I have had 2 Ficus' for almost ten years now, ( One Benjamina, one Nerifolia ) and bought them from a local nursery that thought they were dead. No leaves, just tiny little trunks. Just sticks really. I tried to nurse them back, and succeeded. I got them both for $6. I assured the man they were still alive after doing a "bark scraping" to see if there was still green. Last year, the Benjamina had an awful, large "Y" shape and I decided to do one of my first major cuts. I cut off the smaller of the two main branches that made up the "Y", and I always tend to try to use root hormone on cuttings, and plant them to see if they will strike. The branch cutting ( about 1/4" in thickness, about 8 " long ) took VERY quickly. It had grown quite alot this summer and I now have a VERY interesting smaller Ficus, along with its separated partner which is developing very quickly. I was surprised how easily the branch cutting took. I have yet to come up with a plan for the Narifolia, its a difficult tree to imagine, but it too this year, thanks to fertilizing advice from you Peter, it has thickened and grown a massive amount this summer. I'm very glad to see a Ficus in your shop that we can watch. My Ficus mean alot to me, as they were some of the first trees I was successful at saving, keeping alive, and actually seeing progress on. A very dramatic difference from the leafless twigs I bought.....Cant wait to see this tree develop here...I do have some questions though....
I have a few of these & they are true survivors, if I take care they show appreciation through shiny leaves if not they carry on. I could relate so much with this video. Looking forward to the updates
Thank you for sharing this first step of this Ficus's new journey. Could your editor do us all a favour by putting the filming period (i.e. date or month) in the YT-description? This will help us in best (not) to do this kind of exercise ourselves.
This is wonderful, I am excited to see what happens. please do keep us updated! Also, I would be okay if you held back on sharing these projects and combined it all together after three months. It will be well worth tthe wait for us viewers.
Appreciate the cameraman being conscientious, and panning over to the root hormone bucket to indicate that it had been used, since dude didn't mention it.
In Australia Ficus grow in cracks in walls and survive for many decades without any assistance from humans. They will also grow in the forks of tree and send down roots until they can grow huge and devour the host. Ficus are they ultimate survivors.
Years ago we started with one (non bonsai) ficus in a pot, when living in Qld, Australia. Kept air layering and ended up with a forest of ficus in pots. Eventually we moved to a cool climate and moved them on to others. My mother still has one of the progeny. If ever in the for north of Queensland, it’s worth paying a visit to the curtain fig (a strangler fig, Ficus Virens).
I just initiated the air-layering on my ficus, I soaked my sphagnum moss a day prior, and made my cuts, and have secured the bag on the first one on the 23 of October, I'm not even planning on looking at the roots until at least two weeks time, but have in my head it could be up to 4-6 weeks before this specimen is ready to be separated from it's parent plant! I'm looking at making the second set of cuts in the next few days, to get another planned specimen started on it's journey to becoming another air-layering as well, I hope I'm correct in my approach to getting successful results!!
This reminds me of my two Ficus Bengiminas that are almost 30 years old, still in their same pots about that size. Every other year I change out the soil and trim the roots. I soak them once a week in a tub of water with a bit of miracle grow for tomatoes. Seems to keep them happy. Just got my first green berries on one of them this year.
Very nice indeed, incredible, that it was in that pot for 20 years! Just one tip for all of you, from my experience, you don't need to even airlayer the branches, I severly cut my ficus benjamina last December (drastic pruning of both roots and the crown), planted 3 mature branches straight into the soil just with a little hormone rooting powder around the cut, I keept it moist and all of them rooted, so now I have 4 smaller trees out of one larger one :) I'm curious to see progression of this tree! :)
Today is the first month of this bonsai project. One month down, two more to go. Excited about seeing what will have happened to this ficus in two months' time from here. Updates please. I have some ficus bonsai myself, and I love all ficus plants.
So interesting. I have a ficus bonsai that is thirty years old now. It has been repotted only once which was three years ago. Should I be scraping off surface and putting some new bonsai soil on top? It sits facing south with a filtered shade. I look forward to seeing the next episode of the overgrown ficus.
This tree must have an symbioric realion with its owner,becouse it survived so long extraordinary! I sinceraly wish for them everything workd out well!
Air layering works OK but then are difficult to make buttress roots. They will also root from any cutting, with or without hormone rooting powder, and simply stuck in potting mix when the weather is hot.
