Ficus tomorrows project

[wattynine]

So will be taking this around to a mates place tomorrow to finesse some of the carving, defoliate and generally getting it closer to presentation levels, thought I would share the progress
When I bought the plant back in 2006, and if I hazard a guess it was upwards of 10 years old then (from the olds Bakers Creek nursery for the North Queenslanders)

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thinking I new what I was doing, I let it grow back again and "bound" the new branch shoots to give them some thickness (second big mistake)and of course kept the two thick branches from the trunk (first big mistake)
03-2007

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let it grow some more, still happy in my ignorance that I was doing OK - Jan 2009

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Then I bought a fig book from one of Aussies well known bonsai figures and read about cutting back to a base stump, with the help of aqnother of Aussies leading bonsai-ists this was the next step
Jan 2012

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and I let it grow some more
Aug 2012

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then in Aug 2013 thought to begin some styling and carving

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next step

[wattynine]

bought it back to the table in Dec 2013, more carving, more wiring, more styling

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and again in May of this year

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so tomorrow ...........
refining the hollowed out carving, defoliate and work on the pads, wish I had a better pot but I don't so I'll have to make one perhaps,
will update this over the next few day with some pics,
hope you enjoy, this has kept me amused for many years.
Watty

[Mount Nasura]

Great work! Love the chop even though you spent some time developing a canopy early on you made the call to better the tree and start again. Look forward to future updates.

[wattynine]

so just an update with a little more carving for refinement and defoliation, admits it needs some tertiary wiring but that will have to wait, have been considering a slight change in potting angle to improve the crowns position over the trunk bit I'll wait till I repot it and that will have to wait for the right pot.
Photos from all four sides

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[Pierre]

Thanks for the post and the progression...it's amazing what a trunk chop can achieve...
is this a qld small leaf or a PC?
Cheers,
Pierre

[wattynine]

Thanks Pierre, to be honest not exactly sure on the breed, wasn't on it when I bought the original tree but yes my guess would be PC.

[EdwardH]

The trunk chop has made a huge improvement Well done The benefits are there to see and the tree will only get better as it ages.

[Mount Nasura]

Looks great, it's a real character tree.

[Mount Nasura]

What did you treat the carved wood with?

[wattynine]

thanks guys, you lift my spirits.
Trunk was treated with lime sulphur(50/50 with water) and has been now every six months
Watty

[wattynine]

Just and update, a bit of wiring, a bit of trimming but it's first picture with a full head of hair.
still think I need the right hand branch bought down more.
Time for a new pot in the next season and a final decision on fronts and backs, planting depths and angles.
the crown should be relatively fully developed by then as well.

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[wattynine]

Just bumping this for pot advise.
It has been recommended that a low oval off-white pot would be good, but being so specific also makes it difficult to come by.
Anybody got a low (5cm minimum) oval off-white pot to suit tree 60cm High/80cm wide.
Or is there a better solution, happy to take ideas.
Just a little photo to show where it is at right now,
with the purchase of a pot, I will de-wire, de-foliate, and re-pot and then post again.
thanks for the interest,
Watty

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to follow it's design and styling, you can also see this tree here;
viewtopic.php?f=25&t=20536&hilit=+cairns

[KIRKY]

Very nice Ficus.
If you cant find off white, why not go unglazed oval? From pics I've seen the unglazed looks better
Cheers

[wattynine]

The pot discussion I will not enter into again, I simply use what I can get. A failed attempt at getting a pot learned me a lesson in time and money, never mind, onwards and upwards. This pot came from my friend in Townsville that had the big fig for sale. The colour didn't turn me on that much but we'll see what happens when I again, get foliage.
The task and reason for the pot change to sort out the cross hatch of roots across the base, that 10 years ago I gave no thought to whatsoever, the things you learn.
So sorry for the high-jacking, just updating a post with a photo bomb, but I hope you enjoy,
Watty

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[wattynine]

I was tempted to defoliate this and do some re-wiring for some shape but you know what?? I don't recollect a season where I haven't done something to this fig so maybe just some time to grow out have a rest and I'll see you in Aug/Sept 2017. I am looking forward to finessing the style of this one.

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Thanks for lookin'
Watty