This is ficus pumila. It is a vine and does take a very long time to develop a thick trunk. This one I grew out in a large pot and allownit to go wild for about 5 years.
hi how are you, i’ve been watching a lot of your progression videos on youtube. Your trees look amazing. I notice that in all of the videos you defoliate them. I’ve never done this before so I want to ask why it’s done and what is your approach when you do it. Thank you !!
thank you. Defoliation is done to promote ramifications, it causes the branches to backbud so over time, it will develop more branches which lead to a fuller canopy and smaller leaves-this is a characteristic of bonsai to resemble large trees with many branches. When you defoliate, the terminal buds, which are the buds at the tip of the growing branch need to be pruned to force new shoots to grow lower on the branch different trees and different species will have different times suitable to do this, tropicals can be done throughout growing seasons though try to avoid the hottest of time of the year. It should only be done on healthy vigorous trees, and depending on when and where you do it, the tree may need to be kept in partial shade as new leaves grow to prevent scorching of the bare branches. I hope that helps!
@@VicTheFigGuy Thank you for your quick and informative response. I have a ginseng ficus with many long branches, but the leaves on the lower ends have all dropped. If I defoliate the tree, will it encourage new shoots on the lower branches? Additionally, will it stimulate new growth on dormant branches?
