Ficus benjamina, Orchard Trees and 911 Updates, The Bonsai Zone, Dec 2023

Xin gave me two Ficus benjamina, one is a variegated variety in a clump style, the other a single trunk green leaf.
Today I'm pruning the structure of these two trees.
To see previous videos with Xin, click on the playlist here...
• Bonsai with Xin
To see previous videos of the Community Orchard, click on the playlist here...
• Community Orchard, Com...
To see previous videos of the 1970 Porsche 911, click on the playlist here...
• 1970 Porsche 911 Targa
#TheBonsaiZone

[@t3dwards13]

Your rooster was protesting the big cuts as well. Lol

[@Dylan-ok6ft]

I love variegated plants! I havr many variegated varieties of orchids and variegated Serissa, Ficus, and Portulacaria bonsai

[@Stettafire]

My only verigated plants are houseplants 😂 I have a marble queen pothos and a neon pothos. My plan with them is rather the opposite of bonsai, going to stick them up a pole and get the leaves big 🤣

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

Multiple trunk, looks really good. Different, yet unique.

[@johnmccauley101]

I love your rationale when it comes to pruning I've learned more from your videos than just about anyone else . I know I'm 51 years old and just getting into the game with my tiny human...it's late for me but tiny human is just 15 years old and willntakrnover where I leave off Soni appreciation your shared knowledge it makes me look not so much lime an idiot .

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Don't worry about time, just have fun growing your trees and seeing the small changes!!

[@johnmccauley101]

@TheBonsaiZone oh, definitely not worried about the time...I have someone to take over from me, but I still have many years to get many plants on a good roll by then.

[@apostlewoody]

I learn a bit more with each video. Things become clearer and I am starting to see the future of my pre-bonsai material, very exciting. Thank you, Mr. Saunders.

[@clivechase8057]

Hi Nigel.....I have been watching your videos for many years, and very inspiring they are. Just a thought/suggestion. When displaying the final result of your work, it would be good to see the tree prior to any work, then faded out to the final product? Am sure with your technological skills, that would be possible......just a thought, to see how far the tree has progressed during the trimming process?

[@HansWeberHimself]

Over the years I started to see with your eyes, especially pronounced since you do daily shows. The indoctrination is strong with this one. Thank you. PS My fruit trees look like bonsai too. 😂

[@Stettafire]

I promised my neighbour (my fruit tree grows on our boundary, but on my side) that I won't let my fruit tree get taller then me. She seemed a bit startled when I put it in the ground and don't want a falling out 😂 crab apple. Just in the ground for now to thicken it up. But even so, it has a height limit agreed by the neighbour, so gotta cut the top every once in a while. It went from knee height to my height in a year, so good thing I'm cutting it or it'll go mad!

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌🙂

[@walterwjr947]

_THANK YOU 🙏 😔 🙏_ Nice Trees. The Porsche is just a "supped up" Volkswagen, they are going to rust, just get some new floorpans and find a good welder to replace them. Make sure he or she has replaced floorpans before. Make sure the suspension is not affected by the rust, usually the suspension is much better than the floor. Have fun, ENJOY THE SEASON❗❗❗ 🎄 🙏 🖖 🙏 😔 🙏🎄

[@baldyeti]

Your teaching are evident in so many of my trees. I sure do appreciate your consistency

[@t3dwards13]

I'm still stuck in the mindset of my Lady..."why not let the tree grow and see what happens...cut it back when needed". One day, I'll have the courage to be at your level!!!

[@kathyvettraino2267]

I want a ficus benjamina so bad! Especially after seeing your videos of them. I had one once, and it was a tree, and I loved it. I hope to get another one soon.

[@ag_242]

i have a ficus var "bonsai" too... worked 4 years on it... and still looks like 4 years ago🤣🤣🙌

[@t3dwards13]

I must say...I'm almost jealous of your and Julian's hair. Mine was down to my lower back, before my ex-wife took it with her. Lol

[@DavesBonsai]

Thanks for the pruning knowledge on the Ficus trees, Nigel. I really like how the variegated group turned out.

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

That is one mighty fine looking ficus after pruning. Great tree in a cool looking pot.

[@WolfgangKeim1]

Have you heard of the trick to stop ficus from bleeding? You simply have to cover the wound with water and the milk will react with the water and the bleeding will stop almost immediately.

[@bonsaitherapy1468]

I know you said it several times during the years. The soap and water ratio is 1 soap and 3 water, correct? As for variegated bonsai, I agree with you.

[@Dylan-ok6ft]

1:40, 2%, or 2 tsp soap to 1 pint water. Some plants are sensitive to this (my pineapple guava cannot take soap), so test on a couple of leaves first.

[@bonsaitherapy1468]

@@Dylan-ok6ft thank you. I usually treat my bonsai with a comercial mix based on neem oil and it works fine but the soap water mix would be a cool alternative.

