Ficus Benjamina - Bush to Bonsai (part I)

[@cichla666]

The bugs in the soil are springtails, they help to break down the organics in the soil - really beneficial

[@yoneviego1030]

Really ? I know we should leave nature to itself and not touch anything so as to not disturb the eco system, but what do you say about ants,my ficus Benjamina plant's pot got some red ants, should I treat it and get rid of them or leave them?

[@thesuperiorgamer7524]

@@yoneviego1030 Ants are bad, springtails eat things like mold and old organic things, while ants are destructive to the root system

[@yoneviego1030]

@@thesuperiorgamer7524 thank you so much

[@mattbrennan647]

Great project. That’s $20 well spent. Good luck taking on the challenge. I’ll look forward to watching the updates. Thanks, keep growing

[@BonsaiBoise]

Thanks Matt, this one has me searching the ads for another find like it. So far, haven't seen another one.

[@mjarevirtv2094]

Wow nice great job Watching from California I got new knowledge thank you stay safe

[@baldyeti]

Great find, Toy! The air layer is going to be a monster. Good call on waiting with those side branches. Once the air layer come off, you’ll have lots of options for the mother tree. Keep growing, brother. Looking forward to part two.

[@BonsaiBoise]

Thanks! I'm thinking this project will end up being the mother tree, and then several phases of different fusions. It's giving me my bonsai fix in these boring winter months

[@nancyfahey7518]

Nice to meet you. New sub. Liked the calmness of your voice and minimum music while working. I'm in Florida. Ficus is my favorite cause it takes alot of neglect. Meaning it won't die easily. Those "potatoe roots" hold enough energy in the plant to outlast even some of the native plants. They will be the last thing I saw off when they are ready for the bonsai pot.

[@BonsaiBoise]

Nice to meet you too, and thank you! I also have grown to love ficus. They are one of the best species to learn and experiment with.

[@grangrampa832]

Wow I never knew what air layering was and what it did thank you 👍😊👋

[@tiarentiquiano-rh4hf]

So happy I found you, I just bought some ficus Benjamina that looks like yours and didn’t know what to do.

[@BonsaiBoise]

Thanks! This video was the first one I did. I've done 3 of these so far. Posting a new one on #3 tonight!

[@blooky102]

Just did this with also a Ficus benjamina, thx for the inspiration... but I have like 30 cuttings now xD gonna make a forest or a fusion.

[@BonsaiBoise]

The blessing/curse of cuttings 🌳🙂

[@blooky102]

@@BonsaiBoise Btw do you know if there are different care requirements for benjamina and microcarpa ? I only had microcarpa in the past.

[@BonsaiBoise]

@@blooky102 To the best of my knowledge, no. I've always treated them both the same. I'm sure there are some differences between them but as far as I can tell, they are the same in all the basic care needs.

[@blooky102]

@@BonsaiBoise Oh ok thx , also I subbed after watching this video. ^^

[@BonsaiBoise]

@@blooky102 Awesome, thanks!

[@BlueJayBonsai]

Great rescue Mike! Lots of success with cuttings! Ficus are fun that way. 😁 I find the typical rooting hormone is hit & miss, but the #3 is really powerful and works better. Looking forward to all the results. 👍

[@BonsaiBoise]

Thanks Jay! I've been searching the ads for another find like this but havent seen one since. A rare find indeed

[@BlueJayBonsai]

@@BonsaiBoise Oooh, I’ve seen a few cheap ones here.. but a I don’t have the space (this year) for more tropicals inside unless they are really really special.. Hopefully some more will be available when I’m ready, or in the summer when I can keep outside.. before expanding the indoor setup ..

[@jc-wx3sm]

Great air layering explanation, thanks. There was one detail in there I couldn't understand before

[@BonsaiBoise]

Thanks! Sometimes I feel like Im being redundant and saying the same thing over and over lol.

[@nancyfahey7518]

Imagine how a teacher feels. You have to be redundant in order for some of us to learn. Sometimes, I have to watch bonsai videos 3 times before the lightbulb goes on.

[@CameronMuncie]

Youre like me but once it sticks it sticks. Best of luck in your bonsai adventures and welcome go the community 😊 ​@nancyfahey7518

[@PSPMHaestros]

I use teflon tape for fusion ficus. It adheres to itself when you wrap it around a few times, but not to the trunks, so it doesn't damage the bark. It's also a bit flexible, so even if you wrap it a bit too tight it doesn't bite into the trunks. That's the best bang for buck 20$ I've seen hahaha, nice video!

[@BonsaiBoise]

I haven't tried tephlon tape but I will!

[@OddBonsai]

I'm not an expert but I think those insects were flies, related to the common fruit flies. I've got them in the past when I was using soil rich in organic matter. They seem to be attracted to the decomposing matter. This was a great buy, looks in a pretty nice condition and to get so many trees form a single pant ... definitely worth it. Good luck with the airlayering and fusions! Looking forward for part 2.

[@BonsaiBoise]

Whatever they were, they were camera shy. They were swarming that soil every time I looked at it, but once the camera was on they disappeared. Yet another reason to hate fruit flies! lol

[@OddBonsai]

@@BonsaiBoise Yeah, flies in general are part of a very annoying family of insects 😋.

[@superfisto]

Thanks man. My office plant looks just like this, only about 1/3rd the size

[@ThatBonsaiGuy]

That's 20 dollars well spent, so many cuttings!

[@BonsaiBoise]

Thanks! I've been scanning the listings for another one ever since.

[@blooky102]

Hmm you sure those bugs were not just springtails?

[@BonsaiBoise]

A couple people have mentioned that so I'm starting to think you might be right

[@jc-wx3sm]

when do you take the cuttings out of water, as soon as roots start? then just pop them right in soil?

[@BonsaiBoise]

Truth be told, I don't have a system for this species. I've yet to have an oak cutting root. But in general, I'd say you're pretty spot on.

[@jc-wx3sm]

Cool, I'll be taking the top off a fiddle leaf ficus pretty soon but I think I should wait until it hardens off a bit. anyway thanks for your time

[@BonsaiBoise]

@@jc-wx3sm well when it comes to ficus I do a lot more successful cuttings for sure. Although I haven't tried with a fiddle leaf ficus. I did see that Nigel saunders rooted some cuttings from a fiddle leaf so I at least know it's possible.

[@rokimbonsai8112]

Keren bonsainya

[@roberthill2393]

Use clear plastic so you can monitor root development without disturbing new root growth.

[@welfare_burrito]

With the fusions, did you wait for the roots to develop on the cuttings before binding them?

[@BonsaiBoise]

Some I did and some I didn't. I've done a 2nd "bush to Bonsai" recently and those I know I bound a lot of those cuttings together before rooting them. But, I still let them sit in water and root there, even after binding them.

[@TimoBrohl]

May I ask which Lamps you are using in your Greenhouse?

[@BonsaiBoise]

Like 5 or 6 different kinds lol.

[@katieh4274]

Those buggies could be fungus gnats.

[@BonsaiBoise]

Yeah, I'm not sure what they were. They were gross though, that I'm sure of. 🤢

[@kanezulueta8654]

Camera used?

[@BonsaiBoise]

Samsung Galaxy s21 ultra

[@MonicaFabbrini-hq3jq]

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