每日吃瓜

Hi. I'm new to this site, so hello to all. I have 5 trees of varying ages (10, 14, 17, 17, 50+) and I don't really treat them as bonsai. I just like to keep the natural tree small and in bonsai pots. None of them would be much more than a metre or so tall.

I was given this fig when it was in a bad state and was already about 25 years old. It was two steps from death. I didn't think it would come back but after a repot and a little bit of food, I started to see new growth. I have now had it for 27 or so years and I think it looks really good, as a normal tree.

I have always wondered what it would look like with a bonsai type shape but have always been too scared to try anything above root level. I just repot it every couple of years and then let it go. I have it in this larger pot at the moment, so that it can grow a bit but normally it would be in a flat bonsai 15cm high (maybe a bit more), tray.

I'm curious as to what people would do with this tree, even though it is so old (and I would hate to lose it). I have attached a few photos, so you can see it.

Nice ficus! Generally speaking repotting is more stressful than pruning. In nature trees have adapted to wind blowing a branch off or animals eating from it. There are no similar adaptation to messing with the roots.
So you don't have to worry about that.

Ficus can be cut back hard to bare wood and will backbud If care and environment is good. However I prefere to leave some green and repeat more times inspelad.

Thanks a lot Tropfrog.

I was watching a video by Peter (I think) and he just chopped one large branch that was more like a trunk and I kept thinking, there is no way I could even do that. But I must admit, it did pique my interest.

I have another one that is a lot younger and not as healthy looking. I think I will try that one this year and see what happens.

I will take your advice and make sure to leave some greenery on it.

Thanks again.

Normally we don't work on unhealthy trees.

I think a key question here is what you mean with a bonsai shape. In my view, there is no such think as a bonsai shape, so you might be after something where we do not know what you are after.

You can do serious pruning with ficus, no worries. Under the lead assumption that the tree is fully healthy and you do it at the peak of the growing season (particularly if you are in colder/darker parts of the world).

Have you seen this?