How to Make cascading Style Bonsai with Ficus plant

Cascading Style Bonsai 

Cascade style is a interesting style in Bonsai. Usually In nature plant grows to wards the sky , but here in this style Plant is growing towards gravity downwards. It makes the plant attractive and unique. When water from top of the mountain falls down it takes makes interesting path in cascading way. 

The trees Growing on peak of the mountain generally effected by Natural disasters like heavy winds, thunder storms, sun burns etc... During that top branches break down and there wont be proper growth there. then the branches at the down portion of the trunk where there is less effect of wind try to grow down . then slowly development of tree will be on earth bound branches.

courtesy google image

Here in this photo we can clearly see the effect of the wind and development of earth bound branches. Bonsai is an art that nature and Bonsai art is interlinked. Creation of Bonsai style is entirely depends on the nature of the growth and evolution of the plant as it gains age. Keeping this in mind we are creating our Bonsai trees. 

Our Bonsai Lovers last month workshop is demonstration and learning the principals of Tree development on Mountain cliffs and applying that philosophy in our demonstrating plant Ficus triangularis . It is also known as Ficus natalensis leprieurrii variegate.

Ficus natalensis leprieurrii variegate.

This plant is a tropical plant with variegated light green and with whitish yellow attractive leaves . The 

leaves  are in triangular shape. 

               

Trunk of the plant is vert stiff and cant bent. so a notch is made on the main trunk line where the main trunk going to have a hard bend. one of the branch removed raft tape is wrapped around the main trunk is wired and made a bend slowly

  

Among three branches one branch is removed and second main trunk is wrapped with raft tape and  wiring is done to that branch to bend it down in cascading manner just like how water flows down from mountains .

The entire link of making Cascade style Bonsai in below.

Once we done with wiring selection of pot is very important in cascade style.  Usually the pot for cascade style is heighted depth pot , so the free fall of the Bonsai plant can be seen clearly.

 we used Heighted pot for placement of the plant to show as if the plant is growing on Mountain top. and due to heavy rains ,winds and thonder storms plant developed down ward growth just like how water falls from mountains plants shape is  also happens to be like in that manner. Here I am sharing a plant in natural surroundings how it is growing in on hill top, Bonsai is nothing but we are creating natural styles in our plant

Below is traditional pot. Here heighted pot is traditional way of using for cascade style in Bonsai. Now Bonsai is a art, so Bonsai masters are using different pots. I will give you some example of of here.

Plant is in decorative pot

Cascade style in a half open shell like pot

Cascade style in a hand made pot

On a rock  and the plant fall is cascading

coming out of the rocks and the tree is growing down.

In Bonsai Art the Creation is infinite

     

                                                                                                    

Ficus rumphi Bonsai on a Rock

 Ficus Rumphi on a Rock

Ficus rumphi Bonsai on a Rock

This is a variety of Ficus rumphi plant. This is a variety of ficus. This plant is also called as Bodhi Vrush. There  is a little difference between leaf of Ficus religiosa and ficus rumphi. Ficus religiosa  that is peepal tree leaves tip is long and sharp, while ficus rumphi leaves  tip is short and sharp. There are many medicinal uses are there with the latex of this plant. 

Ficus rumphi can be grown from seeds, branches and air layering. its a tropical plant and favorite plant Bonsai lovers because of its trunk line structure, umbrella shape of canopy  and matured radiating roots development of the plant. its a fast growing tree. Responds well to  cutting and pruning by developing more branches from its  nodes. 

 Ficus plant is placed on rock and looking for a correct position on the rock

The placement of plant on a rock should be as natural as it is growing on the rock

After fixing it tie the plant to rock with any tape so plant wont move. Then there will be proper growth of the plant, Roots will hold the rock slowly as they start growing.

This is the fresh placement and positioning on rock . I will share the growth of the plant on coming chapters.

 For a complete video I am sharing the link. Please check it.

Styling Thuja Orientalis ( Morpunkhi ) on A rock penjing

 Morpunki it is also called as Thuja orientalis and also called as Platycladus. This is a good Plant for Bonsai. Thuja is of plant  like cypress and ever green. In favorable conditions it can be grown as a indoor Bonsai, otherwise it is a little shade loving plant. it can be grow up to 10 to 12 feet. It is a slow growing medicinal plant. The leaves of the plant grown in flatten manner new leaves will have light fresh green color and old ones will be in dark green color. 

I bought a Thuja plant from a nursery and thought of making it in to a Bonsai. 

                                                             Plant Before Pruning  

It is a nursery plant. just five years old. This plant is growing from branches, Thuja is slow growing plant with small tiny leaves. giving shape to this plant is little demanding job because of many small branches on the main trunk line. First we have to clean and clear the main trunk line by removing all small , tiny branches. then we get a clear view to wiring and styling of the plant. 

After some  cleaning we can see some space between branches and that gives a clear view for further steps of styling.

After Some pruning and cleaning

After Some wiring started styling Plant

By bending Morpunkhi , it was given a shape

After styling , its the time to repot the plant to a selected Bonsai pot. The pot and the plant should be synchronize and co exit in a natural way. 

This time instead of Pot a lawa stone is selected to place the plant as if it is growing from a mountain.

The Surface of stone is having good structure with small groves.

  

Select a best suitable place spot and angle on the rock to place the plant and make a grove by carving a notch to fit the plant in the rock.  

 

  

Plant will be place in this groove. 

Remove  some of soil and cut down the extra roots and place plant on the stone.

Click on this link for  Complete video of making