Versatile and hardy, the ficus ginseng is a bonsai that can easily be adapted to any bonsai form or style. Understanding the different forms for ficus ginseng will allow you to better plan and sculpt your tree. Overall there are many forms which a bonsai can take and it is up to you as the bonsai tree grower to identify the form which will best suit and thus train the tree in that particular form.
Best Forms for Ficus Ginseng
Forms for ficus bonsai which I think work best include the multiple trunk form, group plantings and raft forms as well as root over rock. The reason I have identified these forms as the best forms for this type of bonsai tree, is that they harness the best attributes of the ficus ginseng bonsai which are it’s strong root base and full green foliage.
Ficus Ginseng Multiple Trunk Forms
The multiple trunk fo
rm highlights the intricate root and trunk formation and can reinvigorate any ficus bonsai. As a rule any multiple trunk form bonsai should have at least three or more odd-numbered trunks growing from the same root base.
Trunks should vary in size, height and girth and as with a dual trunk bonsai, the branches should grow upwards and outwards into the light and create a triangular shape and combined crown. The image alongside paints a great picture of what is possible with the multiple trunk form.
Root Over Rock Forms
Th
e root over rock form is another such form that is ideal for bonsai with exposed roots such as the ficus ginseng. With this form the bonsai is planted directly into a rock’s hole or depression or alternatively planted over a rock with its roots growing down into a pot filled with soil. This forms existence comes directly from nature where trees in certain rocky or mountainous regions must grow in and around rock formations and thus their root systems end up sprawled over barren rock.
Group Plantings and Raft Forms
Group plantings and raft forms are the two other forms I identified as ideal for growing bonsai ginseng and I will discuss these in a later post…
