My friend Tim Hoehn-Boydston has an extensive collection of Ficus trees. One that he has in his collection is Ficus benghalensis. He has two forms, one with normal large leaves and the other with much smaller leaves.

Tim decided to graft the smaller leaf form into the large trunk of the larger leaf variety. This would put smaller leaves onto a larger trunk specimen; always a desirable featue in a bonsai.

Three grafts were placed. The top one was an approach graft bringing a long branch of the small leaf tree and placing it into a groove in the top of the large trunk, large leaf tree. Two other grafts were placed lower on the tree and these were free grafts not attached to the parent tree.

Baggies were closed around the free grafts as a humidity measure to keep these small grafts from drying out while the grafts took. Baggies are removed in several weeks when the grafts are showing signs of taking.

The top approach graft is kept in place until the graft shows signs of growing strongly and then is severed away from the mother tree.

Grafting is one way to introduce better foliage on a tree.

Large leaf trunk, B, small leaf trunk A well secured so that it does not move – Red line shows the path of the branch from tree A to tree B

Approach graft at the apex of the large trunk secured in place with electrical ties

Number 1 and 2 show free grafts secured into the trunk

There are several instances in which I use a plastic bag to protect a fig bonsai.

1. For rooting cuttings
2. Stressed trees that need time to recover
3. Recently re-potted trees that have been struggling
4. To develop aerial roots on figs that require constant humidity for aerial

In this case this Ficus rumphii has had all its roots cut off and is basically a large cutting. It is place into the baggie, watered well and the bag is opened every few days to make sure that the soil is moist. Never let the pot sit in water or the plant or cutting will rot. Also keep the bag in bright light but never in direct sunlight.

Remove the bag once the plant is growing properly.

Ficus rumphii sealed in the bag after removing all of its roots

Now recovered and wtih enough roots to live outside the bag. Also showing new aerials have formed on the trunk

Bag is removed as the plant has new roots and can survive outside the bag

Ficus burtt-davyi is a fig that is found in the southern parts of Africa. There are several common variants of this material available to the bonsai community. There are large, medium and small leaf cultivars that can be found.

This is one of the small leaf cultivars.

It is a very small plant of perhaps 3-4 inches/10cm in size and one of my smallest bonsai.

It is a worthwhile addition to any fig lovers collection.

Ficus burtt-davyi

There are many ways to acquire a bonsai tree. One way is to take a cutting from a suitable material and to propagate it. In this case the mother tree is a Ficus rubiginosa grown form a seed from Australia.

Cutting taken from the mother plant about three years before the photo, 2010

The mother tree has great bonsai characteristics so a piece of the mother tree was removed and rooted into the large white growing pot. It was allowed to grow wildly for some years and when the trunk caliper seemed about right it was chopped down and tilted to the side.

It re-sprouted new leaves and branches low down making it suitable for a small bonsai. This re-spouted bonsai was then kept in relatively small pots while the details of the branches and apex were sorted out.

New low sprouts made shortening to a small bonsai possible, 2010

Branch selection and apex sorting out underway, 2013

Progress could have been much much faster if I had left the small tree in a much larger pot but space in my indoor growing area is very limited.

Further growth and maturation of the design, 2014

You can see the result some 5 years later in the last photo. Please remember that this tree is not completed. One, foliage is large and has not been reduced during the training process. More ramification will be produced now that the basic structure has been formed.  Another year or two and the tree will be near completed.

Tree is shaping up well. Leaves are not uniform in size as training is still underway, 2015

Lesson, developing your cutting into a bonsai in a larger container will help speed of the process, although better control of shaping may be achieved in the smaller container.

The definitive reference work on Ficus
for bonsai. The book is a softcover, 8 by 10 inch volume, with 144 color pages, containing detailed information for the beginner as well as the advanced hobbyist. Click here for more information

Starting with this rather young rooted cutting of Ficus ‘Mystery’ I hope to one day develop a bunjin or literati style bonsai. The rooted cutting is now about two years old.

Ficus ‘Mystery’  from an aerial root cutting

After a quick trimming a nice line has developed in the trunk. Possibility #1

Possibility #2

Possible design #3

Possible design #4

Which of the designs seems to be the best to your eye?

To learn more about bunjin/literati styles see http://www.bonsaihunk.us/info/Bunjin_literati_Style.html

The definitive reference work on Ficus
for bonsai. The book is a softcover, 8 by 10 inch volume, with 144 color pages, containing detailed information for the beginner as well as the advanced hobbyist. Click here for more information