PJ fig needs some styling

[greg27]

Hi all

I am very new to bonsai, but hoping to get into things more. I inherited a large Port Jackson fig from from granddad a couple of years ago; he was unfortunately quite unwell for his final few years so his bonsai didn't get a lot of attention. When I brought this guy home it was incredibly overgrown.

In the last two years I've given it a light trim every now and then, and have checked the roots and a repot doesn't seem necessary at this stage, but I haven't delved into any styling, etc. I would love to get some feedback on what you all think needs to be tackled. A lot of the branches are quite straight so I feel like adding in a bit of movement would be good, but beyond that I'm lost.

The pot diameter is 40cm, and the label on the front says "Port Jackson Fig 1985", so I'm assuming that it's 34 years old (granddad bought it maybe 20-25 years ago).

Thanks so much.

[melbrackstone]

Hi Greg

I'd join a club and take it along to one of the workshop days they usually have. Someone knowledgeable will take a look at it and give you all the advice you need. It's much better to do this one on one than it is to give advice online.

If you're not able to get into a club meeting, then do a search here on fig development to get some insight.

The advice you get will mostly depend on where in Australia you live. It's important to put that information into your profile so that you can get relevant feedback, since there's no point in saying you could root prune it now if you live somewhere cold...

[greg27]

The advice you get will mostly depend on where in Australia you live. It's important to put that information into your profile so that you can get relevant feedback, since there's no point in saying you could root prune it now if you live somewhere cold...

Thanks for that, profile updated. I'm in Adelaide.

[melbrackstone]

Hopefully some Adelaide people can chime in.

Personally, I'd be chopping it back hard once Summer is over, and trying to regrow the crown without all those branches coming from the same place.

They're pretty tough!

[anthonyW]

Hi Greg had little play with your fig mate, alot of potential there, good taper and plenty of good branch selection also, I took the liberty of re moving some branching and with out having it in front of me personally maybe could take one or two more also out, but for now I have used the what is left so that they come from different areas as not to impact unsightly fat/bulge in one spot and give good spread to front and back.

Okay looking at your growing pot it looks ridiculous and will inhibit growth if you could at least double it maybe and half and slip it to a new growing pot for area and don t do any work to the roots for now. that will only put you back further.

your fig angle in the pot looks good for branch angles so repot to same approximate angle.

when slipping to new pot put good amount of native osomcote in the pot.

When your tree puts out two new leaves and new a terminl shoot every where then we can cut back inside each branch that is the best way to judge when to cut not temperatures staying at certain levels at night and day as most say as this obvious does not account for health this way

we can grow ramification like two by two, grow three or four leaves cut back to two repeat and so on approximately

we can look at roots later if go you this way

Here is some maybe direction for you, remember you are the master so you have the final say....cheers Anthony

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[greg27]

Hi Greg had little play with your fig mate

Mate you are an absolute legend, thanks for taking the time. Is now a good time of year to take out those branches you recommended?

And just on the pot - the current one (the only one it's ever been in for at least 20 years!) is 8cm high and has a 40cm diameter - should I double the height so ~16cm high and still with a 40cm diameter? Ideally I'd love to put it in a nice display pot at some point - same dimensions for that or too soon to say?

Thanks again.

[anthonyW]

We need the width as said above not so much in depth, 160 mm sounds a bit too much to me, your call there, basically we need roots extending out not down Greg....but availability of containers is all we have sometimes so go with what you have.

As for removing branches, I can not see how much photosynthesis/ leaves those three branches are carrying so as said mate when the tree moves...new leaves and terminal go for it.

For now slip to new container and tie in and feed it, don t touch roots this will help for now.

When you get healthy top and bottom then we can attack it...that is how a I would go, others might have other approaches..your call Greg...Cheers

[greg27]

Gotcha, I'll have a hunt for a suitable pot. Thanks again mate, much appreciated.

[anthonyW]

Hi Greg something else to look at which is not ideal, I didn t want to swamp you with too many ideas but best to look at it now i think, the root base has two exposed roots that will only look more ugly in time, so when you are ready with time instead of removing lets utilise for now by slowly opening them up as per image to give more base flair, this is quite often done in bonsai espesially with figs as they are more pliable/bendy and forgiving, don t worry if it tears slightly it will heal quick and we can always loose it if dosen t meet our eye at worst,,,, take your time doing this it might take many weeks or in one hit, use something sharp to sever the wedge end you can use rocks or vertical wire to wedge/hold it in place after....just something to think about down the track....cheers

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[maryo]

I agree with anthony on the pot. IF your are going to restyle this tree. PLease repot into a training pot first. It depends on your climate when you should do this. There are quite a few very clubs in s.a. why dont you try one. Since this tree was your grandads why not try the clubs there it is so much better having the one or one experience

[greg27]

Cheers for the advice so far everyone, much appreciated. Joining a club is definitely on the cards - I'm flat out with work and a bub at home so the only free time I get is early morning, but I'm working on that

I knocked together a box using bits of wood I had lying around to give this tree a bit of extra room to play with as suggested. I haven't done anything to the roots - literally just lifted him out of the old plastic pot, placed into the box, wired in and backfilled with native Osmocote. There's a bit of new growth since my first post which is great to see, so hopefully I'll be able to tackle those branches soon.

[greg27]

A few days after my last post I saw a lot of new growth - possibly due to the new sunny position I've got the box in now (previous spot in the small pot was quite shaded, especially in the afternoon). It seems to be loving the heat we've had recently here. So I gave it a bit of a haircut - just cut back to the first two leaves. A week and a bit later there are new shoots popping out everywhere. I'm working up the courage to do those branch cuts that you suggested Anthony!

[MJL]

I am really enjoying this thread. I don't do figs but Anthony seems to bust out quality figs with ease. This tree already looks better and healthier in the training pot! Seems AW's and Maryo's advice is working a treat. Well done Greg.

[greg27]

Thanks mate, yep learning a lot and very grateful for all the advice here! I may have gotten a bit excited and have a few other plants on the go so will see what comes of those and the big fig.

[greg27]

Okay - I went a little nuts yesterday with the pruning saw, and this is the end result. Two of the three branches that Anthony highlighted are now gone - I left the third (the middle of the three that Anthony marked) as removing this would've left a really big hole in the tree, which wasn't really apparent from the initial photo I posted. A couple of other branches are now gone too. I cut back most of the others as it seemed a bit too leggy.

My cuts are pretty rough - I lost track of how many times I said "sorry tree" - but I think the end result is better. Hopefully. If not it'll grow back - trees still do that, right?

Any feedback, good or bad, is much appreciated!