I like the front you chose. For some reason the other side makes me think of a fist 👊🏽 or something. "Root over Fist" 😆 Also nice low branching after the chop, looks healthy.
I love a root over rock! I just haven't quite found the right rock. I might have a ficus ready to go next year for this experiment, mine are recovering from potato harvest 😊
Great tree! Do you keep this out in full sun? I can't decide where to keep mine, I have 3. I have been keeping them indoors, but not sure how close to the grow lights I need to keep them. Right now they are taking up space on the kitchen table.
@@lisawagner6076 Thanks! And yes I do keep them in full sun. However, if you move them outside, I would move them out into full shade for the first week or two in order to transition. Then a part sun/part shade for a week or two. Then full sun. But if you keep them indoor year round, probably safe to go full sun without the transition.
@jameswalker3416 Well, yes and no lol. At the moment I'm actually trying to downsize the indoor trees. But, once I get that down to a more manageable size, then yes!
Hi Mike, I'm new to your channel and have been enjoying your videos. I have what may be a dumb question: why do you cut so much off at a time? I'm not being accusatory, I really want to know what the goal is. I've always been fascinated with bonsai. Unfortunately I failed a couple times but in the future I'd like to try again. Recently I've been watching yours and one other channel and it's something I wish I learned years ago. Thanks for your videos!
Thank you, I appreciate that! And not a dumb question at all, I remember thinking the same thing when I watched people pruning off so much at a time. For the first few years I did the opposite and only trimmed a little here and there. But I found that the trees ended up with these long, straight branches without any movement in them and without any taper. But by pruning back to the first 2 or 3 leaves, the branches then grows in a different direction, and is relatively thinner then the branch it grew from. And so you do that again and again and again and you end up getting a tree with a lot of cool movement in it and a lot of good taper. It definitely takes longer! But in the end it ends up being worth it.
@@BonsaiBoise thank you very much! I didn't realize that the trees needed to be pruned back so much to get those interesting shapes...I thought it was more a thing that just happens rather than something that can be directed. Or just really good luck lol. I live in Scotland but will be moving back to the US soon, so I don't want to invest in any pricey plants because I can't take them home with me. (I have a Christmas Cactus that my mother is plant-sitting for me while I'm here because I couldn't take it with me, and it took me 14 years to find one like it.) So for now I'll keep researching. I found a used book site with great prices and I'm going to buy a couple books. Are there any you recommend? Thanks again and hope your weekend is a good one.
I like the front you chose. For some reason the other side makes me think of a fist 👊🏽 or something. "Root over Fist" 😆
Also nice low branching after the chop, looks healthy.
Thanks! I'm hoping the structure ends up looking ok.
Nice!
Thanks!
Like it! Trying a ficus cutting root over rock myself.
Thanks!
I love a root over rock! I just haven't quite found the right rock. I might have a ficus ready to go next year for this experiment, mine are recovering from potato harvest 😊
I just repotted another ficus that had a rock under it. I totally forgot I even did that!
Great tree! Do you keep this out in full sun? I can't decide where to keep mine, I have 3. I have been keeping them indoors, but not sure how close to the grow lights I need to keep them. Right now they are taking up space on the kitchen table.
@@lisawagner6076 don't put them straight into full sun but shade them for a week or 2 and slowly harden them to full sun.
@@lisawagner6076 Thanks! And yes I do keep them in full sun. However, if you move them outside, I would move them out into full shade for the first week or two in order to transition. Then a part sun/part shade for a week or two. Then full sun. But if you keep them indoor year round, probably safe to go full sun without the transition.
Mike, do you have any variegated ficus?
@@jameswalker3416 Nope, I don't think I've ever come across any.
@@BonsaiBoise do you want one?
@jameswalker3416 Well, yes and no lol. At the moment I'm actually trying to downsize the indoor trees. But, once I get that down to a more manageable size, then yes!
@BonsaiBoise you've got my email. If you want one, just let me know.
@@BonsaiBoise downsizing??
Hi Mike, I'm new to your channel and have been enjoying your videos.
I have what may be a dumb question: why do you cut so much off at a time? I'm not being accusatory, I really want to know what the goal is.
I've always been fascinated with bonsai. Unfortunately I failed a couple times but in the future I'd like to try again. Recently I've been watching yours and one other channel and it's something I wish I learned years ago. Thanks for your videos!
Thank you, I appreciate that! And not a dumb question at all, I remember thinking the same thing when I watched people pruning off so much at a time. For the first few years I did the opposite and only trimmed a little here and there. But I found that the trees ended up with these long, straight branches without any movement in them and without any taper. But by pruning back to the first 2 or 3 leaves, the branches then grows in a different direction, and is relatively thinner then the branch it grew from. And so you do that again and again and again and you end up getting a tree with a lot of cool movement in it and a lot of good taper. It definitely takes longer! But in the end it ends up being worth it.
@@BonsaiBoise thank you very much! I didn't realize that the trees needed to be pruned back so much to get those interesting shapes...I thought it was more a thing that just happens rather than something that can be directed. Or just really good luck lol.
I live in Scotland but will be moving back to the US soon, so I don't want to invest in any pricey plants because I can't take them home with me. (I have a Christmas Cactus that my mother is plant-sitting for me while I'm here because I couldn't take it with me, and it took me 14 years to find one like it.) So for now I'll keep researching. I found a used book site with great prices and I'm going to buy a couple books. Are there any you recommend?
Thanks again and hope your weekend is a good one.