New Fig

Forum for discussion of Tropical bonsai – Ficus, Bougainvillea, Fukien Tea, Dwarf Umbrella etc.
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Mbunro
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New Fig

Post by Mbunro »

Picked up this big old ficus today for $50 just near my work. Unsure what type exactly but im thinking tiger bark.

was no way i was getting it out of the pot so i had to sledgehammer it off.
would have liked to let it get a bit more healthy before i chopped the trunk and halved the roots but there was no way i would have been able to get it home without doing it today.


I have left it a bit taller than i would have liked to, but i wanted to leave at least a few leaves and figured i can always chop lower to try address the reverse taper at a later date.

going into a styro box this afternoon, and fingers crossed she survives,

thanks for lookin


EDIT:
Photos look great on my computer until i upload and they go dark and look like they have been filtered.
Only happens on my work PC so will re upload photos later from home.
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Last edited by Mbunro on October 22nd, 2016, 2:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Redsonic
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Re: New Fig

Post by Redsonic »

The leaves look like a benjamina to me. Definitely don't chop below green.
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Re: New Fig

Post by Mbunro »

Redsonic wrote:The leaves look like a benjamina to me. Definitely don't chop below green.
thanks, luckily i left some green.
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Re: New Fig

Post by Bougy Fan »

Yes I concur it's a benji. You can cut it back to nothing, it is suggested that removing all the foliage from a branch but not the whole tree can result in the branch dying.
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Re: New Fig

Post by benbonsai »

This the little guy you speak of?
Slow and steady wins the race
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Re: New Fig

Post by Mbunro »

benbonsai wrote:This the little guy you speak of?
the one and only heh.
i probably took more roots off than you did... probably removed 3 quarters to get it in that box.
probably a bit much, but its nearly been a month and it hasnt lost any colour in the leaves, so fingers crossed i see some new growth in the next week or 2.
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Re: New Fig

Post by benbonsai »

I had to use a saw to cut through the root ball haha felt like a tree massacre :lol:
But, like you said, there isn't any yellowing
Fingers crossed & keep posting :fc:
Slow and steady wins the race
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Re: New Fig

Post by Mbunro »

had a propper look over this one last night and it seems to have survived its poor treatment.
new buds starting to pop in all the right places. Theres pretty much one just below each of the cuts i made, and a bunch about 5cm up the trunk just above the nebari.
Looks like im going to have plenty of options so hopefully my watering system can keep this one alive while im away for the next 6 weeks. :fc:
most of the fresh buds are still too small to capture in a photo so will post some pics when i return.
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Re: New Fig

Post by benbonsai »

Good to hear :yes:
Slow and steady wins the race
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Re: New Fig

Post by Mbunro »

Its been 3 months since the initial chop and repot. After serving its purpose as a dumping ground for excess fertiliser this ones been been going nuts...
I ignored the little voice telling me to wait, so off went his head....

if i can get some aerial roots it may make a nice banyan style tree one day
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Re: New Fig

Post by Mbunro »

after a small haircut yesterday i think im happy with branch selection,
going to get some wire on some of them over the weekend.
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Re: New Fig

Post by Bonsai_creations »

Will be sweet when your finished :tu:
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Re: New Fig

Post by KirstieWilk »

This is a nicely developed trunk. I can't wait to see it in a display pot sometime soon


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Re: New Fig

Post by Mbunro »

this one made it into a training pot February 2018.. has had a couple of trims since then... really regretting cutting so low as i dont think im ever going to be able to hide that big flat cut...
will get round to putting some wire on the branches one day... maybe this year..
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