Could also be a good prospect for an informal upright?

Good idea. I hadn't exactly considered that but I now will.....

Here ya go Ryan, saw this one when we were up the coast last weekend. Could use some work but a nice start, buttress is about 9-10" across.

Bob
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Beautiful Bob!

I'll take it! Man, if only they grew wild over here....

You can do the same thing with a collected willow. They respond well to being stumped and in a few seasons you can have a pretty nice head of foliage. I like the bark of the willow better too, more character.

That is true, but I heard Willows do not make good bonsai. Is that true?

They make great Bonsai.

Nice trees, Ryan and Bob!

Ryan, certain willows are better than others, mostly on account of leaf-size (and potential for reduction).
But nearly all willows are incredibly vigorous, so pruning and root-pruning for dramatic shape is well tolerated.

Josh

They are short lived though. Only about 20-30 years.

Here is the tree as of today:

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I plan to fuse the branches on the right together into 1 branch, then pick a leader from one of branches which I won't fuse.

I hope this works.
All the small trunks are cuttings from the main plant.
Every time i trim branches i stick them in the soil next to the main trunk.

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That is adorable!

Jane

The plant is nice, but I'm even more impressed by that mix!
Whoa, that looks crunchy!

Josh

That picture was take last April.
It has been growing since.
Next week I'll take another picture and post it.
Paul

Here's a picture of one of my nerifolias/salicifolias immediately after a repot. It needs pruning, but I waited until it recovered from the repot to prune the top. The twine is securing the tree so it can't move in relation to the pot. Trees that are secured so they can't move, reestablish in a fraction of the time it takes unsecured trees.
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Same tree after an extensive pruning - I think the tree is younger in this picture than it was in the one above because I didn't have the black background yet.
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Al

Nice tree's guys! I'll be looking forward to updates!

Josh~ I'm not surprised the mix caught your eye. ;-).
"crunchy" is an interesting word for it. lol.

Al~ That tree is amazing! I really like the shape.
If you ever run out of room, i'll adopt it. ;-)
JJ

Here is an updated pic of my tree:

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I want to fuse some of the branches, like the big cluster on the upper right, after I remove some of them, and the group of branches on the left.

Coming right along!

Josh

I thinned out the branches and I've decided to fuse them. This is what was suggested that I do with this tree:

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But that would cover up the great nebari (IMO) that this tree has. So by fusing them I hope to create one branch on the upper right and one on the mid left of the trunk. I also hope that the pruning of branches allows a new bud to sprout near the cut, which I would then use as the new leader:

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Your bonsia is coming along nicely keep up the good work.

Here is a link that might be useful: ficus benjamina bonsai

I changed my mind about fusing the branches and here is the tree as of a few days ago:

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Good choice.

I've been following this thread hoping you'd see that isn't the best idea. I'm thinking you're going to be keeping a branch at the bottom (left) side of the slanted chop cut, so I would wire the best branch to a horizontal position & add some movement to it - up & down and side to side. As soon as I'm sure the branch isn't going to die back, I would remove all the other branches in the immediate area of the one I'm going to keep. Rubbing buds off of the willowleaf as they appear where branches are unwanted is a good practice, as unsightly bulges occur when clusters of branches are allowed to form, which is this tree's habit.

Want to talk a little more about how to address the chop scar after that branch is established, or do you have that all under control?

Al

Thank you Al. I know it is not too visible in that picture, but there is a bud right about here:

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There is a bud around the area circled in red. I will, eventually, cut the branch I've marked in yellow. The bud circled will become the new leader and help heal the chop site.

Sure thing, I would love to hear about how to address the chop site. Thanks!

A little off topic

Al
I found Pine Bark Nuggets and other Pine Bark products but not Pine Bark fines. Will the Nuggets or other Pine Bark products work as well?
Thanks Dan

Dan,
any fine Pine Bark will work as long as it's in the appropriate size-range.
That range for Pine Bark is between 1/8 and 3/8 of an inch.

I use Fir Bark - marketed as "Orchid Bark - fine grade." I screen the Fir Bark
over a 1/4 inch grate.

Josh

Thanks Josh
The Pine Bark Nuggets are too large, the smallest being almost an inch in size. A wood chipper might make them too fine
Dan

11 Months later. (If it works)

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The ficus above was re-potted in a standard mix of grow grit, "Turface", and moss made by "Bonsai West".(It looks like there may be bark mixed in.)Some of the "Crunch" (:>) was used on top as fill.
The pruned branches are dipped in root-tone and planted. Most of them have rooted.
The wire used to tie the main plant and 7 cuttings together was left on to long.
Paul