Cascade Fig - How best to pot it up

[dansai]

IMG_2624.jpg

This is a cascade fig i've been working on. I've just given a trim and wired it up. It's a bit dark to get a good shot of it, but I have a question about potting it up.

I'm concerned about putting it into a good cascade pot in that when it comes to to repot it how will I get it out? I had thought to leave it in a plastic pot and slide it into a proper pot, but this seemed a bit crass. If I put it in a proper bonsai pot will it attach itself to the pot and be difficult to remove for repotting? Or is there a way to remove it that doesn't require breaking the pot?

Cheers
Dan

[Andrew Legg]

Dan,

Normally for tight trees, people use an old breadknife and work it around the edge of the pot to ease up the root ball. For a ficus, if it is particularly stubborn, you could probably just use a saw blade and chop right through the roots. Ficus will regrow those roots chop chop.

Cheers,

Andrew

[dansai]

Thanks Andrew for the reply.

I have some knives I use for this already. Neither would be long enough though if the pot is 300 - 400 mm deep

[alpineart]

Hi Dansai , mate as long as the pot has reasonable taper and no lip inside it will simple slide out if it is regularly re-potted . If you were to leave it in the same pot for several years then a hammer may be required just to persuade the pot to release the tree .

Alternatively , turn it upside down and wash the soil out with a hose using a jet of water inside the pot but around the outside of the roots , this will reduce the pressure from the roots and soil and the usually slide out quite easy .

Cheers Alpineart

[dansai]

Cheers alpine for the info.

Now all I need to do is find a pot. Bit hard where I live. I do work in Sydney regularly but never have time to get to a Bonsai Nursery. I was in Terry Hills recently so went to Megumi's but nothing there that was suitable.

Here's a few better pics.

IMG_2632.jpg

IMG_2630.jpg

[alpineart]

Hi Dansai, mate do a Google search on cascade pots , with a bit of luck you may come across a stockist in your area or someone who does have one , may package and post the item to you .

Cheers Alpine

[Neli]

Which is the front of your cascade?

[dansai]

The first picture shows roughly the front. The second picture is from more above to show the branch placing. It was a hard tree to photo and convey its shape and feeling.