[360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by Si Van Nguyen »

Hi Steven, I just saw your tree here! Fantastic! I love it! I agree with most people here too, especially with Jerry Meislik, about the lower and wider silhouette for the tree. Being a F. Rubiginosa, it should have a wide banyan look to it. I would even go lower than Jerry's virt.
Good luck with it!
Si
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by Si Van Nguyen »

Oh yeah, here's how I see it. You should also save the cuttings whenever you prune it, to let them root out first and then fuse them back onto the tree later for a really full canopy, because you will need a lot more branches to acheive this banyan look. This would be the fastest way to acheive a finished bonsai from this current material I think.
Good day!
Si
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Last edited by Si Van Nguyen on July 15th, 2009, 5:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by Steven »

Thanks Si! As soon as the weather warms up here in Sydney, I'll start work on the restyle.
You say to let the cutting root out, then fuse them back into the tree. Could you please elaborate on what you mean?
Regards,
Steven
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by AnneK »

Steven wrote: I am aware of the short comings of this tree however my initial goal was to nurture it back to health. Now that it is healthy, the work (including leaf size reduction) will begin.
I am more interested in peoples ideas for styling. One question is - there are two main trunks that start above the root mass. I'm not sure if I will keep them both or remove the one on the right.
Regards, Steven
Steve, You are planning to bring it down, so reduce the heaviest trunk the most. (whether that is your left or right!) That surely is the simplest answer, without seeing the tree "in the bark" as it were.

Regards, AnneK
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by AnneK »

Steven wrote: I am aware of the short comings of this tree however my initial goal was to nurture it back to health. Now that it is healthy, the work (including leaf size reduction) will begin.
I am more interested in peoples ideas for styling. One question is - there are two main trunks that start above the root mass. I'm not sure if I will keep them both or remove the one on the right.
Regards, Steven
Steven, You are planning to bring it down, so reduce the heaviest trunk the most. (whether that is your left or right!) That surely is the simplest answer, without seeing the tree "in the bark" as it were.

Regards, AnneK
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by Si Van Nguyen »

Steven wrote:
You say to let the cutting root out, then fuse them back into the tree. Could you please elaborate on what you mean?
Regards,
Steven
Hi Steven, this is very easy to do. I will submit some of my ficus fusion projects to show what I mean. Basically, just put the cuttings in a bucket of sand for 3-4 months, and cover the bucket with a plastic bag. Take long cuttings, longer or bigger the better. Once they have rooted, take them and wrap them onto the trunk and big branches of the same mother tree and cover it all up with something, anything. I use aluminium foil. Or you could use a plastic bag. Keep the wrap moist for a few months, then uncover it from time to time to wire the branches and aerial roots down, and rewrap it for another season if needed. Ficus branches and roots fuse together very quickly. David Fukumoto in Hawaii has a great website showing some of his ficus fusion techniques. Check it out.
Regards,
Si
Last edited by Si Van Nguyen on July 17th, 2009, 4:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by Gary Bee »

I think we are all awaiting the next photo, steven.
Perhaps November will begin to show your leaf reduction and subtle steps forward.
It certainly is an impressive tree.
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by Steven »

I know that it is getting pretty late in the season for major work on Ficus however time constraints and the health of the tree kept me from doing anything sooner. I repotted this one in November last year into straight Diatomite and it has never been healthier! Last night I went to work and finally did some initial styling.
February 2010 (5).jpg
I defoliated first to see what was going on (and to make the wiring easier)...
February 2010 (7).jpg
I then wired every branch, had another drink while pondering the required style and proceeded to bend and twist...
February 2010 (9).jpg
I also removed some of the heavy aerial roots that were heading down towards the rock which accentuated the trunk movement on the LHS.

The back is looking pretty messy with a mass of aerial roots that will need to be thinned out soon.
February 2010.jpg
So, what's the verdict? Would you have styled it differently or do you have any suggestions for improvement?

Regards,
Steven
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by Jarrod »

Definately a mass of messy roots. Once they fuse you won't see the rock any more.

Great work you have done on it and I think it will fill in nicely.
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by craigw60 »

Hi Steven,
I would grow the tree on one trunk and wire the branches not flat but about 45 degree angle from the trunk I would also agree with Pup in that you need to simplify the roots a little. With bonsai less is more every time. Fantastic material to work with.
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by Jamie »

hey steven,

i kept coming back to this tree this after noone there was something that wasnt quite sitting with me for some reason then it hit me and it seemed the tree didnt really have any direction, what i have done is used your defoliated pic, used what branching was there and just refined it into a little more detail and pad formation. adding some airial roots for drama, defining the pads to a more of an angle down and this is what it comes out like,

stevenfigvirt.jpg

jamie :D
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by Shannon »

Nice tree Steven, :P
Only suggestion is to put a bit more movement in the branches they are a bit straight.
It will give the tree a more natural feel and remember what they say the older tree's tend to have there branches bent downward.
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by dayne »

steven the only thing i noticed is some branches are bent down hard others are quite straight i would like to see all the branches bent down evenly but i still like it great base
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by Boom1979 »

g'day mate i dont mean to be picky but that fig is not a Rubiginosa (ruby) Fig, it looks more like a Ficus macrophylla (Moreton Bay fig) to me. the main reason i say this is that i have a Ruby and its leaves are long and skinny which is different to the leaves on your tree, i also have a Moreton Bay fig and your tree's leaves are an exact match for mine. Other than that i really like your styling on the tree
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Re: [360°] Ficus rubiginosa :: root over rock

Post by Boom1979 »

G'day me again here is a link to a photo of a true Rubiginosa so ya can see that your tree is not a Rubiginosa.
http://www.anbg.gov.au/bonsai/images-ca ... -ruby.html
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