Narrative
Written for posting on 21 February 2016
Ficus macrophylla 1 – Urban Yamadori – Collected 1997
Hello Everyone,
This Initial Post.
I apologise to everyone for the long narrative beginning this post. I have endeavoured to be as brief as possible, I have tried to condense 19 years immediately below, then followed by a few images of the Ficus throughout those 19 years, up to a few days ago.
The posting will then continue in small broken down specifics relating to assistance that I would dearly appreciate your experience in aiding my knowledge of bonsai and the techniques involved.
If there is specific information you may desire regarding this Ficus or any other issue – please post your question /s.
I would also dearly appreciate your individual feedback on everyone’s own unique thoughts regarding anything relating to this thread or otherwise.
Thank-you in advance for your time.
The Initial Narrative
In the Spring of 1997 as a Landscape Maintenance Contractor, our company were employed to clean, restore and maintain a property at Lidcombe. The site was extensive, initially 100 hectares and established by the State Government in the 1890's as a home for 'wayward boys'. Initially and for many decades following the vast grounds surrounding the accommodation precinct were utilised for agricultural and horticultural purposes. This original precinct was adorned with many gardens and still contained most of the original plantings set up by the boys. Over the following 100 years the property remained owned and operated by the State Government and was utilised for many purposes. In the early 1990's the State Government relocated all their facilities from this property and locked the gates. Some areas of the property including the original precinct with its historic plantings had not been maintained for up to 10 years.
Honestly this precinct was a jungle when I went in - it was a Yamadori paradise. My first week onsite was with glyphosate, trying to identify and clear all 'hard stand areas'. This is where I uncovered my little (at that time) Ficus. It was approximately 300mm high x 100mm wide and looked a bit like a little fig budda, as half the figs height was consumed by his swollen bole with a forked 2 branch canopy. The figs swollen bole emerged from a 30mm cracked concrete pavement abutting a brick pier of an original building. Upon removal all I managed to secure were two 100mm long major roots and several long string like roots which ran along the grounds surface under the building.
At home, I was thinking he was a Moreton Bay Fig and all I wanted him to resemble were the established, well buttressed Ficus trees located around Sydney. I then wedged a weathered orange / reddish piece of sandstone as far as possible into the roots and crisscrossing the remaining roots over and around the 2 major roots (very un-bonsai like) hoping for these roots to graft together to produce a more pronounced buttress effect. This was then planted into an oddly sized black nursery container and filled with my standard potting mix completely covering the rock and placed it into an area of dappled sunlight throughout the entire day.
In the following Spring of 1998, on regular watering times, I began to slowly wash the soil away, little by little exposing the underlying rock. The plant produced an aerial root which I encouraged to reach the soil to root properly. By Summer, the fig began producing more aerial roots. Believing it to be distressed, the largest bonsai style pot I could locate was constructed from a heavy polymer product. I bare rooted and root pruned the Ficus and discovered after 12 months the roots had swelled sufficiently enough to encase the stone. Therefore, not wanting to cut the stone out, it remained (to this day) and I planted the fig into the shallow container.
Over the following 2 years the fig profusely produced long strangler style roots from the containers drainage holes which would consistently anchor the pot to the wooden seat where it permanently resided in the dappled sun. I regularly lifted the pot – actually, I wrestled with the pot and seat to separate them which would effectively sever the roots from the plant. I continued this practice through to the following spring of 2000, by which time I was able to purchase another larger bonsai styled container.
In the Spring of 2000, I bare rooted and root pruned the Ficus and again potted the Ficus into a one size larger pot. The Ficus received regular watering, fortnightly applications of liquid nutrients coupled with the occasional sprinkle of Dynamic Lifter for TURF.
Over the next 15 years, as the Ficus was a prolific grower, I was consistently giving the complete canopy a thorough terminal growth removal prune, generally speaking, pruning each and every branch back to 2 internodes and / or endeavouring to create and maintain the canopies evenness without putting the fuel hedge trimmer over it. My goal was to always try to maintain the terminal growth of any branch at an ideal space of 2 internodes - maximum 4 internodes (only in the first 2 – 4 years. I have regularly performed this pruning style throughout the tree's life, repeating this practice several times per year, on occasions, up to 4 times per year.
I have never wired this tree. I have spent the past 18 to 19 years selectively creating branches where I wanted them to be. My terminology is called replicating and / or duplicating.
Endeavouring to get my head around what bonsai enthusiasts call ramification - one word with multiple horticultural outcomes, I asked a ramification question to Mr Bodhidharma recently. At that time, Nate.bonsai quickly replied for which I forgot to thank for his assistance – thanks nate.bonsai for your promptness of reply.