I actually find the opposite to be true. But we probably work with different species. BTW I learnt something from your post; I had never heard of buttress roots, so looked it up and found out it's the English word for nebari. Thanks
@@coronnation8854 Old ficus in the wild can have massive butters roots. In fact they look like fortress buttresses, hence the name, and spread a long way from the trunk thereby adding greater stability. my fascination with Bonsai, over the last five decades, led me to learning more about trees and figs are some of my favourite species. I live in a hot climate and have never had a problem with striking cuttings as described. Thank you for your comment.
Oh dear, I've always wet the moss first. Is it better to use it dry?If so, then that is what I will do from now on. Thank-you for sharing your insights and knowledge with us!
I also have something Like that of the same age at a window still, if I remember it correctly it was sold as a "Ficus Ginseng" at a Lidl supermarket.. ( it is still in its plastic container )
good evening mr. Chan, I've a question: in this case, could be safer set up air layering after the new roots comes out in the moss (maybe two weeks) or it doesn't really matter? thank you for the video
It would have definitely been safer to do this. But I think Peter didn't realize how few roots until it was too late. Usually it's the leaves that would provide the energy for those new roots, but because the supply was halted at the cuts, it will have to use energy stores from the trunks.
Thank you for this video Peter. I have a somewhat unrelated question for you: Do you have any books or information about how you made the transition from engineering to owning your own bonsai nursery? I want to make a similar career transition, and am trying to get advice or hear about your journey in this.
@@luigiluigi2098 Oh, got the titel slightly wrong.. thanks for correcting it. I edited my comment :) Peter is such a genuine person and took good and longlasting care of this ficus...tbh: Due to the roots it was quite obvious, that three month wouldn' t do the trick. But seeing this ficus still in care after such a long time is fantastic! Love it!
Dear Mr Chan, earlier this year I commented on your 300k viewers and I much appreciated your return response. I also remembered you saying you would update us on the current import laws regarding exporting bonsai to the US. Have there been any changes? It doesn’t look well for me to visit anytime soon, I live on the eastern coast of the US in New Jersey. But oh lord would I love to order some trees. Hopefully things have/will change soon. Please update at your convenience. Thank you sir.
@@vlozity In the UK we dont get the heat and humidity that you get in the warmer climates - so Ficus cuttings dont grow as easily as in warmer countries. In countries like India you can make cuttings from logs of Ficus and they root.
@@peterchan3100 , not true. I live in Germany, but that is irrelevant for ficuses. I root cuttings in my room without sufficient humidity and light. They mostly need warmth. If you can provide warmth to them they will root. People like to complicate and overdo things. Ficuses are aggressive plants, they do not need much care. They care for themselves.
While watching this Ficus Benjamina I remember all this facebook posts about ficuses dying over and over again. All you need to do is give some light and don't care.
I propagate my ficus just my putting the cuttings in water. Have made many new bonsai. They root in a couple weeks. My airlayering success is pretty low
Mr. Chan, I know you've made a lot of videos about forest groups, but I can't find anywhere how to repot those forest groups. Does each tree have to be separated or can it be repoted in some way as a group?
As far as I know from other chanels you always repot them in one block since the rootball of a well established forests meshes together and you can’t separate them
Well, I found with Nigel Saunders (also a very interesting bonsai blogger on YT) once that he rearranged the group with the repotting. So everything seems to be possible when doing carefully.
I have mentioned this in other videos that I have done on Forest or Group plantings. It is simply this -- The entire group is repotted as if it were one single entity. The trees are never separated unless you wish to remake or re-design the entire composition.
I feel for the sorry state of that poor tree. As an owner of many ficus bonsai growing in Australia, I can tell you that it will spring to life and grow well with new roots and some liquid fertiliser. I’m only guessing, but it might be an Obliqa.
I think you would benefit greatly from hiring an experienced photographer/editor to help produce the videos. The information you share is invaluable and the videos, overall are very enjoyable and relaxing. If the video production quality was better, I think it would tap into some huge potential given the cinematic scenery of the nursery.
Nice thought but its easier said than done. And its not always possible though. I make each video when the moment is right and they are made spontaneously. In those situations the professional photographer will not be on hand. I have done programmes for TV channels like BBC etc and each shot is 4 or 5 takes and even then, they dont turn out that good!!
Just before talk management turned life no know different Luther already Muhammad natural geography beautiful French me style natural 🧔thank you for good advice people handsome and very great just
Can't wait for a new story, watching most Videos for the second time.
OMG...20 years 😭, thank God it survive. Can't wait to see the update someday 🙏. Thx for sharing Peter...cheers.
That guy loves that tree, he nearly jumped out of his skin when you took it out of the pot xD
Looking forward to the rest of this tale. Thanks Peter, team and customer.
This is a great way to enjoy my morning coffee. Thanks for sharing.
