Figs - beautiful Figs.....

[sreeve]

Hi,
Fifteen years ago I saw a stranger fig which I have always wanted to copy …..until now I have not tried….

The strangler fig in question is located in the Katandra Reserve near Wyoming (Gosford) but it is not the one shown on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stran ... tandra.jpg

The strangler fig I prefer is found closer to Seymour pond (surrounded by leeches) for those who know the area.

Many of us grow figs over rocks, but to me the beauty of this particular strangler fig is that it has grown around a tree, the tree has fallen over, subsequently rotted and the fig is now a hollow carcass lying on the ground. As with any die hard fig, it has survived and grown vertically again….

I especially liked the open “cage” type effect which even after all these years has not grown over….

New Vertical trunk showing fallen cage in background.JPG

cage 1.JPG

cage 2.JPG

Looking up the legnth of the cage.JPG

What staying power…….. what beauty…..

I had been thinking about how to replicate this style…. I first thought to simply grow a strangler over a branch, log or like.
Then I thought of the problem and time taken to extract the interior given that I wanted to have a hollow “cage” like effect.

I thought about using a tree fern or similar which would rot easily and be as easy to carve out.

These alternatives seemed to be too hard or would take too long for my impatient self, so I thought about using a piece of small (diameter 60mm) PVC pipe.

The advantage being that I could simply pull the pipe through the end when I had finished.

However I didn’t want a perfect pipe shape on the inside, so I used a slightly crumpled pot liner wrapped around the PVC pipe with the fig roots wrapped around that. I also tried sphagnum moss instead of the pot liner.

Given that it will take quite a while, I tried wrapping sphagnum moss on the exterior of the roots as well as just glad wrap or horse bandage.

Time will tell which is the best method.

Some of the stock.JPG

Tubes ready cut.JPG

Pot liner around PVC pipe.JPG

Lined PVC with alternative Spagnum in background.JPG

Gladwrap ready to wrap around fig.JPG

I wanted to replicate the “cage” effect of the roots and felt that using a Port Jackson or Moreton Bay would not have the desired effect as their roots tend to meld together.

So I used three different types but mainly Watkinsania and Natalensis with each of the style / design variants

I would be interested to know if anyone else has tried such an experiment, what the method was and most importantly, what you would do differently next time.

Regards
Steve

[Damian Bee]

love your style

[Jerry Meislik]

HI Steve.
Really interesting styling of an epiphytic fig that has fallen over and survived.
I have a similar but upright epiphytic fig still in training. Mine was put on a dead trunk which is slowly rotting out.
Yours will be easier to extract the "old trunk/PVC".
See http://www.bonsaihunk.us/EpiphyticCreate.html
Jerry

[sreeve]

Hi Jerry - thanks for your reply and the link to your web site

The problem of course is that the cage fig took nature many many years to create and us humans are less patient (let alone having the required life span )

How long have you had your fig cooking?
You mention that you are using multiple tiger barks. Wont that particular type of fig meld the roots together rather than tend to stay in strands?

If not, I have about a dozen or so that I can put into the cooking pot and try this spring

Appreciate your input and guidance
Steve

[Jerry Meislik]

Hi Steve.
Patience of course is key. My epiphytic style tree is now 5 years old.
Melding/fusing will occur if the roots are close to each other and gradually grow together. If there is quite a lot of space between roots and no surface for the roots to spread on they will not fuse very quickly or at all. If roots are positioned so that they push each other away as they grow then no fusing.
Jerry
http://www.bonsaihunk.us

[sreeve]

Jerry - Sounds pretty logical.
On that basis, it will be interesting to see how the PVC pipe method works as it can be withdrawn at will vs having to wait for the host branch / log to rot away.

Hopefully this should allow the "caged"appearance to occur.

