Fucus Benjamina

[alpineart]

This was purchased with small change , never had one so i grabbed it after seeing a clump style benji in the top . I set an open pot layer

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on it back on November 20 and removed it yesterday

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. With a quick repot

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i took it to the club meeting last night and chopped it back a bit rough and ready

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. No real styling took place as i set another layer in the same fashion on a Ficus Natalensis during the course of the evening .

Cheers Alpineart

[anthonyW]

Well done Alpineart,very smart way to get a multi trunk.
Anthony

[alpineart]

Hi anthonyW , not my favorite fig , but for $5 it was worth the investment .

Cheers Alpine

[Jason]

Wow the roots look really good from that layer! Thick, and a really nice spread

Do you have any plans for the one that's dead straight? Or is it a case of just let it grow, see where it goes?

[Andrew F]

Top notch root spread on that layer Alpine, what sorta mix did you layer it with?

[alpineart]

Wow the roots look really good from that layer! Thick, and a really nice spread

Do you have any plans for the one that's dead straight? Or is it a case of just let it grow, see where it goes?

Hi Jason , good methods produce good results , I open pot layer all material . I plan to set a layer mid way up the trunk and grow another thick trunk , from there i will see what sprouts .The mid section removed was taken as a cutting , if it grows it grows as there is no shoots or buds and I'm not all that fussed .

Cheers Alpine

[alpineart]

Top notch root spread on that layer Alpine, what sorta mix did you layer it with?

Hi Andrew F , mate this is typical root mass of an open pot layer on most material , I have learnt the bigger the pot the better the spread . The mix is scoria and pine bark with a handful of fine river sand . Basically its my bonsai mix , as with all other layers , i just thought i would throw a handful of sand in this one . With open pot layering anything that is free draining would work as long as it doesn't dry out , dissolve , or turn to mush .

Unlike spagnum moss this bonsai mix is removed with a gentle teasing so the results can be seen at the first potting and this root mass hasn't bee trimmed . It was watered every day in the same fashion as my tree's , bonsai and grow beds . I just squirt them all with a hand held hose .

Cheers Alpine .

[alpineart]

Been out of sorts with bonsai and work lately but I did managed to hack this back and re pot it today

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.With a new bulk purchase of 3-8mm bonsai wire just delivered I will take this fig to our club meeting on Tuesday night and wire the basic shape into it .

Cheers . Alpineart

[boom64]

Looking forward to see the Alpine magic on this one. They get a bad wrap in my opinion.....Keep us posted. Cheers John.

[alpineart]

This was wired and left for too long which has scared the trunk but it didn't matter as it was time to cut its head off for a major height reduction

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. A quick root prune and re-pot and its back into the hot house

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and boy is it hot in there .

Cheers Alpineart