AusBonsai

I was given the honour of collecting some figs from a club members property in jan 09. The property sits on the northwest side of a hill in a rain shadow, with superb views out across part of the hunter valley. A steep rocky slope going up the back and thats where the figs are, on the rocks and everywhere. Some absolutely superb natural root over rock & growing on rock trees for inspiration.

Along the edge of what used to be a bullocky track sitting ontop of a solid rock outcrop was this gem of a tree. The owners thought it may have been cut down to make way for the track, mid 1800's and the resulting trunks have regrown from the base. Or is it possible that it has just grown so oddly due to its location on the rock. It had only one fairly sizeable root about 10cmwide by 5cm thick that ran in under more solid rock. It has a base 30-35cm across each way with a max height of just 8cm. 3 naturally formed groups of trees with overall dimensions of 55cm high, 90cm wide by 60cm deep. It has had no styling yet just allowed to get strength back. When collected, this tree had a leaf size of just 1cm or less and very poor colour. It slowly recovered some colour but i was not happy with the soil so repotted nov 09. It spent the rest of summer in the shade still trying to find its feet. Finally it has gained enough strength that i can look at doing something with it.

I am interested to hear what others have to say about this group. I think it is Ficus eugenioides tho another tree collected from the same property has turned out to be rubiginosa.

Matt

hi matt,

im not sure about it being a f. eugonoides, they have a red growing tip. it is possibly f.obliqua, aswell as rubiginosa if it has a hairy leaf. i think this will come up to be a corker eventually. nice clump

Great stuff! What a find!

That there...is amazing!!!.. so complex!!!.... if it were mine id seriously have to stop myself from over thinking it !!
Thanks for sharing Matt and Good luck mate! Cant wait to see progress on what it does to you! errr.. (what you do do it!)
cheers
luke

Jamie, according to my books, obliqua & eugeniodes are one in the same. The sheaths around new leaves is green but the leaves are not furry or even shaded underneath. Luke your right about over thinking it. Tho it has a few flaws that stand out & even more so now i see the tree in photos.

Had a mate around yesterday arvo for a bonsai chow and this tree in particular. The length of the trunks is rather long, straight & boring for the gnarled base. All the growth is in the top and now that it has gained strength the tops are too heavy for the thickness of the trunks.

I was hoping a few more opinions would be forthcoming on ways I could improve this group. I can see 2 options, drastically thinning the groth out of the top, or cutting all the trunks back much shorter & growing new crowns to fit. If I went the second option the tops would be used as cuttings as most would make very passable bonsai in there own rights.

Matt

MattA wrote:
I was hoping a few more opinions would be forthcoming on ways I could improve this group.

Matt

You asked what we "thought" of it, not what you could do with it.
In regards to styling, I would reduce the canopy leaves to get a better idea of trunk lines, then probably cut the height of the foliage down 1/4.
Open up the front, by removing leaves so you can veiw the base, trunklines better, they are obscured by leaves.

Great clump, Matt. Look forward to seeing what you do with this when it regains its' vigour

Very nice specimen Matt . Will look a real treat when you style it.Cheers

Hi Matt
Great find! I have a fig clump that is vaguely similar in that it poses some similar clump styling issues I have posted it somewhere. Shanon also has a great one on here somewhere that may give you some ideas.
I think the best plan off attack with yours is to pick a front that you are most happy with and think of it much like a forrest.
The fronts I see in your pics would be Figb, Rootb, and rootl I think two of those ae the same at different closeness though
Once front was chosen I would consider the finished height and taper of each "tree in the forest" Together with direction of new leaders chop wire and start training. It looks pretty dam healthy and I guess you can work figs all year round where you are but I have been convinced that slowly slowly wins the race. So my last thought would be maybe it will benefit from another few months recovery and this work could wait until the warmer season ?

Gr8 find mate,
I think you are right, cut the tops down heaps and use as cuttings, I would then carve the chunk a bit more and make it the focus.

Looks like a Port Jackson

Matt,
Lovely base. Unusual formation for Ficus. You are lucky to have found and collected it.
Keep us posted on your design decisions.
Jerry

This fig has taken its time but finally has enough strength to work. I set a layer late winter & removed it a few weeks ago when I defoliated the whole tree. Seeing it bare I can really notice how much growth has been put on since collecting. Sorry for the photo quality, am having troubles with this new camera, will work it out oneday (I hope). Theres some interesting lines in there & I can see a few possibilities. Wont be doing much more apart from thinning out the new buds & pinching new growth as it happens. Budding has been amazing & the new leaves are just starting to open now. Should I get in & thin the buds or wait till they get going a bit more?

Matt

A few years on & a few broken trunks but its really nice & strong now, I repotted mid spring onto this suiban with extra sandstone under the main deadwood area to help keep it a bit dryer. It was defoliated & trimmed last w/e.

looking great mate , still heading up these way?