[lackhand] Ficus benjamina 2

[Neli]

Steve that is good to know...but some time they die

[lackhand]

Still alive, but moving slow. I unwrapped the roots a week ago and it's still fine, so that's good. The main stump is still green if I scratch it, but it hasn't thrown a bud out. I'm sure it will decide whether that part of the tree wants to live or not pretty soon.

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[lackhand]

Bonsai is a hobby that takes patience, but even then this tree was testing mine. So I decided to try something a little different. Here is the tree this morning.

a1.jpg

I decided to do some grafting with the technically challenging method of placing two figs close together. Here are the new figs to be fused - just F. benjamina, like this one, obtained from the home improvement shed for the handsome price of $7.50. All were in one pot, but there are multiple trunks, and two distinct root balls once they have been washed out a bit.

a2.jpg

All together now.

a3.jpg

And packed with some sphagnum soaked in Superthrive to help get some nice roots growing.

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If this works, then it should turn out to be a decent strangler style fig. I suppose adding a few more trees might disqualify it from the competition? I'll leave that to the moderators to figure out, but I think the end result will be a better tree. The final height should still be acceptable, but who knows if it will fuse together in time for it to matter. Now to watch closely and hopefully not let the ties bite into the bark as it fuses.

[michaelj]

I've chopped benjaminas many times over the years. I never worry much about whether leaves or branches are left below the cut unless I'm ready to use one as the new apex. This year, I acquired five 20+ foot tall benjaminas in 15 gallon pots and whacked them all severely, including one that had no branches lower than 4 feet, so I cut that one bald. All are doing well now.

[Neli]

That is good news. Maybe that theory does not apply to trunk chops if the tree has enough stored energy. I am not too sure about tiny branches left without any leaf left.
I had couple of small branches die when I chopped them. Maybe just to observe and see if this theory can be valid.

[Neli]

That is good news. Maybe that theory does not apply to trunk chops if the tree has enough stored energy. I am not too sure about tiny branches left without any leaf left.
I had couple of small branches die when I chopped them. Maybe just to observe and see if this theory can be valid.

[lackhand]

I am going to withdraw this entry. It's still alive and growing, but slowly, which all benjamina seem to do in my experience. I've about decided to pitch it and fill the space in my growing area with a fig that actually grows. More likely, I'll just ignore it for a year or two (aside from watering it along with all the others) and see what it decides to do.