I have had 2 Ficus' for almost ten years now, ( One Benjamina, one Nerifolia ) and bought them from a local nursery that thought they were dead. No leaves, just tiny little trunks. Just sticks really. I tried to nurse them back, and succeeded. I got them both for $6. I assured the man they were still alive after doing a "bark scraping" to see if there was still green.
Last year, the Benjamina had an awful, large "Y" shape and I decided to do one of my first major cuts. I cut off the smaller of the two main branches that made up the "Y", and I always tend to try to use root hormone on cuttings, and plant them to see if they will strike. The branch cutting ( about 1/4" in thickness, about 8 " long ) took VERY quickly. It had grown quite alot this summer and I now have a VERY interesting smaller Ficus, along with its separated partner which is developing very quickly. I was surprised how easily the branch cutting took. I have yet to come up with a plan for the Narifolia, its a difficult tree to imagine, but it too this year, thanks to fertilizing advice from you Peter, it has thickened and grown a massive amount this summer.
I'm very glad to see a Ficus in your shop that we can watch. My Ficus mean alot to me, as they were some of the first trees I was successful at saving, keeping alive, and actually seeing progress on. A very dramatic difference from the leafless twigs I bought.....Cant wait to see this tree develop here...I do have some questions though....
Wow that poor tree lived a hard life but survived. Must have had the will to live to come see Mr Chan!! Lucky tree now.
This will be great to see once the roots come out and it is ready for the next step.
Keen to see the progress on those roots in a few weeks
I have a few of these & they are true survivors, if I take care they show appreciation through shiny leaves if not they carry on. I could relate so much with this video. Looking forward to the updates
Thank you for sharing this first step of this Ficus's new journey.
Could your editor do us all a favour by putting the filming period (i.e. date or month) in the YT-description?
This will help us in best (not) to do this kind of exercise ourselves.
Look forward to seeing this plants journey continue!
This is wonderful, I am excited to see what happens. please do keep us updated! Also, I would be okay if you held back on sharing these projects and combined it all together after three months. It will be well worth tthe wait for us viewers.
Appreciate the cameraman being conscientious, and panning over to the root hormone bucket to indicate that it had been used, since dude didn't mention it.
This is a good video I would like more videos on this tree.
Thank you Peter. Thank you Josh.
In Australia Ficus grow in cracks in walls and survive for many decades without any assistance from humans. They will also grow in the forks of tree and send down roots until they can grow huge and devour the host. Ficus are they ultimate survivors.
Thats because ficus roots are so invasive and strong they rip up all the pavement and brick work around it.
@@Djauntywanker Oh, really! Who'd have thought!
Years ago we started with one (non bonsai) ficus in a pot, when living in Qld, Australia. Kept air layering and ended up with a forest of ficus in pots. Eventually we moved to a cool climate and moved them on to others. My mother still has one of the progeny.
If ever in the for north of Queensland, it’s worth paying a visit to the curtain fig (a strangler fig, Ficus Virens).
@@15ThousandDayCrisis If you have one you can have a multitude.
@@timcastle1844 And very, very quickly!
I just initiated the air-layering on my ficus, I soaked my sphagnum moss a day prior, and made my cuts, and have secured the bag on the first one on the 23 of October, I'm not even planning on looking at the roots until at least two weeks time, but have in my head it could be up to 4-6 weeks before this specimen is ready to be separated from it's parent plant! I'm looking at making the second set of cuts in the next few days, to get another planned specimen started on it's journey to becoming another air-layering as well, I hope I'm correct in my approach to getting successful results!!
Keep us updated please Peter. Interested to see the progress! Thx
This reminds me of my two Ficus Bengiminas that are almost 30 years old, still in their same pots about that size. Every other year I change out the soil and trim the roots. I soak them once a week in a tub of water with a bit of miracle grow for tomatoes. Seems to keep them happy. Just got my first green berries on one of them this year.
As always, very informative video. Thank you Peter!
It is just Amazing what moss can do, just Amazing 💖💖💖💖💖
Thank you for your comment 👍🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿💚💚💚💚
Any updates on how this project turned out? The lack of roots on that tree was shocking.
Can’t wait for the progress on this tree!
Excited to the see the one month update
Thanks for this video Peter.
Thank you for this video. Im really looking forward to seeing the next.
Thank you for this one ,I got similar tree that I delt with prematurely and is about to die on me ,I'll try what you taught, thank you Again.
Love to see the progress 👍👍🇵🇷
Interested in the next stage of this, as I have inherited about 6 ficus bonsais in a similar state of stress.
Ficus is also popular in my country as decorative plant. Looking forward to seeing how Peter san makes it as bonsai. Always love your videos.
