[Tutorial] How to Develop Dynamic Figs Quickly

[Steven]

G'day,

It's been 14 months since I began working on this fig and yesterday I got around to checking how it is going. You can see how it was started back on page 2 of this topic.

2012 January (1).JPG

2012 January (2).JPG

It had some branches accidentally snapped off but other than that it's been growing freely since it was last repotted in March 2011. You can see that post HERE.
The base is swelling nicely, the splits have calloused over and there was roots poking out the bottom of the pot.

2012 January (3).JPG

2012 January (4).JPG

2012 January (5).JPG

It was last potted in a 50/50% mix of Diatomite/potting mix which was able to be lightly combed away from the roots. There were a couple of large roots but the rest were mostly the same.

2012 January (6).JPG

I removed the large roots and any others that were growing up or down then teased them out into a nice, even radial pattern.

2012 January (8).JPG

2012 January (9).JPG

I potted it into a 500mm wide pot that I had lying around into a mix of 50% Diatomite, 25% Zeolite and 25% coco fibre. The rocks on the surface are just to hold it in place as it was windy and there weren't any tie down holes in the pot.

2012 January (10).JPG

2012 January (11).JPG

I haven't touched the top at all and will leave it like this for the next 9 months at which time I will probably need to trunk chop it to improve the taper. I have been unlucky with not having any low branches on this one to use as a sacrifice.

Regards,
Steven

[Stewart_Toowoomba]

Hi Steven

Why did you choose not to take anything off the top? I would have thought a trunk chop could develop new branches lower down?

Just wondering - you see lots of members very quick to suggest taking the heads off trees!

Cheers

Stew

[Matthew]

Stew
The more growth up top the thicker the trunk will become, trunk chopping will only hinder this and set that back it can always be chopped later once desired thickness is reached, Too many new members cut there trees for taper while there is no trunk thickness to begin with,only setting yourselfs back a few years. Let them thicken than chop, yes the scars are bigger but they will roll over especially on figs

[Steven]

Why did you choose not to take anything off the top? I would have thought a trunk chop could develop new branches lower down?

G'day Stew,

As Matthew has said, I am concentrating on growing the trunk and in particular, the lower trunk and root spread (nebari). Like construction on any building, you need to get the foundations built first before proceeding with the rest. When I am happy with the size of the truck and the surface roots I'll truck chop and build a tree over the following few years.

Regards,
Steven

[Scott Roxburgh]

...I have been unlucky with not having any low branches on this one to use as a sacrifice...

With the roots dragging out the base, and a few chops later down the track for taper, I think that you'll be very happy you didn't get any low branching that leave large scars.

Having a scar-free trunk is a great thing!

Nice flare in a pot!

[boom64]

Hi Steven,
Thanks for the update on the fig,Iooking good.It gives me something to compare . I have kept a large sacrifice at the back. A bit unsure about the two leaders that have developed ? Keep them both and aid trunk thickening or take one of and start keeping it tidy ? Any ideas Aus Bonsai .
Regards John.

[Matthew]

a pj fig i got off mojo a few years ago. i started a sacrifice branch right down the bottom at the back of the tree about 2.5 years ago, it is over 1.3 metres tall now and has made a huge differance to the tree, not a single scar from a cut for taper the tree has down its own all i have down is kept the branches i want in check, the sacrifice does take alot away from the tree energy wise but when the time comes to cut in another year or so, look out, back into a large back pot which is the only pots this has been grown in, ill have to get a pic of the sacrifice branch.

rsz_img_2985.jpg

[witchstreet]

Thanks Steven. A valuable thread to all bonsai enthusiasts, from the novice to the advance.

[The Ficus Guy]

What do you do when one of the quarters of the cutting doesn't root?

[Steven]

If the section is still alive, scratch the bark, apply rooting compound and pot it up again. If it's dead or the stock isn't very good just chuck it out and start another one.
Regards,
Steven

[Mark330]

Thank you , for a great tut .

[sharemyblessings]

This is such a great information. I just bought a ficus macrophylla recently and now I know what to do with it , thanks for sharing this tutorial they're awesome.

Bong

[John P.]

I used a root cutter. Be careful, though, it's easy to have the cutter slip and lift up the bark instead of cutting through the trunk.

[The Ficus Guy]

Dumb question probably, but are you keeping all roots that sprout? Or do you only want to keep the roots that sprout on the flared pieces? For example, in my picture the red lines represent roots that sprout from directly under the tree, and the black roots represent the roots that sprout on the flared pieces.

[Brad75]

Hi all,

I have one plant at the moment and it is a Port Jackson Fig that my mum gave me for my birthday shortly after we moved from Melbourne. I have had no information on the process of turning it into a bonsai until now.
Thanks for the information; it is much appreciated.

Brad75.