dobrodoom

Ok. I have had this Ficus for about a year and do not know what to do with it. I bought it with the main trunk already cut off. Is that common?


I also have no clue what to cut back or whether I should put it in a normal pot and let it grow out for a year or so? It seems like there are too many branches but I have yet to figure out where I am going with this plant. I understand the art of Bonsai is in the artist/owner but I would love a push in the right direction.



Then I got this Nashia about two weeks ago (before I knew it was the I dry I die plant) :




This was an impulse purchase, I know I should have done research before buying and will do so from now on.
I know I need to get it out of the planter ASAP. Should I just get some fast draining soil on ebay and put it in a larger container or keep it in a smaller one. There is nowhere around East TN that I have found that has soil for sale. (I bought the Nashia at Evergreen but all they have is soil with moss that they said would not drain quickly. However, there are no Bonsai experts there, so should I try what they have?)
The roots seem to be growing like mad though. I feel like I should wait until next year to do any root cutting.

Oh, I know I am an AMATEUR. I have been using the internet for what little knowledge I do have. I also know I need to get some books. Could someone recommend a few?
ANY help/tips/recommendations/scolding would be appreciated.
Thanks, E.W.

treebeard55

Welcome to the forum, E.W.!

Your Ficus is a variety of Ficus microcarpa called "Ginseng" -- for obvious reasons. First, you need to decide whether you want to keep the present above-ground root structure. That's a personal-preference call. If you decide you don't, I would suggest burying the roots up to the orange line I've drawn at the next repot, so it can start developing a new nebari.

Once you make that decision, decide which angle of view you like best. You're choosing your front, at least tentatively.

Choose the largest and/or most interesting stem on the same side as the newly chosen front. Choose one other stem; this is your backup. Remove the rest -- yes, all of them. That way you avoid the development of reverse taper, and a healthy F. microcarpa can take it.

That's all I would do for the present, beyond making sure it is fertilized and watered regularly. Give it at least half-day sun. Don't worry about high humidity; it loves that!

This tree is still some time away from being ready to style. But Ficus grow quickly; if all goes well, you'll be able to style it in two years.

Attached Images

Ginseng Ficus.jpg (65.6 KB, 9 views)

__________________
Treebeard 55
Steve Moore
http://hoosierbonsai.blogspot.com

The most important bonsai tool is your brain.

treebeard55

E.W., I think your "Nashia" is actually a Fukien tea. (Ehretia microphylla, syn. Carmona microphylla.) Native to southeastern China, Indochina, Taiwan, that area; white flowers followed by berries; shrub in nature.

There's a lot of info out there on Fukien tea as bonsai; they've been in use for a long time. It's tropical/subtropical (as is your Ficus,) so it will need to be indoors in winter.

Your tree is still quite small; unless you want a mame or shohin bonsai, it needs a chance to grow some more. Besides that, it looks like it needs to recover from something, tho I can't be sure what. All I would do for now is cut off the one large leader that I've (again) marked with an orange line. That gives you a more interesting main line, and avoids reverse taper again.

Give it half-day sun. Morning sun is better; this is an understory shrub in the wild. Fertilize it, keep it watered, and watch out for whiteflies. The whiteflies we have here in IN, at least, have a particular sweet tooth for Fukien tea!

I'm not sure if a gentleman named Carl Rosner is a part of this forum too. If so, I'd check out his posts if I were you. He's had some great success with Fukien tea.

Attached Images

Nashia or Fukien.jpg (45.4 KB, 8 views)

__________________
Treebeard 55
Steve Moore
http://hoosierbonsai.blogspot.com

The most important bonsai tool is your brain.

dobrodoom

OK. Thanks for the advice.
I should have known better and done more research. I just thought Evergreen would at least know how to label the plants.
As far as container size for the Fukien tea, should I just go a little bigger so maybe it can start to heal?
I don't know how big of a problem this is but the roots are growing up and back down into the container like it has been in it for a long time. Would it be safe to just plant it so the roots can get sorted out or should I clip them?

treebeard55

The roots are getting crowded; that's why they're popping up and ducking back down. But I wouldn't repot yet, with the foliage so sparse. Feed it well, keep it watered, protect it from pests. If all goes well, in a couple of months it will stronger, with more foliage. That will be the time to repot into something that's about half-inch to an inch bigger in every dimension (or the equivalent in total volume.)

__________________
Treebeard 55
Steve Moore
http://hoosierbonsai.blogspot.com

The most important bonsai tool is your brain.