Sometimes splitting a fig into several parts is the way to go with initial styling to maximize the material’s potential.
The pant is a Ficus natalensis grown from a root cutting and perhaps two years old. The only exciting thing about it is the twisting lower trunk which should make a nice tree using that as the focal point for the future bonsai.
An appropriate spot was chosen to split the tree into two sections. This point was selected since it would leave the top section with a good aerial root to keep it alive. This section will live happily on this one root until it is time to give it a styling.
The start
Close up of the top section of the plant
The two sections are now split apart leaving the top part with a good root to carry it
The top section planted using its one root
The bottom section potted and several branches remain to form the future of this bonsai
The final design is not done but this is just the initial blocking out of the future bonsai. Consider breaking up a tree when the parts are more exciting than the original tree left intact.
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.