Here are some of my figs

[dansai]

Hey all.

I haven't been very active on the forum as yet but have been viewing lots of topics lately and thought I would start to post more. I thought I'ld start with some pics of some of my figs. All early in development but some have great potential. I tend to favour a more natural look and have been experimenting with multiple seedlings to produce a more natural looking trunk. I will post some of these after they have got some growth happening but for now .......

one of my first figs. I attached it to a rock with some stocking and waited. After a couple of months of no activity i placed the rock in some water and two weeks later had roots in the water. It was then potted into the pot and this it it one year on.

IMG_0759.jpg

Another early fig I got from a nursery. Base is a ring all linked together. It was recently defoliated to get some ramification.

5 Trunk Fig.jpg

This from the same nursery. Growing under a large fig the trunk had died and snapped after many aerial roots had formed. Still needs a lot of refinement.

Pre cascade.jpg

Cascade Fig.jpg

2 more from the same nursery. The first was cut back severely as it had 4 trunks close together with little taper and no movement. The second has some great natural texture.

Short Stumpy.jpg

4 Trunk Fig.jpg

I purchased this pot for a fig that I gave to a friend (wish I didn't..... it has amazing roots strangling itselfand I had a very different vision for it than the direction it is being taken ) but it was way too large for it anyway. I had a fig with not much taper and 2 long trunks. I created some aerial roots and have had many an idea for it and after moving the pot to make room for more plants on my benches I decided to create this. More an odd plant in a large pot at the moment but one day who knows. Pot is 800 mm long by 600 mm wide.

Big Pot Fig.jpg

And this, my next project. Been keen to get my hands dirty on this one for about 12 months now and recently acquired it from the nursery. Just waiting on some aerial layers to take root and will begin!

75L Fig.jpg

75L Fig Base.jpg

[Craig]

Dansai, nice little collection you've got going , the 2nd root over rock is interesting, and then i had a little smile when i saw the ficus group (big pot belly fig), the tree laying down is amusing, did you do that on purpose , keep up the good work mate

[dansai]

Thanks Graig. It,s not actually a group it's two trunks fused at the base. They were originally in the same pot and I played with many ideas of what to do with it. It currently goes around the back of the rock and has aerial roots that have been placed in soil. It is inspired by a Ficus rubiginosa at my local beach that has branches twisting and turning with many aerial roots propping it. I have tried to photograph it but near impossible to get a good angle and view. I will take some pics from the other sides once I have a place where I can put it. Haven't tried to lift it yet!

[dansai]

Here's the one that got away!

Al's Fig on Ute.jpg

Al's Fig on Ute - Base.jpg

After bringing it home I had some fun and got it to this....

Al's Fig at Front Door.jpg

I had some great support from a friend through some tough times and decided to give him it as a present. Struggled with giving it away but did in the end. And it grew.....

Al's Fig on verandah.jpg

He has taken it a very different dirrection than I was looking for, but.....

I have this one to take the way I was thinking. Even if it is a fraction of the size.

Aerial root fig.jpg

[bodhidharma]

I had some great support from a friend through some tough times and decided to give him it as a present.

A great gesture which will bring its rewards in the future It is a nice trunk though.

[dansai]

Thanks Bodhidharma.

Interesting how I struggled to let it go after giving it away! And every time he mentioned what he wanted to do to it, or what he had done to it I would cringe. I then got to a point where I felt I had let it go and I was happy for him to do as he pleased. Then he told me his ultimate vision and I cringed again.

That was a few days ago.

Then I posted and had my whinge and spoke to him again and thought "Well why not? Why could it not be something I had not envisioned?"

So thank you Bodhi for reminding me of why I did it in the first place. And for the rewards that come from things done with true intent even when as humans we struggle with our own feelings and the conflict between them and others.

And now it will be coming back to me for safe keeping while my friend travels and it will be his vision that I work with.

Anyhoo.... this is how it stands at the moment...

Al's Fig all bent 1.jpg

Al's Fig all bent 2.jpg

[dansai]

Over 5 years on and some of my figs have come along way in their growth and the growth of my bonsai skills. Some not so far. With far too many trees for the time I have had to give them with various life events they have all been through some, or all , setbacks, breakages, various tortures and complete neglect.

SO...... here they are.

First one. A root over rock.

As it was in the original post

Original Post - 1.jpg

Somewhere along the line a root split the rock (local shale, not very robust). I cut it about a year ago.

Fig ROR - 2.jpg

I don't think its been feed much or repotted in the 5 years. There was barely any soil in the pot. So out it came, I removed the root inside the rock, pushed it as close as I could and then repotted into an orchid pot.

Fig ROR - 3.jpg

As you can see not much difference in 5.5 years. When it settles in I'll chop it low and see where we get to.


The next one is a five trunk fig. All the trunks are connected in a ring at the base. I already have a thread for this tree that I will update when I have removed the wire and post a link here.

As it was in the original post. Looks like after its second chop.

Original Post - 2.jpg

A couple angles

Fig Five Trunk - 1.jpg

Fig Five Trunk - 2.jpg

This is one of those trees that doesn't have a front. As you walk around it, or turn it, you get a beautiful play between the trunklines. I tried wiring this both in its branches and the trunks. I always removed it within a few hours. I don't know why, it just never worked. Until about 6 months ago I wired it to get better movement. It experiences dieback when cut back so I've put it into this oversize pot to try and get some good vigour and hope to refine it over the next few years.

About the time the first photo was taken I was building a shadehouse and started loading the benches before properly supporting them. one support bent in some wind and a rail holding the benches came down in the middle of this fig. Some tray slipped and a couple of pots tipped over, but had the fig not caught the bench I would have lost hundreds of seedlings and damaged some established plants. The trunks still bear the scars.

Fig Five Trunk - 3.jpg

Fig Five Trunk - 4.jpg

[dansai]

Next up is a Cascade.

How I bought it home

Original Post - 3.jpg

And my first styling. I though it was amazing. For a while anyway.

Original Post - 4.jpg

It has had many redesigns, often leading to breakages. I've documented them elsewhere and will post a link when I've updated it after I remove the wire and trim it up.

Fig Cascade - 1.jpg

Fig Cascade - 2.jpg

Fig Cascade - 3.jpg

[dansai]

And the next one, a chunky fig.

Original post

Original Post - 5.jpg

It has spent some time with a friend who added the ornamentation. Heres a few different angles as of now and top.

Fig Chunky Al - 1.jpg

Fig Chunky Al - 2.jpg

Fig Chunky Al - 3.jpg

Fig Chunky Al - 4.jpg

Fig Chunky Al - 6.jpg

A close up of the scars. Taking some time to close over. It probably should have been let to grow strongly to help, but has been trimmed often.

Fig Chunky Al - 5.jpg

And some details

Fig Chunky Al - 7.jpg

Fig Chunky Al - 8.jpg

[johnbrown3202]

all are nice photos like a green house

[DocPep]

Very nice mate.
Curious about the spikey looking things coming out of the moss in the last photo.
They look like echidna quills

[dansai]

That they ate