[Taffy] Ficus Eugenoides

[Taffy]

Collected from the wild (friends garden) as a seedling in late 2004 and stuck in a black plastic pot. Trunk chopped off in May 2006 and just left to do it's own thing (1st photo). Except for watering and a bit of fertilizing it has had absolutely nothing done to it since.

DT1May06.jpg

Had a look at it today and found a root had grown out the bottom of the black plastic, down into another plastic below it that contains a Chinese Elm and then down into the ground. Was originally intending to do a banyan style tree but when I had a good look at the centre trunk I thought it would make a pretty good single trunk Shohin - and then thought of this comp. If it's accepted, and when I cut the lower branches off, the trunk chop is still a bit visible - at least where it was done can be seen.

DT28Aug11a.jpg

DT28Aug11b.jpg

DT28Aug11c.jpg

DT28Aug11d.jpg

Worth having a go I reckon.

[Taffy]

Got into it today and here are the results - note the newspaper date:

DT1Sep111a.jpg

DT1Sep111b.jpg

DT1Sep111c.jpg

DT1Sep111d.jpg

DT1Sep111e.jpg

Forgot to say, the major branches I cut off down low have been potted up separately and bound together to get them to fuse.

[nealweb]

really nice trunk Taffy, great shape. Only four more cm's height to go though and the leaves look like they are quite big on this variety. Awesome start, watching with interest

[Taffy]

Update.

Not doing too well at the moment. It was coming along nicely but got hit with some large curl grubs that took most of the fresh new roots off. I'm still hoping it will recover but if it doesn't improve in the next month I'll withdraw it.

[Taffy]

Withdrawn from Competition due to Curl Grub attack. Can one of the Mods please mark the title as "Withdrawn"

The mongrels chewed off all the new root and I don't think it's going to survive.

Curl Grubs 1 (tree) - Taffy 5 (Curl Grubs)

[kcpoole]

what soil mix do you use? and do you have lots of trouble with the dreaded grub in other trees?

Ken

[chrisatrocky]

i was looking forward to seeing this one too.

chris

[Taffy]

In styrene 'growing on' boxes, I use a standard commercial potting mix with added grit, trace elements and fertilizer Ken. So far with my trees, it's only figs that have been attacked by these mongrels but it isn't a huge problem - I mean it isn't a constant battle between me and the grubs. This is the first time they've actually managed to kill a tree. I think the last time one of my figs got hit was about 2 years ago. but I was lucky enough to find the grubs before they did too much damage. I dunk all my trees in liquid fertilizer every few months or so and I put some powerful insecticide in the water when I do (just in case there are curl grubs). Unfortunately for this tree, it was in between dunking times when I potted it into the styrene box, so it didn't get a dose.
The grubs really went to town on it. One day it was bright and happy with lots of new growth and the next day, all the new growth was limp, the leaves had all curled over and all the shoots were just hanging down. It must have used up all it's energy trying to survive but ran out of reserves.

I was looking forward to seeing it develop as well Chris. Pity, it had a nicely shaped trunk. No matter, I'll just start again with another one - I've got plenty to choose from.