Ficus Benjamina 01

Height	50 cm
Started on	October 2001
Tree's Age	28 years old
Years in Training	23 years

This was a birthday present. It's a group of smaller ficuses binded together (not a bonsai). I've putted them into a bit bigger pot and trained a bit with some wires (now removed).

Nov, 2002

I November 2002 I've started working on developing aereal roots by wrapping the trunk with moss and black plastic. I hope that each trunk will fuse together (some of them already started) in order to obtain a single and solid one.

Front side winter 2002

Left side winter 2002

Back side winter 2002

Right side winter 2002

Late spring, 2003

I've started mayor changes, I've used a wide pot (40 cm) allowing the tree to grow wider.

Front side summer 2003

Jan, 2004

It's still wired in order to keep branches lowered. I hope next summer to remove the wires an better defining the foliage shape (broom style). It developed also some big aeral roots, I've added more moss and rewrapped the whole trunk.

Apr 10, 2004

I've removed a couple of wires and added few new ones. I've trimmed few top branches and removed a lower one, since was completly out of the shape. The cuttings are rooting in the sand, nothing will be dumped away if it's still capable of growing!
I've checked the moss and rewrapped again the trunk. I'm still impressed of figs bark when trunks and branches fuses together, it's so plastic.

Jun 23, 2004

Finally it's enough hot for letting it outside!
It should recover quickly the leaves dropped this winter while kept indoor.

Jun 23, 2004