The tree is a variety of Ficus microcarpa, most commonly ginseng ficus. It needs much more light than it's been getting, and should be pruned back to a single trunk - possibly 2 if you have decent pruning skills.

Al

The last plant is an aglaonema. Good houseplant, no direct sun. Someone else probably knows exact variety.

Thanks Al. I don't think I have any pruning skills with the exception of being able to squeeze the shears! So I certainly can give it more light. I assume bright indirect light like most house plants need? So do you mean to cut back/off all the little branches except 2? I will google the name so I can see how to care for it. They said it has been in the same pot for at least 3 years.

I think a lot of people get confused with the term bright indirect light.

any sunlight through a window will be filtered and therefore it will not be direct sunlight.

Sun is much weaker coming through the glass than you think.

That said, the ficus would do best in a southern facing window that gets full sun all day. Close to the window with no blinds.

Wow, those are nice looking plants! Even though a couple are a little gangly, more light can take care of that. The manjula look perfect.

Glad the owners found someone to care for them. Being on the other side and having to give up plants when you move is rough- after you've cared for them a long time. But it's a little easier when you know someone is excited to get them!!

Thanks Dave. I have a window sill that some succulents thrive on. Just outside along that wall I have tomatoes that love the full daytime sun, south facing. I will try that area.

I asked some questions in "part 2" about repotting/transplanting. Do I wait or should I do it now? I would think that if these plants (and the others in "part 2") if they have been in the same pots for 3 years may need something.

Sara,

I think the people giving them up felt the same way. I live 75 miles away from the town the people lived in. I saw the ad on CL and emailed and said I would be in that town in 3 days to drop my daughter off at the airport. I told them I did not expect them to "hold" the plants but if they were still available (they were selling all of them for $20) I would love to have them. The lady emailed me back right away and said that they were mine and she would hold them because she was happy to find someone that would actually be excited to get them and take good care of them. She deleted the CL ad right away and I picked them up 3 days later!

The Manjula plants I got at Lowes.

The bulbous, somewhat fleshy roots are adaptations that allow the plant to store water, which means the plant is quite drought tolerant, so let the plant get quite dry before watering. I'd hurry & repot asap, then prune the plant WAY back to maybe 1 or 2 healthy leaves on each branch. After looking closer, she secondary branching of the 2 primary trunks that are stubbed off can stay. But do give the plant more light and prune after repotting as soon as it starts to push growth again. Fertilize about the time you prune. Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 will serve very well as your 'go to' fertilizer for almost everything you might grow. The 2 exceptions I've found are hibiscus and tomatoes. Both like a little more K, which is easy to supplement.

Al

You got some great looking plants for a great price!!!

I just recently bought a Manjula Pothos from Walmart. Mines is a small one though.

Al, Thank you so much! I have ordered the ingredients for your "recipe" and they should be here within a week or 10 days. I will wait til then to re-pot as I have nothing but a half bag of MG and have learned (here) that is not good for my plants. I will get some Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 as well. It was wet when I got it, they must have just watered it. I will not water it and it is now in good sunlight. I am so glad I found this forum. I did not know that I did not know much about plant care.

Is that the same type plant as mine? I wonder if the one I have was originally a bonsai and it simply was not cared for properly?

I agree about being humble about what we don't know. I work in mental health and even though I have done it for 16 years I try to keep my ego very small and remember I don't know everything.

The plant I worked on today is F retusa, a VERY close relative of F microcarpa, your plant. They like the same cultural conditions, share the same growth habits, and would be difficult to tell apart if not for your gensing fig's unique (to the genus) root structure. It might have been sold as a bonsai or a pre-bonsai at some point, but the owner had no knowledge of how to tend to it, so just allowed it to grow - hard to say.

The tree I worked was a leftover from a workshop our club had. It was a tree no one wanted. I've had it about 10 years and have altered it significantly through chops (cutting most of the trunk off, then training a branch upward as a new leader).

It was only last year that I decided to train it as 2 trees. Eventually, the larger tree on the right will hover over the smaller tree in a mother/daughter arrangement. I'll repot it next summer into it's first bonsai pot where I can start refining it. Like yours, it's a strong (genetically vigorous) tree, which is why I removed a lot of leaves and cut the remaining leaves in half to slow it down. Limiting its ability to make food by reducing foliage volume limits internode length (the distance between leaves) and leaf size, both of which are desirable for bonsai.

Good luck with your repotting and the recovery. Let me know if there is anything you think I can help with.

I've spent time in Montana, the Bridger Range, Gravelly Range, Big Timber, and the Shields River Bottom, and loved every minute of it. What a beautiful State. One of my clearest memories was being on the ground while bow hunting elk, and ending up within 5 ft of a 42" plus Shiras bull moose in full rut who was raking the fresh blowdown I was using for cover. That was a scary moment, but still a fond memory of time spent in the mountains & foothills of your lovely state, which also has a way of making you feel humble while traversing its mountainous parts.

Sorry to have wandered so far from the OT.

Al

I always enjoy talk of Montana. Was born and raised here. My dad was a self-employed lumber jack and logger so we were always in the woods. Spent most of my life here with the exception of a stint in the Army. Moose are incredible. You got to see one very close! My little brother got a moose tag once many years ago (you must put in for it and it is a drawing). He was not a big bull but still magnificent and tasted fabulous! I spotted the bull and he dropped him. We go hunting every year. Once my step dad was taking the kids out fishing on a mountain lake. A bull moose got in the water and followed the boat all over the lake. Could have been disastrous but he kept his distance.

I will keep this updated as soon as I get my stuff to re-pot. I then may take some more detailed photos of the Ficus and ask for more direction for pruning.