Well I posted a question about this fig here and while looking through photos I decided to post a progression showing where it came from, and with 5, 10 or 20 years of more updating, where it is going.
So, here it was when I bought it home 31 August 2011.
The main stem must have been damaged causing a ring of ariel roots to form and reach to potting mix. At some stage the stem died and the tree fell over.
I struggled with which way to style it. Wrap it back over and make an informal upright, leave the basic shape and create a semi-cascade or go for a full cascade. My experience on styling Bonsai was very limited at this stage, still is really, and the branches were long and lanky. As you can see by the picture taken the next day, I really didn't have much of an idea.
Over the next 9 months I applied more wire, trimmed, defoliated, looked at it, looked at it some more, tweaked the wiring, removed wire, looked at it again. I considered removing branches, raised one, dropped another and started to see an image that I liked. I got it to this stage on the 29 june 2012
Well I basically have gone through the same system as before of trimming, defoliating, looking, tweaking, looked, removing wire, applying wire and as of a few nights ago it looked like this.
This fig has always had a prominent position in my nursery, actually my driveway, and so I walked past it every day and have grown quite fond of it. I recently moved, all of 15m down some stairs (outside ones), and so I wasn't walking past it and needed to remedy the situation. So I brought it down, gave it a light trim and a hefty wiring. (The most wire I have put on any one tree).
It's hard to convey it's movement and grace in a photo and I don't know if it's my poor photographic skills, or just a difficult subject, but here is how it stands as of 2 days ago, 18 months after its first chop.
and taken from slightly above
I will only let the tip extend a little further and concentrate now on branch ramification and twiggy growth in the cascade. The top still needs a fair bit of development, but the internodes are long and stretch quickly if left so it's going to be hard to thicken the trunk on the top while developing the tree. I maybe should have let it go more before styling to thicken up, but you all know what us learners are like. It will be just up to growing it well for many years to achieve thickness and no doubt much enjoyment.
Would love to hear any comments on style and how to improve my photography.
Cascade Fig
- dansai
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 1260
- Joined: May 17th, 2010, 5:33 pm
- Favorite Species: Aussie Natives
- Bonsai Age: 5
- Bonsai Club: Coffs Harbour
- Location: Mid North Coast, NSW, Australia
- Has thanked: 4 times
- Been thanked: 128 times
Cascade Fig
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Travelling the Mid North Coast of NSW and beyond to attend Markets and other events
www.bonsaibus.com.au - www.facebook.com/TheBonsaiBus - www.instagram.com/thebonsaibus
www.bonsaibus.com.au - www.facebook.com/TheBonsaiBus - www.instagram.com/thebonsaibus
-
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 29
- Joined: March 7th, 2012, 10:30 am
- Favorite Species: Ficus spp., Ulmus spp. & Acer spp.
- Bonsai Age: 10
- Location: Darwin
- Contact:
Re: Cascade Fig
I assume that you added the sphagnum to try and stimulate new roots to fill that gap on the trunk? If so I think that is definitely the right direction. Did you have any grow? I would intensify the work in that area to try and get lots so that roots can fill that gap and make a nice thick base for the tree.
Overall a tree with lots of potential.
Overall a tree with lots of potential.
- dansai
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 1260
- Joined: May 17th, 2010, 5:33 pm
- Favorite Species: Aussie Natives
- Bonsai Age: 5
- Bonsai Club: Coffs Harbour
- Location: Mid North Coast, NSW, Australia
- Has thanked: 4 times
- Been thanked: 128 times
Re: Cascade Fig
Snapped a few branches along the way with this one. The main cascade branch lost when the stand it was on fell over. And I have broken one trying to bend. I can't say its better for it as I don't know what it would have been like had I not lost them, but I have been working with what I have and are happy with its progress. This is one of my very first trees and it has grown and progressed with me as we have journeyed the bonsai road together.
The Grafting tape is to try and get a top branch to meld with the trunk. Still trying! And the current pics
The Grafting tape is to try and get a top branch to meld with the trunk. Still trying! And the current pics
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Travelling the Mid North Coast of NSW and beyond to attend Markets and other events
www.bonsaibus.com.au - www.facebook.com/TheBonsaiBus - www.instagram.com/thebonsaibus
www.bonsaibus.com.au - www.facebook.com/TheBonsaiBus - www.instagram.com/thebonsaibus