this recent posting by amazonida: http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/bonsa ... .htm#32073 tempted me to try this with my Ficus retusa too. I got it last winter and it's growing quite well, even in the rather low light conditions indoors in winter. Here's how it originally looked in February 2009 after purchase:
After repotting and wiring in Summer 2009:
and here's a picture from one month ago (we had a very chilly spring, so I only put it outside a few weeks ago):
Now the weather forecast is sunny with 28 to 32°C (that's 82 - 90°F) for the next week, and I had fertilized it a few weeks ago, so now seemed a good time to defoliate. I also cut back the long shoots to the points where I wanted the ramification to develop ... now let's see how it will react.
This is how my Ficus currently looks like - due to a cold snap in June, it took a bit longer for it to leaf out:
can't tell about the leaf size for sure since the leaves are still growing, but the ramification has definitely improved; here's a closeup from a few weeks ago that shows better that there are several new shoots on most of the branches:
update after one year - I defoliated again, and thanks to Billy's pruning tips, the ramification is developing nicely!
Also changed to a glazed, oval Tokoname pot which seems to fit the style better ...
Best regards,
Stefan