Very nice indeed, incredible, that it was in that pot for 20 years! Just one tip for all of you, from my experience, you don't need to even airlayer the branches, I severly cut my ficus benjamina last December (drastic pruning of both roots and the crown), planted 3 mature branches straight into the soil just with a little hormone rooting powder around the cut, I keept it moist and all of them rooted, so now I have 4 smaller trees out of one larger one :) I'm curious to see progression of this tree! :)
any updates on this Ficus??
Wonderful
I wish to see the next part of journey of this Bonsai
looking forward to see it progressing
Today is the first month of this bonsai project. One month down, two more to go. Excited about seeing what will have happened to this ficus in two months' time from here. Updates please. I have some ficus bonsai myself, and I love all ficus plants.
It will be exciting to see in a few weeks 🤞
Would like to see the next step.
So interesting. I have a ficus bonsai that is thirty years old now. It has been repotted only once which was three years ago. Should I be scraping off surface and putting some new bonsai soil on top? It sits facing south with a filtered shade. I look forward to seeing the next episode of the overgrown ficus.
Fantastic and can’t wait to see the results. 🙏🏻🕉🌲
It has been three months. I'm dying to see the rest of the story!
I recently received a ficus benjamina from a friend that moved away. Very interested in seeing the progress of this tree!
This tree must have an symbioric realion with its owner,becouse it survived so long extraordinary! I sinceraly wish for them everything workd out well!
Air layering works OK but then are difficult to make buttress roots. They will also root from any cutting, with or without hormone rooting powder, and simply stuck in potting mix when the weather is hot.
I actually find the opposite to be true. But we probably work with different species.
BTW I learnt something from your post; I had never heard of buttress roots, so looked it up and found out it's the English word for nebari. Thanks
@@coronnation8854 Old ficus in the wild can have massive butters roots. In fact they look like fortress buttresses, hence the name, and spread a long way from the trunk thereby adding greater stability. my fascination with Bonsai, over the last five decades, led me to learning more about trees and figs are some of my favourite species. I live in a hot climate and have never had a problem with striking cuttings as described. Thank you for your comment.
The leaves are very big for a Benjimina? Macrophylla maybe?
Oh dear, I've always wet the moss first. Is it better to use it dry?If so, then that is what I will do from now on. Thank-you for sharing your insights and knowledge with us!
Mr. Chan said it was damp.
What will the three cuts you made to the ficus branches accomplish?
Are we still waiting for the update?
How it's going?
Marvelous
Do we have an update.or did it die?
Bapak yang hebat totalitas dengan bonsai
Hello Peter.
On your Nursery have the leaves on the bonsai Cherry trees turned red.
In early Nov they turned orange.
Quick question. Do you have to dampen the moss beforehand when air layering?
Yes, though this moss did look quite dry didn't it.
The moss was quite damp even though it may not look it.
@@peterchan3100 ok great. Thanks for the reply Peter.
can't wait to see the result :)
Looks like mine :)
Loved the video
I also have something Like that of the same age at a window still,
if I remember it correctly it was sold as a "Ficus Ginseng"
at a Lidl supermarket.. ( it is still in its plastic container )
Where do I find a picture of how the ficus bonsai turned out after three months?
I will post a video as a follow up in due course - don t worry
Exciting times 👍🙏
good evening mr. Chan, I've a question: in this case, could be safer set up air layering after the new roots comes out in the moss (maybe two weeks) or it doesn't really matter? thank you for the video
It would have definitely been safer to do this. But I think Peter didn't realize how few roots until it was too late. Usually it's the leaves that would provide the energy for those new roots, but because the supply was halted at the cuts, it will have to use energy stores from the trunks.
It is now Autumn in UK and the air layer won't root that fast. Will have to wait till Spring for roots to grow.
Thank you for this video Peter. I have a somewhat unrelated question for you:
Do you have any books or information about how you made the transition from engineering to owning your own bonsai nursery?
I want to make a similar career transition, and am trying to get advice or hear about your journey in this.
I do mentor young entrepreneurs but have to charge for my time. You can contact our office via my PA
@@peterchan3100 happy to. Sorry but what is your PA? In my field that's a physician's assistant haha.
@@OurWorldHealth I guess maybe his private assistant?
@@TheFe1wana Ah that makes sense, thank you Michele
Please update us!!!
Did we ever get a follow-up?
