AusBonsai

Hey all!


I have been pot growing / ground growing this fellow for 8 years. It was a stunted seedling looking to be the weaker, of 10 seedlings I had at the time. Over the years some died, others got distroyed and some were just boring no matter how hard I tried. This one lived at the back of the pack and got little attention.

Over the last year I have been power feeding it in the ground. I covered the trunk up high to encourage a nebari higher up the trunk to form. The roots on top of the moss are the secondary set grown for that purpose, the original root system is about an inch under the soil.

I used 3 different kinds of locally collected moss, and umbrella ferns as I felt pebbles didn't suit the arrangement. I guess from the extent of secondary material it may be considered, more Penjing than bonsai?

Trimmed it back about a month ago, it is due to have the branches wired hence my starting of this thread.


Any ideas as to the future with this plant? Any comments on its current form? Any one care to do some virts?

Here's a dodgy Youtube 360 view, incase you interested it from that perspective. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pflhxJecz-o


Thanks for looking and your time.

What a beautiful little tree. Great trunk. I love the pot and all the various mosses and ferns and now i'll let the experts make suggestions of where to go from here I'll keep watching though!

hard to see the trunk a bit mate, once it is defoliated to wire it will be easier to see to virt

Mitchell,
Nice little tree and a survivor!
I think that putting it in this little pot is detrimental at this point as you need to grow out some branches and once these are woody you can then select the best ones to wire into position. There really is nothing to wire at this point as nearly everything is just a green shoot.
Keep us posted on its progress.
Jerry

i must be over keen then, i wait for the branch to get long enough then i wire while green with cage wiring and get as much movement as i can.

i should wait for them to harden of really though

Jamie wrote:i must be over keen then, i wait for the branch to get long enough then i wire while green with cage wiring and get as much movement as i can.

i should wait for them to harden of really though

That's what I was thinking...


So I should de-foliate? As in just the trunk, or the whole plant?

I keep coming back to look at this, I have no advice but wanted to let you know that I think it's a lovely tree

being in sydney i would be cautious. have you got leong's ficus book? i suggest you grab it, it will be perfect for you as that is where leong is based aswell and he has had a lot of experience there and its all in the book

my suggestions, being in sydney where you are, leave it till it warms up consistantly in spring

Hi Mitchell, I would consider taking off that heavy branch on the left and growing a completely new set. I can't see any reason to defoliate as you are chasing branches not ramification at this stage. really nice little tree once you get it branched it will be much better.
Craig

Thanks nealweb, I only used 1cmx1cm plugs of moss, so as to blend the different types together.

Jerry, perhaps the pot was premeture, growing longers branches in ground might have been best. There is a thickening leader and some branching, I am betting on it still growing even though the small pot. Perhaps I am wrong, it will go back in the ground if need be.

Anja, thankyou. I am not sure its form is up to Bonsai, but it is a nice little tree in a pot atm.


Jamie, no I don't have Leong's book I shall take your advice and grab it. New growth keeps pushing out on the trunk, should I be removing them to encourage top growth? Perhaps i will just let it be for the moment.

Craig, I was thinking the same about the left larger branch, it had such good taper off the main trunk though, so I thought I would wait for a second opinion. Will wait till the pot settles, before I remove it.


Thanks for your replies people.

Very cool! cheers for sharing man! will be great to see the progression of this wikid lil PJ!
luke

Luke wrote:Very cool! cheers for sharing man! will be great to see the progression of this wikid lil PJ!
luke

Thanks for your comments Luke. Can't wait to get more branch structure.

Defoliated mid winter and tried to put some shape in the branches.
This is the re-growth since. Should I let it keep going, or defoliate/ remove the wire and re-wire?


Might stick this bad boy in the ground, or at least a grow box.

hi mate

I would leave it to grow in a grow box for a while to give you some good options to work with, then mid december, defoliate and rewire, just watch the wires at the moment as they may dig in some.

jamie

like it