Thanks again for your comments
Steve

[Jerry Meislik]

Steve,
I think your method has many advantages. As you state the PVC can be removed at any time while the dead wood trunk will rot out at its own pace. In the case of my bonsai the trunk is rotting out too fast and I think the trees will not be held together enough to stand alone.
I like your technique very much.
Jerry
http://www.bonsaihunk.us

[bonzaidog]

hi Steve....sorry to jump on the bus so far down the track, but I was wondering, and interested in any epiphytic ficus projects out there .I'm guessing it's early days yet but how is your project going,and /or have you undertaken any new methods to achieve your objectives? Does anyone else have any pics/advice on epiphytic plantings? If Jerry is out there,I'd love to see some progress shots of your poject....regs....Dog

[sreeve]

Hi Dog,
Its still early days for me and too early to say.

I have been surprised at how figs can grow when their roots are no-where near soil (about 6"above hte soil level) and quite happily growing down towards the soil.

I have noticed a stark diference in the rate of growth when the roots are all aerial. Heaps slower than if the roots were in soil. Having said that, the fig is still healthy with plenty of new leaves

I have another couple of ideas and will try them out and post an update in the next few weeks

Regards
Steve

[Bretts]

I must have missed this one Steve. I had been interested in this style ever since reading From Rain forest to Bonsai by Len Webber.
Instead of the open cage Len discusses the image of the fig enveloping the host tree. He did one over a log but it rotted away and he was left with the cage. He suggested that one might be able to accomplish this with a live host if the roots of the fig where trained so as not to strangle the host. It seems he did not get a chance to try this before he passed away. This is what I got interested in and after a year or so trying to think of a tree for a host I used a hack berry that had been laying around for a while.

strangler fig.jpg

strangler fig 2.jpg

Not exactly beautiful but it is a start This was last year. Although roots have made it to the soil it has not progressed a great deal. I will repot next year and see if I can speed things up a bit.
I am still thinking what would be a good host for a better go!

[hugh grant]

How toy going sreeve
I live only a few doors down the road fromthe katandra reserve an have seen those figs in there many times, they are very amazing. I too have thought of how to replicate this aswell but your way sounds pretty good

Hugh

[bonzaidog]

thanx,Steve for the feedback,it will be interesting to see how the project progresses further down the track! Brett...Interesting point, using a living/struggling host,I guess the host would best be something from the figs natural habitat, to give it that authenticity,,,I was wondering how to balance the look of the finished display,I guess the final compostion would show the fig gaining the upper hand,thus being the focal point of the show.I'd like to get a copy of Len Webber's book...is it still in print,if so by who.....thanx again ..Dog

[Bretts]

It's not in print and some claim it to be a bit rare but since I acquired mine I have seen it plenty of times on ebay going for a song.
The hackberry had some very ugly roots that looked a bit rain foresty and since I was tired of trying to find a host I gave it a go.
The leaves are a bit too similar though and I am still thinking of a better host.

[sreeve]

Hi Brett
It mightn’t look pretty with all the tape around it now, but it should look pretty neat in a coupla years.

You mentioned that you have also left the fig roots high and out of the soil, which is how they would grow naturally in this circumstance. Are you also finding the growth slow?

I followed Lens advice on a couple of others and have been growing them inside tall PVC pipes to get the roots long and hopefully dangly. I intend to wrap these around the hessian and PVC pipe next week. They will then reach the soil level which will give me something to compare the two methods.
Its a good chance to use some more horse badage tape also

In either case, I am looking for an empty cage effect whereas you are going more for the strangler fig effect. I look forward to seeing yours progress over the next years.

Dog,
thanks for your interest. I will post some piccys when I have something worth seeing.

Hugh,
If you live near Katandra, then I know why in other posts you mention that you live on a large property and have access to a lot of trees.
I will send you a PM with my phone number in case you would like to drop by next week and have a look at the progress and the next trial

Regards
Steve

[Jerry Meislik]

Someone asked, Dog?, about a shot of my epiphytic tree. The latest shot is a year ago and I am attaching it here.
Will try to take a more recent one. Roots still just hanging on, dead trunk is rotting slowly from the bottom and not enough growth to see any fusion yet.
Jerry