Yes. Its called radical prunning of a Ficus - 2 years later. I recognised the owner and the nebari. You can find it in the Ficus Playlist. Cheers
@@naturensohn8239 thank you just watched it. "Radical Pruning of a Ficus - 2 years Later". Love how Peter says can I keep it a few more weeks. 😀
@@luigiluigi2098 Oh, got the titel slightly wrong.. thanks for correcting it. I edited my comment :)
Peter is such a genuine person and took good and longlasting care of this ficus...tbh: Due to the roots it was quite obvious, that three month wouldn' t do the trick. But seeing this ficus still in care after such a long time is fantastic! Love it!
Cool!
lovely tree! One question about the airlayering: The sphagnum moos looked bone-dry to me, was it moistures afterwards?
The moss is damp. When it’s dry it’s a brighter green and feels a bit like polystyrene.
Dear Mr Chan, earlier this year I commented on your 300k viewers and I much appreciated your return response. I also remembered you saying you would update us on the current import laws regarding exporting bonsai to the US. Have there been any changes? It doesn’t look well for me to visit anytime soon, I live on the eastern coast of the US in New Jersey. But oh lord would I love to order some trees. Hopefully things have/will change soon. Please update at your convenience. Thank you sir.
Hi Robert - I dont think the regulations will ever change. Check with your Agriculture Dept and they can give you the latest position.
It looks like microcarpa to me. You don't have to even airlay them, just cut and put it in a soil and keep humid. These beasts root crazy easy.
I agree, why waste time airlayering when you can do cuttings... what a waste of time
Yes. You cannot do it with maples, but with ficuses cuttings is a way to go!
@@vlozity In the UK we dont get the heat and humidity that you get in the warmer climates - so Ficus cuttings dont grow as easily as in warmer countries. In countries like India you can make cuttings from logs of Ficus and they root.
@@peterchan3100 , not true. I live in Germany, but that is irrelevant for ficuses. I root cuttings in my room without sufficient humidity and light. They mostly need warmth. If you can provide warmth to them they will root. People like to complicate and overdo things. Ficuses are aggressive plants, they do not need much care. They care for themselves.
💕I’ll be taking over my mum’s bonsai trees one day & that scares the life out of me💕Can I keep them alive ?💕
Cant wait to see it
Is there an update video of this tree?
Nice... 🙏
Could you do some upadate, please.
what happened to the ficus follow up?
Iis there a followup?
While watching this Ficus Benjamina I remember all this facebook posts about ficuses dying over and over again. All you need to do is give some light and don't care.
What is the status on this tree now.
Any update on this tree yet?
I propagate my ficus just my putting the cuttings in water. Have made many new bonsai. They root in a couple weeks. My airlayering success is pretty low
Be curious to see if there were photos from 20 years ago! That’s crazy it’s managed to survive 😅
Mr. Chan, I know you've made a lot of videos about forest groups, but I can't find anywhere how to repot those forest groups. Does each tree have to be separated or can it be repoted in some way as a group?
As far as I know from other chanels you always repot them in one block since the rootball of a well established forests meshes together and you can’t separate them
Well, I found with Nigel Saunders (also a very interesting bonsai blogger on YT) once that he rearranged the group with the repotting. So everything seems to be possible when doing carefully.
I have mentioned this in other videos that I have done on Forest or Group plantings. It is simply this -- The entire group is repotted as if it were one single entity. The trees are never separated unless you wish to remake or re-design the entire composition.
I think it is a ficus microcarpa, benjaminas have bigger point on their leaves
Nice💕👌👍
How? Thats an amazing achievement 😂
This is what a fight for your life really looks like :)
I feel for the sorry state of that poor tree. As an owner of many ficus bonsai growing in Australia, I can tell you that it will spring to life and grow well with new roots and some liquid fertiliser. I’m only guessing, but it might be an Obliqa.
Dang, I was hoping he started filming this 3 months ago.
Why are you doing air layering when you're practically in winter there?
Sir hello namasthe
Stranglers figs are vicious growers.
Leaf tips are not long and narrow enough to be F. benjamina. This is almost certainly F. nitida or the Chinese Banyan
I think you would benefit greatly from hiring an experienced photographer/editor to help produce the videos. The information you share is invaluable and the videos, overall are very enjoyable and relaxing. If the video production quality was better, I think it would tap into some huge potential given the cinematic scenery of the nursery.
Nice thought but its easier said than done. And its not always possible though. I make each video when the moment is right and they are made spontaneously. In those situations the professional photographer will not be on hand. I have done programmes for TV channels like BBC etc and each shot is 4 or 5 takes and even then, they dont turn out that good!!
👍👍
All root
👍🍎
Just before talk management turned life no know different Luther already Muhammad natural geography beautiful French me style natural 🧔thank you for good advice people handsome and very great just
Comment
I need part 2. Please.