Pruning and Repotting My Ficus bejamina, The Bonsai Zone, July 2021

It's been 7 years since I last repotted my Tropical Style Ficus and today, I'm pruning and re potting the tree into a new Tokoname pot.
To see previous videos of this Ficus, click on the playlist here...
• Tropical style ficus p...
#TheBonsaiZone

[@erikzellers2925]

That one healing cut on the trunk looks like an eye, and now I can only see the tree as a squid with leaves.

[@Ow3nX1]

after i saw your comment, i have the same "problem". acutally, this imagination is really funny. :D great tree anyway!

[@katyb2793]

I love that!! Haha

[@entyropy3262]

Squid the Tentacoloid, brother of the almost famous Frankenficus. I guess it was Day of the Tentacle for us.

[@babyboltbark]

@@entyropy3262 lol

[@ApoorvPadhye]

So this tree was chilling in the pot while I completed my Bachelors and my Masters as well! Sweet!

[@rodneyclifford2505]

Nigel I love your videos I have been doing bonsai for 9 months now and I have learnt so much and still learning u have inspired me and I bet there are others u have done the same to them can't wait 4 more videos thankyou Nigel

[@katyb2793]

I think this has become one of my favourite trees now! I love the movement in the trunk, and it honestly looks like a face with arms from the front, like a talking tree from a Disney movie. So cute! And the colour of the pot matches it so well! Now I have to restrain myself from buying a ficus... 😅

[@rebeccahunter725]

I missed the premier as I was collecting a nectarine from a friend's garden. The Canadian accent in my head was saying "its not the worst root system in the world" as I was "sorting them out"! Now I just have to wait and see if I get the same good results . . . ;)

[@alexandruserban2138]

How much time I waited to see how this tree developed and its following pruning! 😊💡

[@thegroundtone]

Your pruning was spot on, Nigel. Looks great. Nice tree

[@tarrenroman]

I don’t know how I missed that you mentioned you are excited about the new Dune movie! YES! Finally! More Dune fans!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I can't wait, I love what I have seen so far in the previews, I just finished listening to the audio book on KZbin again!

[@thenaturecreater8906]

Just love this ficus bonsai. Been looking in garden centers all over norway for a good exampel of a good start to bonsai Benjamina for months now. Dont struck gold yet doh

[@janisgriffith2919]

Wow, that is a beautiful, interesting tree. I love the movement you (and the tree) created over the years. And as always, I enjoyed watching the root work.

[@brandonglossup510]

"Another potato-like root." FLING! Nigel--never change.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Fling, clunk, done!

[@edinborogh]

Awesome video Nigel, thanks!

[@prittib6412]

this is such a beautiful bonsai and I love the fact that u don't use wiring for most of ur bonsai.

[@user-cz8ym9zu9e]

I love ficus!

[@hmm8337]

Did the trunk reach this thickness at that height or did you let it get very tall once?

[@bonsaifinity515]

Nice!

[@aaronleslie1581]

Nice video Nigel! Good to see your a hard working man!! Also killer deal on some wood chips!!

[@FrancoisBoucheros]

Thanks to all your great tips, I got back budding on my ficus... yay! I won't prune it yet... but really happy. Thank you for sharing all your videos

[@hyperionhelios190]

I can't wait for my too little to grow up to be like this!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I really enjoy watching them grow up!

[@jamesn7156]

Good looking tree! I’ve got 3 ficuses and 2 of them I can’t decide on a style so they just keep getting yearly hard prunings. I keep seeing stuff I like and changing my mind. As they do their thing and I make more structure choices, hopefully me and the trees will find what’s best. This one is giving me inspiration for my larger ficus!

[@paulagoller7893]

Learned something from Russ Stevens last week. He showed us how to stick a Phillips screwdriver deep into a pot bound bonsai that could not be reported due to time of year or status of tree. He then wiggled and rolled the screwdriver around to enlarge the hole. After doing this several times into the pot, he then filled the holes with bonsai soil. This gave the roots more room to stretch and grow without harming the tree. These trees did fine until their next repotting. I plan on giving this a try. 🙋‍♀️

[@dinudavis4230]

What a magical transition Nigel, even after just pruning... You are a master in this art form...👏🏻

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Dinu, I hope it likes the new pot!

[@hyperionhelios190]

Also super excited for DUNE! Also glad to see how the Foundation and Wheel of Time series turn out this fall.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Things to look forward too!

[@biswajitsarkar5619]

Wonderful Nigel

[@bluesbonsai6718]

I really like the way your ficus bonsai look. You have a very beautiful tree!

[@sodhigagan]

I love all your videos, and this one was a little special. I have a Ficus Benjamina too, which is a very young cutting and is growing well this summer; it was nice to see what is possible in about 27 years (lol); looking forward to it. Thanks!

