New to bonsai - want to attempt root over rock with ficus

[dextersmom]

Hello - I recieved a ginseng ficus last year for my birthday and didn't do anything with it, to tell you the truth I didn't even realize it was a bonsai. I found out an friend is a bonsai guru and have been inspired to give it a go.

So I have a healthy bonsai that I want to attempt the root over rock style - I've done a bit of reading and figured that I should attempt to grow the roots a bit longer first. I went out and picked up a peice of PVC piping and stopped when I realized I wasn't sure if I should cut off some of the existing root structure first as three main (thick) roots are growing sideways. I don't want to cut to much off as I really don't want to add a couple of months onto the growth it's going to need but I'm not sure if they are to thick, pointing the wrong way, etc.

Also, I was going to fill most of the PVC piping with rocks for drainage and then use a catcus soil mix with added perlite to help with the water absorpatin/drainage. Does that sound alright?

I'm going to try and include some pictures here as soon as I figure out how...
https://s1189.photobucket.com/albums/z424/Dextersmom2/?action=view&current=IMG_1696.jpg
https://s1189.photobucket.com/albums/z424/Dextersmom2/?action=view&current=IMG_1697.jpg
https://s1189.photobucket.com/albums/z424/Dextersmom2/?action=view&current=IMG_1699.jpg

[Gnome]

dextersmom,

Hello and welcome to the forum. I'm not so sure that this species is a wise choice for ROR. The thick roots you mention are a dominant feature of this plant. I don't own this species of Ficus but I believe that I have read that even if you cut the heavy roots they eventually are renewed.

There are other species of Ficus that might be more appropriate or perhaps a Schefflera would be to your liking. There are several examples in our photo gallery.

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=25

Norm

[kdodds]

Have to agree here, ROR with a Ginseng, er, not so much. Just about any other species of Ficus readily available is much better suited. This year I've started a F. burtt-davyii "nana" and F. "Golden Gate" in ROR styles. A word of advice, too, on that... the rock should be a harmonized component, so don't just settled on any old rock. Make sure it's one that will look nice in the finished composition as well.

[dextersmom]

Thanks for the help guys - I was wondering how I was going to tame those thick roots. So glad I asked instead of wasting months trying to grow them out! I'll have to start thinking about what I'm going to do with it now...

[Gnome]

dextersmom,

You're welcome, it's always better to do a little research first. Keep the ficus and learn to appreciate it for what it is. Don't consider it a problem, just acquire another specimen. Bonsai are like chips; you can't have just one.

Norm

[tomc]

They don't call us tree huggers for nothin'.

Ginseng rooted ficus might not be a great candidate for root-over-rock styling, but the more you look around at examples of your tree, ideas for styling will come to mind.

And as Gnome points out, the touch of these things leads to trying, 'just one more'...

[manIK]

I don't know, I think my RoR attempt worked out okay:

[img]https://opticaldevotee.com/od/uldl/EXTRASTUFF/ror-1.jpg[/img]

It helps to start with freshly rooted stock of course. Like what you see in the water bottle in the background. Trying to force the roots of the Ficus posted in the OP would probably do more damage than anything else.

But as for Ficus Ginseng RoR's... I don't know guys.. I guess we'll just agree to disagree (: So far I'm getting good results with two more RoR's coming out this year.

[kdodds]

"Ginseng" is a Ficus retusa with inflated roots, no more or less. Your ROR is not a Ginseng, but a reverted F. retusa which is, obviously, a nice choice of species/cultivar to use.

[rainbowgardener]

I've never been a big fan of the ficus ginseng because those "inflated" roots are not aesthetically pleasing to my eye (everyone has their own taste). But if you have one and you like it, you have to showcase the roots and make a feature of them, not try to hide them.

[kdodds]

ROR, with a ginseng, is difficult to impossible to acheive because of the already inflated root system. You COULD buy one already grown out this way, of course, but the roots tend to overwhelm the ROR composition in all examples I've ever seen.

That said, there ARE very well matured ginsengs that are amazing. I'm thinking on one in particular as picture in "The Living Art of Bonsai". But, acheiving such a specimen (which isn't a ROR to the best of my recollection, or if it is, the rock is, again, overwhelmed) is well beyond the scope of a beginner, who would long be considered, in all likelihood, a master long before such maturity is acheived.

Purchasing such a specimen may well be considered beyond all but the deepest of pockets. Anyway, buying a Ginseng Ficus in the hopes of MAKING IT a ROR is, well, not easy, nor even remotely a given. Because the roots are generally clustered, getting a rock of appropriate size IN the roots, for ROR, is nigh on impossible without severely damaging the existing root system. Finding a truly suitable specimen could very well take longer than just starting with a more appropriate species/cultivar.

[rainbowgardener]

when I made my post, it had an attributed quote in it to the effect that the favored styles for Ginseng Ficus are root over rock or exposed root.