Hi - I like it, but have a question - what is that green stuff :-) which I think it's probably competing like mad for nutrients and water, never mind root space, with the ficus.... which is not to say it couldn't be put in its own pot after all.

If you truly want to bonsai this plant, you could/should cut all the branches right down to just above the last leaf on each, and wait for new growth and potential branches to show up, then shape those over time into a more 'bonsai' looking thing.

I like the pot, but I might use a more rectangular one, or at least something without an inward curling top, with the whole rootball sitting higher on the soil if you choose to bonsai it. In fact the one thing I'd do no matter what is to get the whole rootball higher in whatever pot you use... with the bulbous part of the roots above ground - more interesting and less likely to cause rot of those parts.

Or you could just enjoy it as is, possibly cutting down some of the branches a bit to get more diverse and bushier growth... and just have an interesting houseplant, s'up to you. It's not a trad bonsai of course anyway, so plonking it in a rect. pot or something might be conventional, but would it be any more attractive?

This post was edited by moochinka on Mon, Sep 8, 14 at 18:47

That green stuff is simply a type of sedum. I just grabbed a bit off the ground and stuck it in there to add some kind of cover when I repotted the ficus from a much smaller pot. It really grows very shallow and probably is not much competition. Either way, it would come out really easily.

The pot isn't meant to be a permanent one; it was just one I had on hand at the time.

I think I'm more inclined to not try to go bonsai, but enjoy it as a potted plant. However, I would like it to be more full and not so leggy.

Thanks for the comments.

I agree- it's a cool pot and a fairly healthy looking, nice plant but it doesn't really look much like a bonsai. If it's not too brittle maybe you could use some kind of ties to pull the bottom branches in to make it look more dense. Of course there's a slight risk in damaging the branches. Maybe rubber bands?