bonsai ficus macrophyllum

15 years ago

Hello all, i finally got my camera back from my mother and figured i would take some pictures of my ficus that i have been trying to bonsai in my 80 gallon terrarium. I has been a real pain trying to get it to go vertical instead of horizontal. I had it in the green house I work in at my university. It took 5 years to get it nice and thick like this. I originally got it as a volunteer that popped up in an orchid pot 5 years earlier, and after a year an a half of trying to cut it back so it would die i decided to keep it! If any of you have any ideas on how to get the tree to go horizontal other than wiring, i cant seem to find the right kind of wire, either its way to flimsy and the tree bends it or it is way to hard for me to bend with my bare hands. Also im trying to get some cuttings that i got from my trees parent to try and root in between the sandstone slabs that i glued to the back of the terrarium.Anyways, all comments and suggestions are appreciated.

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Comments (8)

lucy
15 years ago
What pictures?
head_cutter
15 years ago
Probably having the same problem posting pics that I am...no matter what size I try to post I get a message that the file is too big :((

If it's growing horizontal maybe it would like to be a semi or full cascade?? Those are always nice.
If you really want it vert. maybe just put two sticks on either side and use some string to support it for a while?
Just my thoughts but I like to keep things simple most of the time anyway.

Bob
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lucy
15 years ago
Yes, it may just have a naturally horizontal growth pattern (though I find that a bit weird for Ficus), so why not just go with it instead of trying to fight it (in this case, at least)? I seriously suggest though that you go to Photobucket, and then post the link here - make your life easier.
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
15 years ago
Are you sure it's the Moreton Bay Fig(F.macrophylla)? They dont reproduce from seed in California. No fig wasp for them. I'm not sure if any of the ornamental figs reproduce here.
ambystomatid
Original Author
15 years ago
i got a picasa account and now i have the links so you all can see the tree, the cutting of it looks a bit rough but keep in mind that this tree was a weed for a long time before i decided to keep it

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greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
15 years ago
Thanks for the update with pics!
A picture paints a thousand words, as they say.

Josh
ambystomatid
Original Author
15 years ago
no problem
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
15 years ago
That is very,very,cool. If that doesn't look like a slice of overgrown Thai to Mayan Jungle....
The indoor giant terraium is something that should be enjoyed more by those in cold winter climates. Great alternative to a greenhouse.