Hi everyone,
I am new, first post here!
So, my experience with "bonsai" started a couple years ago with a classic mallsai "ginseng ficus" that ended up thriving really well in my apartment, with all right precautions. I indeed live in an apartment without even a terrace, so plants are on windows either on east or west side. And being in Belgium is not helping a lot with sunlight but so far so good with ficus. After successful experinece with ficus ginseng and a cutting I got from it (I might create posts about them soon, it is almost time to start thinging about shape ) I thus decided to get abetter plant and move to next level.
A couple months ago, I thus purchased online, from a Germany bonsai nursery this big Tiger bark Retusa (55 cm height): I really love aerial roots, big scar in front side and movement of main trunk. It is also doing well and restarted growing after adaptation to new environment.
I can very well cope with first branch on the left that is bended down, looking at it closely it looks quite natural because of another scar on the back and overall twist on it, but I feel as weaknesses the branch in the middle that points at the front dicrection, the two top branches coming out at almost same point and also bended a bit towards the front and the broom-shaped top.
First procedures I attempted is to develop roots on two small branches that I carved, rooting hormone dipped and digged with an hairpin to keep below surface. If they will ever grow (not sure about biology here, if sap can just swap direction), I will use them to improve the banyan-like look.
Procedures I am planning to do next spring are surely repotting, correcting a bit the overall falling to the down look plant has now, reposition of aerial roots and better soil (likley most akadama with some perlite and TU). I draw new position I would put aerial root, to untangle and provide a more natural, harmonic look, not too parallel but surely not crossing or coming too much towards the front).
I am also thinking about correcting the broom like top by removing at least half of the 20 branches coming out at almost same spot and prune short then rebuilt giving more importance on secondary and tertiary branches.
Last, two main brances on top coming a bit towards the front, I will not wire or move them but just try to prune a bit short, saving first small branches and rebuild in a more "parallel" way. The middle branch coming to the front is my main issue, would it be an option to prune supershort, leaving no leaves at all and hope it buds back? There is also a new, super small branch right above it but I know it could take forever to "replace" it.
Let me know what you think about my plant and, being a newbie, I am really open to any suggestion!

Thanks in advance,
Eric

Welcome!
It seems healthy, and I guess it has not been trained for quite some time.
Your plans sound good, but if I were you I wouldn't worry too much about aerials right now, as ramification at the moment is a bit chaotic and the first two branches are too straight in relation to each other, forming a "T BAR" that is somehow distracting and unnecessary, as one or both can be trained to have the weird angle changed.
Good luck!

Thanks Clicio for your reply!
Yes it is healthy and still pushing in this late summer!
I completely agree with you about T bar issue, it is quite unpleasant, not sure how the nursery ended up with this
What bother me the most is anyhow the middle branch pointing front towards the observer, I would like to correct it but first branching is quite far from main trunk so I should cut behind it leaving no leaves on and risking dieback. Are you experienced with such procedure in ficus? I am puzzled.

As said, I am really open to any suggestion you might have and I will have a full winter ahead of me to plan next moves
Thanks again

Anyone else with style suggestion here?

An option: In the second picture, with the aerial roots on the ritgh. Tilt to the right so that the main trunk at the end is vertical. Remove the branch on the right. And put the aereal roots on the surface of the soil