The Art of Bonsai

Category: fusion

  • Creating a new branch with fusion

    Creating a new branch with fusion

    In this Ficus microcarpa ‘melon seed’ I needed a left side branch. As you can see in image 1 there is no branch. Fortunately, several small branches sprouted in the right spot and to speed the development of the branch three of the sprouts were tied together with cable ties, image 2. Two of the…

  • Fusing a fig tree

    Using fusion to improve a fig tree is a valuable technique. However, it is necessary to use genetically identical material or the fusion my show differences in bark, leaf, etc. that can detract from the uniformity and believability of the design. In this case seedlings of Ficus virens while very young were fused to create…

  • Fusing Ficus

    One of my favorite techniques to obtain larger material is to fuse young rooted cutting together. I use cuttings all taken from the same mother plant so that the bark, leaves and general character of the fused plant will be completely the same. In this way I can develop larager plants since my growing space…

  • Some steps in creating a bonsai from raw material

    This is a young plant grown from a root cutting of a Ficus natalensis. The root cutting sprouted three branches. To develop a new apex and create a better transition to the new apex, two of the sprouts were pulled together with electrical ties. A month or two passed and the ties were removed. The…

  • The early steps in bonsai creation

    In creating a bonsai from rought stock there are some typical steps in the process.     Low branches have been kep to help thicken the lower trunk. Once again the tree will be allowed to grow wildly until it is time to select branches to keep and branches to remove and some preliminary wiring…

  • Ficus infectoria or is it Ficus virens

    Ficus infectoria is an invalid name, according to the botanists, and should technically be called Ficus virens. This material shows a coarser grower than some of my other virens. It seems to be quite happy in container culture with no special needs. This bonsai is actually 3 or 4 root fused trees that were grown from seed.…