Old Forest - Ficus natalensis group from 1979

[Ash]

This Ficus natalensis group planting was created from mature cutting grown stock by my bonsai teacher as a demonstration in 1979 (two years before I was born - needless to say I don't remember the demo). It originally comprised 17 trees, when I first came to know this forest in 1994 it had 15 trees and now there are 14. My teacher recently passed the torch of this forest to me and it has spent the last few weeks in my garden acclimatising to its new home. There are six or seven species of lichen on it of which I am quite fond (though I know not all bonsai growers are). They are the green, grey, blue, white and orange blotches on the trunks - but there is also a branching tree like species hanging from the twigs.

I am going to start documenting my work on this forest here on ausbonsai as I make some subtle changes to balance the canopy and work to ensure that all of the trees in the forest continue to survive. The thick roots at the base are well and truly fused and for the most part is a feature I cannot change, but in some parts the roots from one tree encircle other trunks so I will also do some root work. Other than some minor wiring I did to it several years ago when I last repotted it, it has not been wired for a long time. This afternoon I removed some of the aerial roots and reduced the wounds. I will try to take a photo every week of so as I work on it.

Ficus natalensis.jpg

I do not want to change it too dramatically as I still consider it my teachers work and like it as it is. One thing I have been contemplating is the trunks numbering 14 - for many people and even number would be a no-no for a group but I cant see a way of adding another trunk (other than a very small accent trunk) and I do not want to remove any that are already there. The trunks have thickened such that you cannot see all of them from a direct front view, but this gives a very interesting impact as you walk past, it is essentially a corridor through the middle of a deep forest. Both left and right-hand subgroups have seven trunks. Is an odd or even number really important with a forest this size?

cheers

Ash

[bodhidharma]

Thats going to be some fun for you Ash you lucky guy. I,for one, cannot see the need to change it. It will become a stunning specimen just by working it and refining it. If i were lucky enough to come by it the only thing i would consider would be the removal of the two small central trunks. They do not look like they belong there. Maybe, if thats not a consideration, pull them into the group more. I also remember i was told on this forum that once you pass 11? it does not matter whether they are odds or even. It would be a very narrow minded Bonsai enthusiast to look beyond the beauty of the picture and focus on counting the trees to see if they are correct or not.

[Jerry Meislik]

Ash,
It is a lovely and venerable grove. Odd, even do not matter. If the design works then it works.
I think organizing the root system would be my first priority.
Keep us posted.
Jerry

[mugen]

Lovely tree the lichen looks great .

[Pup]

G,day Ash a very nice acquisition, It has a few faults as you have pointed out, you are going to address them.The group is yours and you only have to please yourself.

The amount of trees in groups differ from Yose ue so. I have been told by various teachers.

The discussion has a lot of theories, I always remember an anecdote from the Late Ron Anderson from Victoria.

At an exhibition, a woman enthusiast told Ron that his group was wrong as it had 16 trees in it. So he told her to count them again.
She went away and came back and said i did that, and it is beautiful, it was still the same group nothing had changed.

So just please your self and have fun.

Cheers Pup

[craigw60]

Its a lovely old group Ash, I wouldn't worry at all about the even number of trees in it I think thats only a problem when you have just a very few trees in the group.
Like Jerry I think the roots need some serious work, maybe its just the photograph but to my eye they are very dominating and I think their impact needs to be reduced.
Craigw

[Ash]

Hi Guys,

The root dominance is the main thing I will try to address. They are a feature but also have become so huge that they draw the eye. I have removed some of the aerial ones already, the others are thick and fused but the main thing that stands out is that they are a different colour because that is where the water hits everyday when they were being watered. No lichen etc. so they are bright white orange. I cannot remove them completely but will selectively remove a few and see how things go. There is also a possibility of reducing their visual mass with plant nejime. The two small trees inside the 'corridor' are very hard / brittle and we tried to move one of them back in 2007 and it cracked (but lived). I talked to my teacher and the group was made at a demo from 1980 from trees struck in 1979, not as I said earlier. I now have to source some thicker copper wire for gently bending branches on the right hand side...

thanks

Ash

[craigw60]

Ash I have zero experience with this species but wondered what would happen if you put them in a deeper pot for a couple of years and tried to develop some finer roots closer to the trunks, so you could gradually shorten back some of the heavier root mass.
Craigw

[GavinG]

It's certainly a grand old group, and at this age maybe you work with what it is, rather than try to make it conform to generalised rules. If you have to count the number of trunks, it doesn't matter how many there are - it's only a problem if the composition looks badly balanced (2+2 or 3+1 and so on). The balance between the two trunk groups is fine, so the number is also OK. If it is possible, some of the clustered trunks on the left could be wedged apart at the top, to open it up a bit.

The roots are the strongest feature of the composition, and they are remarkable - a wonderful natural conglomeration. I think maybe you're not happy with them because they dominate so strongly - the solution might be to increase the bulk of the foliage canopy to balance them.

I think you are right to respect what this planting has become, and to work within its spirit.

Gavin

[Guy]

perhaps repot it to the right hand side of a bit longer pot and also at least double the depth -- then restyle roots if needed

[Andrew F]

Jealous of your ficus collection mate.

[Ash]

Hi everyone - thankyou for your comments and suggestions. Here is the Ficus natalensis group after some minor branch rearrangements, aerial roots removed and wiring up of the LHS trunk which crossed under the the front foliage pad of the next LHS tree in that group.

Ficus natalensis forest.jpg

cheers

Ash

[fiveoffive]

I say it more that you like it then what other people think , as it's your tree.

But it gets a Great vote from me.
Reminds me of some kinda den , with all that root mass.

[Guy]

having some roots almost crossing the entire composition gives it a unnatural potbound feel

[Jerry Meislik]

Looking very good Ash.
You mentioned the roots being fused and not "correctable". Can you moss the roots to hide/decrease the appearance of the non-radial roots?
Jerry