Trunk Chop Ficus
Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 1:14 pm
Petra
This plant is a little further along in size, but you would end up doing about the same thing with yours.
This is a Golden Gate Ficus I grew from a tip cutting. It was about 4 foot tall and the trunk is about 1 3/4" in diameter right above where it flares at the nebari.
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcfa.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcfa.jpg[/img][/url]
I took a pair of concave cutters and cut it off 5 1/2" above the new soil line.
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcfb.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcfb.jpg[/img][/url]
Since it is no longer a big plant, it doesn't need a big root system. So I combed out and washed the root system.
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcfc.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcfc.jpg[/img][/url]
Then I pruned off all the large roots growing down and trimmed back all the the finer roots closer to the trunk of the tree.
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcfd.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcfd.jpg[/img][/url]
I wired the two remaining branches upright. I'm not real fond of the location of the lower or sacrifice branch, but it will get pruned off before to long. I'll allow the new apex to grow unrestricted for about three more years. You might notice it's planted at a very slight angle that is hardly noticeable. I might change the angle more when I need to repot as the plant outgrows this 12" bulb pan.
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcfe.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcfe.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcff.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcff.jpg[/img][/url]
I had picked this plant out to grow out because I liked the root system on it.
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcfg.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcfg.jpg[/img][/url]
randy
This plant is a little further along in size, but you would end up doing about the same thing with yours.
This is a Golden Gate Ficus I grew from a tip cutting. It was about 4 foot tall and the trunk is about 1 3/4" in diameter right above where it flares at the nebari.
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcfa.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcfa.jpg[/img][/url]
I took a pair of concave cutters and cut it off 5 1/2" above the new soil line.
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcfb.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcfb.jpg[/img][/url]
Since it is no longer a big plant, it doesn't need a big root system. So I combed out and washed the root system.
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcfc.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcfc.jpg[/img][/url]
Then I pruned off all the large roots growing down and trimmed back all the the finer roots closer to the trunk of the tree.
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcfd.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcfd.jpg[/img][/url]
I wired the two remaining branches upright. I'm not real fond of the location of the lower or sacrifice branch, but it will get pruned off before to long. I'll allow the new apex to grow unrestricted for about three more years. You might notice it's planted at a very slight angle that is hardly noticeable. I might change the angle more when I need to repot as the plant outgrows this 12" bulb pan.
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcfe.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcfe.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcff.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcff.jpg[/img][/url]
I had picked this plant out to grow out because I liked the root system on it.
[url=https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/atcfg.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rjj/bonsai%20stuff/th_atcfg.jpg[/img][/url]
randy