealand

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In a message dated 2/8/2005 9:19:24 PM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

I used to have a display area in my office when I lived/worked in the
Chicago
area. I'd rotate a tree for a week at a time in the office, which had no
windows.

I started at my current company almost 10 years ago. After a while I
brought a tree to my own office. One day a VP came in and asked if I would put
it in the lobby instead. We have a real live receptionist, a small waiting
area and a "coffee" table. I put a Bonsai stand on the coffee table and rotate a
weekly (usually) tree. The lobby gets indirect light through some large
windows. This week there is a really nice collected Buttonwood on the coffee table.
The display height is much too low but the trees don't care. The trees don't
seem to suffer from being inside for the few days either. (Mon. - Fri.)
Billy on the Florida Space Coast

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The best way to get a thick trunk on a Ficus where you are is to start with
a bigger Ficus. why wait for a small plant to get big to cut it way back.
Makes better sense to start with a bigger plant that has a thicker trunk.
Sometimess nurseries in my area have sales on large Ficus when they get leggy.
these are good for bonsai. they are perfect material.
Just make sure that when you start cutting it back that you havee leaves at
the highest point of the plant or you lose entire branches above your
highest leaves. Ficus need leaves to draw food if there is no leaves that branch
dies. Ficus are easy otherwise.

SteveW

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In a message dated 2/9/05 12:06:50 AM, John in Houston writes:
I move them in and out and all around the yard from half-direct sun to no
full sun all the time and they don't drop their leaves. When I was a kid, just
moving them around inside the house would
often result in complete leaf drop. Wonder if keeping them outside helps
with that or if these are a newer 'breed' that they have 'fixed' that in.

Both.

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The best way to get a thick trunk on a Ficus where you are is to start with
a bigger Ficus. why wait for a small plant to get big to cut it way back.
Makes better sense to start with a bigger plant that has a thicker trunk.
Sometimes nurseries in my area have sales on large Ficus when they get leggy. these
are good for bonsai. they are perfect material.
Just make sure that when you start cutting it back that you keep leaves at
the highest point of the plant or you can lose entire branches above your
highest leaves. Ficus need leaves to draw food if there is no leaves that branch
dies. Ficus are easy otherwise.

SteveW

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The best way to get a thick trunk on a Ficus where you are is to start with
a bigger Ficus. why wait for a small plant to get big to cut it way back.
Makes better sense to start with a bigger plant that has a thicker trunk.
Sometimes nurseries in my area have sales on large Ficus when they get leggy. these
are good for bonsai. they are perfect material.
Just make sure that when you start cutting it back that you keep leaves at
the highest point of the plant or you can lose entire branches above your
highest leaves. Ficus need leaves to draw food if there is no leaves that branch
dies. Ficus are easy otherwise.
a mthod i did once and had success with was to let one branch grow from the
apex(top) of plant. I forced it to grow straight up by removing all lower
leaves. it grew fast and the trunk thickened.
SteveW
LI NY sorta zone 7 according to the maps.

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Steven Wachs wrote:
The best way to get a thick trunk on a Ficus where you are is to
start with
a bigger Ficus. why wait for a small plant to get big to cut it way
back.
Makes better sense to start with a bigger plant that has a thicker
trunk.
Sometimes nurseries in my area have sales on large Ficus when they
get leggy. these
are good for bonsai. they are perfect material.
Just make sure that when you start cutting it back that you keep
leaves at
the highest point of the plant or you can lose entire branches above
your
highest leaves. Ficus need leaves to draw food if there is no leaves
that branch
dies. Ficus are easy otherwise.

SteveW


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I guess the reason I'm not getting a bigger ficus is because a) they
tend to be expensive, and b) I've only been getting into bonsai for a
couple months now, and I don't really know what I'm doing yet. I don't
want to buy expensive trees until I know what I'm doing enough to not
screw them up.

Thanks for your advice on pruning. I'll make sure to do that.

I understand what you were saying. I mentioned tht they go on sale when they start getting leggy. They are not pretty houseplants anyore. However , this can be athe start of a bonsai without spending a bundle
If you have a place to keep Bonsai outdoors. When it gets a bit warmer , you can try sm all junipers. They are great for beginners to practice on. you end up with a nice bonsai as well

--
SteveW
Long Island NY

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