[@MaybeBonsai]

The rooster sure is wise and very vocal! I thought the roots would be a solid brick after 7 years but I think you are right about the large grain clay, it kept the roots a lot more manageable

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I stroke of luck I think!

[@waterlover]

Looks beautiful

[@patsfreund9164]

Like everything that you have done in styling this bonsai. That pot looks fantastic with it!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Pat, I think the tree will grow into this larger pot very quickly!

[@BonsaiJCan]

The tree grew really well in 6 months. Really enjoyed the video, I think the tree looks really good in that pot.👍

[@ferranmartinez9213]

Excellent video. A ficus benjamina with a great future. Thanks for sharing Greetings and until the next video👍😄

[@mattaustralian6584]

Looks great

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Matt!

[@bonsaitera]

NICE ROOTS!!!

[@gavins.6109]

It’s looking great Nigel!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Gavin!

[@goo757]

HEHEHE love that Roster

[@maggie_oshea]

That scar on the back of the tree looked like an eye swiveling towards the front 😂 Beautiful tree though 🙂

[@romino23]

very pretty tree you got there Nigel!

[@jan_zdanowski]

4:07 🤣

[@dotjelieveke]

Very nice tree!

[@marysoldeeley2218]

I hope my ficus grows like yours! I'd like aerial roots!

[@edersonfelisardodasilva2615]

Muito bom!!

[@WiLheLmPhoeniX]

You should root those two large cuttings, Nigel. i have done a similar thing to my benjamina and have recently joined/merged the two cuttings to form a new tree.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I actually did plant them for cuttings! I shouldn't have, I have no room!

[@koholohan3478]

The rooster has spoken.

[@dabblingwithbonsai]

Hullo tree beard! Hummm barabrumm

[@donnaikin7397]

I have just started watching all your bonsai videos. I am impressed and very much like what I see. I have a question which you may have already answered, if so I’m sorry for asking you to repeat yourself. My question is, Why do you sift your perlite and soil before you use it?

[@bonsaimakerkl1476]

Amazing sir

[@suer666]

Great video. But i have a question. Can you use those root cuttings to grow another tree?

[@ChadBaganSongbad]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️👍

[@jaybolinger2865]

Hey Nigel, I'm still relatively new to this hobby and still learning. I have the same tree (still pre bonsai) anyways when I first got it I put it in a new pot and split the trunk. I see the scar from it starting to peak up through the soil. What are your thoughts on splitting the trunk every spring?

[@erravan647]

Soil mix ?? What components you use for that sir

[@katyb2793]

He has a video all about soil from a few yrs back 😊

[@erravan647]

@@katyb2793 yes you are right, infact I seen his every videos, but what I thought that may be there is some spacial soil mix for this ficus so I ask

[@katyb2793]

@@erravan647 oh as far as I know it's the same, but can't say for absolute sure! 😅

[@dalepowell6815]

The Rooster talks, Nigel cuts..

[@suckerlh5250]

Is that soil just gravel and pumice??

[@varunavirdi4640]

Hi Nigel , plz want to know which soil mix u use for ur bonsai plants !!

[@dirkdarwin2571]

Hi Nigel... I'm about to repot my Ficus Benjamina. Am I right in thinking it's going to freak out and drop all of its leaves, cause they're so fussy about change?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Usually it doesn't drop it's leaves when repotted in the summer, just keep it warm, out of direct afternoon sun and well watered and misted!

[@taraldstein7165]

Could you make a video comparing the different types and species of ficus? I'm especially confused about "tiger bark ficus", Ficus retusa, ginseng ficus and Ficus microcarpa. Or if anyone else has made it already, I'll appreciate a link. I'd like to identify the one(s?) I have and want to get more different ones.

[@dk2614]

All the confusion you are experiencing is normal since with so many names comes from so many different people who choose to use different names for the same trees. The trees you mentioned are actually the same species. Ficus microcarpa. They are however different cultivated varieties or cultivars. So although they are the same species tiger bark and Ginseng are clones of a separate genetic individual each. Ficus retusa is another scientific name for Ficus microcarpa.

[@taraldstein7165]

@@dk2614 Thank you! I suspected somthing like that, but wasn't sure.

[@wncoustic9799]

What kind of soil sir

[@informedquasar7696]

_😀_

[@wydanz4485]

Please make Indonesian bonsai bro

[@manguydude287]

Ah yes, foist. Of course

[@scottargyle3798]

Foist ?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Secoind Scott, but on the podium!

[@sinhareebhawil2864]

Do something GREEN.

[@jamestropicals8262]

Foist

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thoid, James got foist!

[@sallyjjdavis]

foist

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Strange James with Plants is Foist, wait I may have gotten the name wrong!

[@sallyjjdavis]

@@TheBonsaiZone haha no problem