Mr Bodhidharma had the patience of a hungry cat waiting atop of a mouse hole and then along came Bruce Lee, no, no, it was Mojo who quoted Bruce Lee:-
• “You must learn to live in the present and accept yourself for what you are now. What you lack in flexibility and agility you must make up with knowledge and constant practice.”
Mojo then made available a very helpful book for me to read on Bonsai.
Very recently I stumbled upon this quotation from Jon Chown.
Re: Australian Style. . . what is it
Postby Jon Chown » November 14th, 2008, 5:02 pm
I can completely sympathise with you Jon, because I am going through that exact phase. Jon did you ever work it out?Jon Chown wrote:
The area that I have always found the most difficult to learn and find out from other exponents is 'ramification' and how to obtain it - when to start working on it - which branches to keep and which to eliminate. Take a look at any of the trees done by some of the big names and study the ramification and you will quickly forget abot what style it is. Min Hsuan Los award winning Ficus is a great example.
I have taken a few images which will be attached later that I would hope someone can assist me with please in relation to this phenomena of ramification.
Briefly, as I have explained my procedures for pruning. I believe the principles of 2x2 and 2x2x2 etc. have been somewhat performed and as for the RAM in ramification - you will see in the photos, 4 internodes on every branch per centimetre. It would appear, I have been ramifying my fig for the past 19 years.... and once the branch becomes lignified, the ramification process disappears, it is absorbed into the trunk / branches creating mild movement. As for the subsequent branch diversification, i can only deal with the blind buds made available to me - i cannot create a mini network of subsequent branchlets without a branch that will participate in this activity. I have read that this branch sub-division is easily obtained with alternately spaced branches. Can someone tell that to my Ficus - because all the Ficus does is
"I'm going that way buddy" Photos will help and will be posted later.... Please help. As for defoliation - a man needs a pacemaker every time he does that.
Over the past few years I have been on the hospital operating table quite frequently and all my trees have suffered due to this. The Ficus has also copped a physical bashing due to its size. Several major branches have incurred fractures, hence complete removal. One incident is due to the neighbour's dog's large squeaky bone, which went straight threw the fig completely removing a major structural limb and several smaller ones as well – 19 years of pruning instantly corrected with a bloody squeaky rubber bone from the neighbour’s dog – more on the neighbour later too.
As for bare rooting and root pruning. The fig had its first three seasons performed each Spring / Summer. Then it was left for approximately 10 years where I was regularly allowing the roots their freedom from the pot, then severing them. Effectively Air Pruning. This was not a planned procedure, as I had given the fig many freedoms, it responded with growth.
The problem I had was locating a container big enough for the Ficus. I literally spent years searching for - not the appropriate container for the fig - just any container big enough to hold this Ficus. Not aware of the social media, blogs and forums like AusBonsai, I was about to search for potters and commission a bonsai pot for the big girl.
Then in 2013, on one of my many pot hunting expeditions, I believed I could see through a sealed crate on the highest shelf (about 10 metres in the air) in the pot section of Bunnings. I believed I could see what appeared to be circular spheres nestled together. Well.... what happened next is another story.... But, I was not leaving that shop until I viewed what was within that sealed crate 10 metres in the air. Later that day, I purchased 2 circular sphere shaped containers from that sealed crate - the one the fig is presently residing in, being 630mm inside diameter and the next size up. I think outside diameters are 700mm and 900mm.
I would really appreciate assistance within everyone's thoughts on what would be the MOST APPROPRIATE SIZE AND SHAPE CONTAINER FOR MY FICUS.
Ficus macrophylla 1n measurements:
Height - 850mm
Canopy - 1200mm wide x 1300mm deep
Bole / Trunk / Nebari - 450mm wide x 430mm deep x 1300mm Circumference
Images:
Unfortunately, at this time the oldest image I can locate of the Ficus is from 2003 (and a Crappy one too, sorry).
Well that's it for now.
I hope you enjoy, looking forward to your comments - Good, Bad or Indifferent.
I do have much more to post, but will get to it soon.
Thank-you,
Kevin
Insert Images
2. Earlier Photos 1998 to 2015
3. The 5 Elements Team
4. Before Defoliation MON 25JAN2016
5. After Defoliation WED 27JAN2016
6. Root Removal and Re-Pot WED 27JAN2016
7. After Re-Pot THUR 28JAN2016
8. Storm Damage 7AM SAT 30JAN2016
9. Protect Plant from Another Storm 12PM SAT 30JAN2016
10. Re-Pot PM SAT 30JAN2016
11. After Re-Pot PM SAT 30JAN2016
12. Latest Photos 11FEB2016
13. A Closer look at Concerns PM SAT 30JAN2016
14. Internodal Distances 18FEB2016
15. Ramification Photos 11FEB2016
