Leaf size and internode length and a feel for how dense it grows will tell us a lot about what's appropriate. Joe. Some of the smaller-leaved varieties if benjamina (like 'Too Little' for example) lend themselves nicely to being styled into palm-sized bonsai, while the species plant with its long internodes & larger leaves might not reduce enough to be suitable. I would encourage you to get your plants outdoors in the summer, and to pot them in larger pots so they have room to stretch out, and so their growth won't be inhibited by tight roots. A quick spray with the systemic Imidacloprid in the fall before you bring them in should eliminate any hitchhikers that might want to come along for the ride, and if you use it as a soil drench, it will take care of any subterranean denizens as well. Lol - I often have good intentions about 'designing' a tree from the outset. I do this all the time with cuttings I start, but invariably what happens is I see something later I like better & it all goes out the window. Let the tree tell you what it wants at first, but building taper into your trunks is always going to produce a more believable (natural looking) bonsai .... unless maybe you're working in the literati style. You can plan ahead on how to approach this 'trunk chop' think. Here are a couple of pictures of a larch in the process: before clearing some branches to let light to the bottom - where my tree will eventually be Now the instructional part. You can see that I already have the first branch wired into place on the right, and the new leader is wired into place on the left, pretty much in a diagonal line with the first branch. I'll chop the trunk an inch or so above that line & decide what to do with the deadwood. Larch heals quickly, so I may cut it close & allow the scar to heal, or create a deadwood feature. If you look closely, you'll also see lighter wire on the branch that comes back to toward the trunk, which is also a leader and makes the tree an informal upright. The fat branch with the heavy wire that moves up and to the left is a sacrifice branch. I've removed branching from it near the other leaders so there is no chance of it blocking the sun from the branches I intend to keep. After it does its job of fattening the branches/trunk below it, it will be pruned off ..... before it gets so large it would leave an unsightly scar. This procedure can be leapfrogged up the tree for as long as you have patience for. I have trident maples in the ground that are less than a foot tall with 3" trunks using that method of building taper. I use it on almost all my trees to add character and believability, which is a very big part of the essence of bonsai. AL

What a grower perceives as a bonsai specimen changes as his/her abilities change and exposure to the world of bonsai increases. At the entry level, small tree liners in bonsai pots are considered bonsai specimens by the beginner. As you grow in the hobby, your view of the liner in a pot changes as it relates to the individual's view of what constitutes a bonsai, but it's my feeling that someone's more discerning view should never override a beginner's view of what constitutes a bonsai or discourage a beginner from the satisfaction of being able to say "I practice bonsai". The essence of bonsai centers on the use of techniques used to transform a living thing into art, into something that represents a thing we might find in nature and evoke the feeling that the tree has a story to tell. That might sound far fetched, but once you've stood in front of a world class bonsai composition, you'll understand how evocative a plant can be. Is there a way to make a small ficus cutting grow into a Bonsai? Yes, of course. All bonsai were once cuttings or seedlings or propagated in some way. Many of the world's very best bonsai were collected from the wild. Many growers try their hand at bonsai, few persist because they find it too difficult to keep their trees alive, let alone healthy enough that they'll withstand the regular maintenance work it takes to keep the trees small and compact. When I was first exposed to the trees displayed at a bonsai show, by accident, my immediate reaction wasn't "I want to know how to do that", it was, "I HAVE to know how to do that". I was that taken with the artistry. I urge anyone willing to make the effort to increase the amount of personal satisfaction to be had from interacting with plants to try bonsai, but know too that it's a commitment. It isn't something you just DO - you have to want to work at it so you can get to where you can count on your plants being around long enough to make something special of them. Al

I do ficus cutting all the time and they root easily. That is why I started with 2 and probably have over 20. I work with small branches and put them in sharp sand and pearlite which I keep damp. Given room they grow quickly. you might consider buying a tree and cutting it down - it will send out lots of leaves where you cut and you may get the look you want faster. Penny

Hello all, I am new to this forum, and this is my first post. I am interested in learning as much as possible about the ficus benjamina tree. What I would like to accomplish is, bonsai that can be placed in vivaruims, for the use and enjoyment of crested geckos. The geckos come from New Caledonia, offshore of Australia, and many ficus can be found in Australia as well. In naturalistic setups, cresties have shown ficus benjamina to be a favorite. They live in trees in the Wild. My thinking so far is, There needs to be a good trunk size, for support, and good branches to follow. The growth needs to be more horizontal, with a good thick canopy to hide in. Depending on the cage size, growth may be allowed more vertical. From what I have read about the root growth from healthy trees, and about how regular root care helps vigor, I was thinking it would be best to leave the trees in a pot, as opposed to planting directly in the tank. For the "ready tree", I thought a shallow bonsai pot would look nice, like the "hill " in the landscape. I was also wondering if an Unglazed clay pot would help the roots to "breath "in the more humid inviorment of a terrarium. Lastly (for now :), Ineed to figure out how to grow cuttings as quickly as possible. I'm having trouble finding older stock to work with. I have a greenhouse, but it's not heated yet, so I only have until Oct. To Grow ficus outdoors. Any questions, comments, and sharing of knowledge would be welcome, Thank you :)! Loretta