I was given a ficus tree a few years a ago because the original owner could no longer care for it. After years in my collection I finally was inspired to change the style of the tree and hopefully turn it into a great bonsai. It all started with a large rock in my yard and a very horizontal ficus.
Here is the before picture. As you can see the tree is just a shapeless mound and really needed to be restyled.
The rock had a rounded bottom so I chiseled it flat so it would sit securely in the pot.
Here is a video that shows how I went about creating the root over rock. Please keep in mind this is a strangler fig and is known for growing on top of other trees and the slowly enveloping them by lowering aerial roots to encase the tree. In this case the tree will slowly attach to the rock. Therefore I didn’t have to bury the rock to produce roots to cover the rock or wrap it in sphagnum moss to keep it moist.
Finally the finished (but not styled) Root-Over-Rock. It still needs to be wired out and some branches removed but I see great potential in this tree.
