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Found a bargain on some ficus trees... what now?

Alex (5 - Nebraska)

6 years ago

At a local garage sale yesterday I purchased four ficus trees for a couple bucks a piece, with the idea of possibly turning at least a few of them into bonsais. I believe the species is the Benjamina, but these are actually my first ficus trees ever and I figured I would check with the pros here.

All of them seem to be in relatively good health. The root balls were damp when purchased and have since been potted around to fill what I had on hand pot-wise. New growth is appearing in several places on each tree. I think they were hit by a storm or something, but the woman assured me they'd bounce back strong.

Some pictures:

Plant A

Plant B

Plant C

Plant D

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Comments (4)

Alex (5 - Nebraska)
Original Author
6 years ago
1. Are these healthy enough that I can chop them down a little? I tried to read up on ficus yesterday, and understand that Benjamina don't handle chopping the trunk very well. I figured I could take care of the roots and put them into some containers with gritty mix, but how much can I prune off? I am most excited about trying to bonsai a few of them, but would also like to have one nice, normal tree come out of the four.

2. Can I prune the roots and, if so, how much can I take off? I understand the relationship with roots to foliage, but if I'm wanting to bring the trunks way down eventually can I root prune harder right now?

3. In southeast Nebraska, could I plant one of these in the ground for the summer if I was trying to thicken it up/increase overall size?

4. Are there any suggested resources online, or books to get from the library for these plants?

I'm very eager to start working on these things.

And always, thanks so much for this message board. It's been a wonderful resource.
Dave
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Check out these links.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1476078/ficus-trees-in-containers-iv?n=223

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/2842847/container-soils-water-movement-and-retention?n=8

Yes, a lot to read, but you will learn all you need to know about your F. Benjamina and how to care for the trees.

Dont plant it in the ground. But you can introduce them to full direct sun outside for the summer. They'd really take off.

Repotting and root pruning should be done in mid/late June.

side note: this section of the forum is for edible figs. Your Ficus doesn't fall into that category so you probably won't get a ton of replies.
Alex (5 - Nebraska) thanked Dave
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I would add that you need to keep it out of the rain so the rootball can dry somewhat. No leaves no need for keeping the soil wet. It might rot the roots before it can put out new leaves and start the regrowth process. Yes it is going to take patience and maybe many months before it gets anywhere near it previous self. I agree with patris that feeding when the plant is not hungry (AKA no leaves to feed) would not help at this point. Wait for new growth and then feed lightly as your baby regains its strength. The sooty mold is probably from a bug problem that has started or was unnoticed until the leaf loss happened. Look for scale, aphids or even heaven for bid mealy bugs. The sooty mold is the poop from one of this critters and can be washed off with a teaspoon of soap to a gallon of water. It may take a few times so again be patient. Good Luck and Happy Growing David
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Found a bargain on some ficus trees... what now?
Q
Comments (0)
At a local garage sale yesterday I purchased four ficus trees for a couple bucks a piece, with the idea of possibly turning at least a few of them into bonsais. I believe the species is the Benjamina, but these are actually my first ficus trees ever and I figured I would check with the pros here. All of them seem to be in relatively good health. The root balls were damp when purchased and have since been potted around to fill what I had on hand pot-wise. New growth is appearing in several places on each tree. I think they were hit by a storm or something, but the woman assured me they'd bounce back strong. Some pictures: Plant A Plant B Plant C Plant D
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Found a bargain on some ficus trees... what now?
Q
Comments (3)
They look pretty healthy to me. Stressed at some point but decent amounts of healthy foliage still. I haven't done drastic chopping on any of my ficus and have heard benjamina can have issues but have also heard of good success even after chopping below all growth. Imo, plants a, c and D look like good candidates for chopping. You can still leave the low branches below your cut. The health of the roots will affect how successful this will be. Nice aerated medium, gritty mix or 511 mix, maybe pruning roots you don't want around the future nebari and anything crossing, growing straight down, etc. So, good light, good soil, temps not lower then 50-55 since it sounds like you are keeping them mostly outside right now and then choppy chop. That's what I would do. Go easy on fertilizer until they are established again. FWIW, I have a T5HO florescent light for my ficus and other plants that would suffer with low light and am pretty much able to repot or cutback things whenever I need to. The light has definitely improved my plants' lives for the months they are in the house.
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Found a bargain on some ficus trees... what now?
Q
Comments (0)
I feel like I'm spamming at this point... this is a post I made in Figs and then Bonsai and now in House Plants. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated! At a local garage sale yesterday I purchased four ficus trees for a couple bucks a piece, with the idea of possibly turning at least a few of them into bonsais. I believe the species is the Benjamina, but these are actually my first ficus trees ever and I figured I would check with the pros here. All of them seem to be in relatively good health. The root balls were damp when purchased and have since been potted around to fill what I had on hand pot-wise. New growth is appearing in several places on each tree. I think they were hit by a storm or something, but the woman assured me they'd bounce back strong. Some pictures: Plant A Plant B Plant C Plant D 1. Are these healthy enough that I can chop them down a little? I tried to read up on ficus yesterday, and understand that Benjamina don't handle chopping the trunk very well. I figured I could take care of the roots and put them into some containers with gritty mix, but how much can I prune off? I am most excited about trying to bonsai a few of them, but would also like to have one nice, normal tree come out of the four. 2. Can I prune the roots and, if so, how much can I take off? I understand the relationship with roots to foliage, but if I'm wanting to bring the trunks way down eventually can I root prune harder right now? 3. In southeast Nebraska, could I plant one of these in the ground for the summer if I was trying to thicken it up/increase overall size? 4. Are there any suggested resources online, or books to get from the library for these plants? I'm very eager to start working on these things. And always, thanks so much for this message board. It's been a wonderful resource.
...See More
Alex (5 - Nebraska)
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks for the response, Dave. I hadn't realized this was only for edible plants, and will repost in the bonsai section.

Prior to posting, I pored over the threads you've linked to. For some reason, however, it always feels much more reassuring to get some advice on the specific tree in question with all the applicable variables stated and known.

I appreciate your feedback!
Dave
6 years ago
You're welcome.

Id start with the houseplant section as these are pretty far from bonsai at the moment.

I'd work on getting them heatheir and repotted first.

Al, (Tapla) is the guy you need. He knows all about Ficus and bonsai.

Post in the houseplants section and he will probably see it and respond.
Alex (5 - Nebraska) thanked Dave

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