Bonsaify | Mass Market Ficus Part 3!

Eric continues his journey with a Golden Gate ficus that he got from a mass-market retailer. Check the previous videos in this series here:
Part 1: • Bonsaify | Ficus: From...
Part 2: • Bonsaify | From Mass M...
There's nothing fundamentally "wrong" with a mass market Ficus like this. Typically they are produced in China and imported into the U.S. with a predictable "S" curve. They're just repetitive and not what Eric likes to work with. The goal of this series is to follow the tree through a few years of development work to make it into a tree that conforms more to Japanese shohin rules.
00:00:10 Since episode 2 Eric has only removed the wire that was applied and then left the tree to grow. The tree has been in the greenhouse through the winter but has been growing slowly due to it being winter.
00:00:45 - Eric shows the previously wired branches.
00:01:20 - Analysis of the wound and whether it will make reverse taper.
00:02:08 - Eric elects to remove a cluster of shoots that are opposite the shoots he wants to keep.
00:02:40 - Discussion of wound healing
00:03:00 - Re-cutting the wound with a concave cutter (three different ones actually) so that it's flush with the live branching.
00:04:05 - adding a wire to a shoot that came out low on the trunk and then bending it.
00:04:42 - the sealed wound
00:04:52 - spin - the tree looks overgrown, and this is the goal right now. It will go back in the greenhouse with more fertilizer and plenty of sun, heat and water.
If you want to share your experience with ficus leave it in the comments below!

[@Bonsaify]

Part 1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4OnkmR4oZ2Hmbc Part 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGbcXn-cfs6pps0 Part 4: kzbin.info/www/bejne/laPJc4qPnMStZrc Also filmed using the same tree: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGauYmOiqslnp9E

[@boxCatalogue]

Buzzin for part 37

[@wreagin1]

Thanks for the bonus content. I always watch videos to the end to help with the algorithm and I was pleasantly surprised when you came back.

[@KCWerk]

When I was starting out in bonsai, the most mystifying part seemed to be: How a professional goes about shoot selection…What I’ve learned in my years of practice is; thin out clusters of branches by removing shoots that have a poor location (downward facing, etc.) or are relatively weak. But watching you work, I’m curious, do you have any other criteria used to make a selection?

[@Bonsaify]

I think you're generally right - however I would add that since this project entails changing the size and shape of the trunk that many bonsai methodologies are not quite as useful, or at least strictly useful. Clusters of shoots is normally bad, but in certain cases it seems like they can fuse together to make something interesting when you are in the growing phase.

[@atumrox1]

cant wait for part 4

[@byronlarson227]

I really like watching your channel sir. Thanknyou

[@iBEEMproject]

Pretty healthy tree

[@ronniebruce]

I love the marvel ending, haha

[@owennye3636]

I have a small ficus cutting that just began to sprout new leafs any advise moving forward with this cutting would great :)

[@nogravynopie2396]

any plan of showing an update on that spruce?

[@Bonsaify]

Lol, I forgot which spruce it is. I have about 20 of them and I think I thinned half like I did in the video.

[@9daywonda]

Nice one ERIC.

[@franciscodelvalle1761]

I know this is kind of late, but, if you use cut paste (green top) on ficus the wound will callous over faster. A would like that wouldheal at least 1/2 way if not more in one growing season, at least that is my experience with my weather in central Texas.

[@Bonsaify]

Is it this one: store.bonsaitonight.com/collections/supplies/products/cut-paste?variant=37849687130262 And yeah, I've been meaning to try the cutpaste that has hormone in it. Thanks!

[@DavesBonsai]

Is the Mass Market Ficus a Tiger Bark? I love the way it's looking. Can't wait for my greenhouse build this summer! Extend my MN growing season a bit.

[@Bonsaify]

I'm not 100% sure - but the variety is called "Golden Gate Ficus" commonly. I don't know the difference.

[@TeamFishweights]

Yeah its a Ficus microcarpa aka tigerbark. There are dozens of varieties of this species

[@san5673]

What is soil media for ficus ? Is it 100 percent Pumice?

[@Bonsaify]

There is no one right answer, but check this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJK3i3uOgLV5m7c

[@san5673]

@@Bonsaify thanks. I am from India. Tough to mix right soil mix here. Nobody talks about it here.

[@san5673]

@@Bonsaify recently planted a cutting of ficus , it was microcarpa maybe, in 100 percent perlite. Temp was between 20 to 30 centigrade at that time. About 15 days back. It came out very healthy and good.

[@borismaiorov3358]

what type of healing agent did you use? the previous callus looked not very healed.

[@Bonsaify]

The previous callus was never sealed and was cut back beyond the ultimate cut to allow space for buds to appear. Now that I have branching established, I'll use that to help heal the wound. I think any cut paste/sealant will help. A friend used to use elmer's wood glue. I think the real goal is to keep the area moist.

[@rambetbonsai6187]

🙏🙏🙏✌✌✌❤❤❤❤

[@DavidScheltema]

Woot! Mass Market Wednesdays!

[@dudesjirbonsai]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@zeroeure]

What kind of spruce was that Eric?

[@Bonsaify]

Red Ezo spruce - Picea glehnii. www.internationalbonsai.com/seedling%20list