[@dkstott29]

​@bonsaitherapy1468 Be careful with neem oil.. my experience is that it will kill portucaria afra and crassula jades. My ficus need to be really rinsed after application or they will drop lots of leaves...

[@BlueJayBonsai]

I miss Xin. 😩

[@jballenger9240]

Me too🙁

[@alfiepintsworth]

I appreciate the way you rationalise and discuss each cut, it really helps with making similar decisions on some of my own trees. Thanks Nigel

[@mattbrennan647]

I really like the structure on that clump style. Thanks, keep growing

[@murray821]

I have a variegated benjamina, took off a lot of cuttings placed as a group, they grow quite well over the past 2 years, but the mother plant, doesn’t do very well. I repotted it 2 years ago, with a fair bit of root pruning (same time I reduced the top) but the mother plant almost has no new roots. The top is ok, but the roots are poor. I put it in a slightly bigger pot now.

[@NancyCase]

I have a ficus bonsai. Can someone help me out. How far back can I cut the branches. It's sort of flaired out with leave at the end nothing toward the tree. I'm scared to prune it.

[@t3dwards13]

I wish I could...but I'm not on that level yet. 🙈

[@mmjnice97]

I'm suggesting for growing air roots on ficus benjamina? I have mine in a growing box with 80% humidity and still no air roots. All my other ficus have pushed tons of air roots in the grow box smh.

[@lisawagner6076]

Nigel, I just picked up a Ficus Benjamina, both a solid green and a variegated variety. They are both small , in a 4 inch pot in that peat moss type mixtures the commercial growers love to use.Do you think I should repot them into bonsai pots now or wait til next spring? I am in N. Carolina, USA, zone 7a. Also should I do some branch trimming now or wait? Of course I am anxious to get started with them as I am new to bonsai, but I want them to remain very healthy plants. Thank you so much! Enjoying your videos very much!

[@n8tyler]

I really like the variegated Ficus...I would like to try one but it seems as if it is an indoor tree only...I live in the PNW and my trees live outside where they get full sun and its kind of breezy. I do put them all into the heated green house from November thru March. Doesn't sound like the right environment for this Ficus...

[@LetsDoBonsai]

Foist

[@dkstott29]

Definitely not foist

[@jballenger9240]

Where were you yesterday? I was Forith. 😂

[@LetsDoBonsai]

@@jballenger9240 I was in the shower in the last one lol

[@ferasi6944]

When I see your Porsche it reminds me of my first car. Rust in many places. I used Owatrol Oil to fix it. It truely did miracles! Rust never appeared again. When it is available in Canada you might look at this. Good luck and much fun with the Porsche and Julian! 😃

[@frankpagan1294]

Hi Nigel! I have a fusion project with a Benjamina that has fused very well, however not producing a lot of leaves. Any suggestions?

[@lukasmihara]

From a horticultural standpoint it makes sense, as variegated trees are usually weaker, but aesthetically speaking, I personally don't mind them, and while the leaves are eye-catching, variegated Bonsai can be beautiful Bonsai, too!

[@rebeccahunter725]

As you were doing the final "spin" on the first tree, I noticed a loop of wire apparently marking an alternate front. I had to rewind a bit to catch the glimpse when it was at the "front" and it is another interesting view! You have inspired me to slightly expand my ficus collection, and now I have some skinny little whips of benjamina to work on "into the far future".

[@filipegomes1520]

Hello Nigel! On your Ficus Benjamina, I don't see any elephant, in fact when you repot the tree some day if you rotate a little bit you find an informal upright form on it, another look on it.

[@dkstott29]

Awesomeness...these tree's are doing great under your care...i really like the variegated ficus...

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

Winter pruning. Always good to do because you can see the bone structure easily. Great Work. Can't wait to see how you do the others. (Still catching up on videos).

[@FrostBiteBonsai]

Two nice ficus B's! I have to figure out what is going on with mine. Lost my favorite one. Something is affecting only them. I love the variegated group! That car will certainly be a prize well earned for Julian! Wonderful to see you pass that knowledge and interest onto him! The community garden sure is coming along! Seem like yesterday those fruit trees were just being planted! Well done Nigel!

[@bonsaisn]

What a wonderful day

[@zimmy1958]

Thanks.

[@chaiwatpotichanid]

🥰🥰👍

[@patsfreund9164]

Really like the variegated leaf ficus. Well done!

[@peacecosmonaut176]

Orchard update - awesome!

[@Wolfgang-p1i]

💪👍

[@wawanart_jalanjalan9256]

Good

[@dkstott29]

Thanks!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks so much, into the future fund it goes!!!!

[@dkstott29]

@TheBonsaiZone my variegated Benjamina ficus leaves are tiny compared to yours..They're as small as my too little ficus leaves. I wonder if there's different varieties of variegated..🤔🤔