[Wanted]- Ficus trees Northern Territory

[Ficusboy101]

I am after some ficus trees in the northern territory

[Graeme]

What are you after? Purchase? Collection?

There's a Nursery out along the Highway at Berrimah that used to stock a few Ficus, if not they will tell you where to get them from. Don't know about PJF, but Virens, Benny and Green Island were available. My old Nursery probably wont have anything and if they did, would be to big for anything by now.

If your out for a bit of collecting, that might be a bit more difficult, but most (if not all) Ficus in Darwin and surrounds have viable seed, but I guess you would prefer something workable now?

Have you made contact with the Bonsai Group up there yet? They might be able to help with stock as well.

[Ficusboy101]

What's the one in berimah

[Graeme]

PM on the way.

[GavinG]

So, slightly off topic, but what other species are you using for bonsai in Darwin? We've got no idea down here.

Gavin

[Ficusboy101]

We can't grow junipers so I gave up on them and my first bonsai was a ficus so I've always bought ficus

[Graeme]

FB101, have you been out to the Chinese Garden at the Casuarina Uni Campus yet? My guess is you just might get a surprise if you do. Procumbens and Squamarta grow very well up there in Darwin, as does Juniperous chinensis formosanum and Sargentii. You should also find the common old Shore Juniper, while not a favorite Bonsai subject down South, works really well in the Tropics. Finding all the above, with the exception of Shore, will be your biggest problem. What I found was the trees required a little less drainage than normally found down here in the Southern States. Chinese elm in Darwin did not like any added drainage at all, preferring straight potting mix. The only tree I had difficulty keeping alive in Darwin were JBP. Everything else seemed fine, with the figs being best of course. Repot timing is different up there to down South - most trees can be repotted only on days ending in Y.

Some of the other stuff I had fun with up there were,
Ixora
Temple bells (already told you about that one.)
Eugenia uniflora Brazilian Cherry
Serissa - both
Azalea
Tamarindus indica Tamarind
Schefflera Umbrella tree
Murraya
Box

Not a complete list, but something to get you started. Not sure what it is like now, but a trip out to the Darwin Show might be worth the effort. As I said, not sure what it's like now, but we used to have a really good display of Bonsai in the Hort Pavillion once. Show is on 25th 26th &27th July, a bit off and my guess is you will probably be working over that weekend anyhow

Edit I just checked the schedule for the RDS and there are still 10 classes for Bonsai, so I guess the class is still well partonised.

[Ficusboy101]

What about collecting ficus any places?

[Ficusboy101]

FB101, have you been out to the Chinese Garden at the Casuarina Uni Campus yet? My guess is you just might get a surprise if you do. Procumbens and Squamarta grow very well up there in Darwin, as does Juniperous chinensis formosanum and Sargentii. You should also find the common old Shore Juniper, while not a favorite Bonsai subject down South, works really well in the Tropics. Finding all the above, with the exception of Shore, will be your biggest problem. What I found was the trees required a little less drainage than normally found down here in the Southern States. Chinese elm in Darwin did not like any added drainage at all, preferring straight potting mix. The only tree I had difficulty keeping alive in Darwin were JBP. Everything else seemed fine, with the figs being best of course. Repot timing is different up there to down South - most trees can be repotted only on days ending in Y.

Some of the other stuff I had fun with up there were,
Ixora
Temple bells (already told you about that one.)
Eugenia uniflora Brazilian Cherry
Serissa - both
Azalea

Tamarindus indica Tamarind
Schefflera Umbrella tree
Murraya
Box

Not a complete list, but something to get you started. Not sure what it is like now, but a trip out to the Darwin Show might be worth the effort. As I said, not sure what it's like now, but we used to have a really good display of Bonsai in the Hort Pavillion once. Show is on 25th 26th &27th July, a bit off and my guess is you will probably be working over that weekend anyhow

Edit I just checked the schedule for the RDS and there are still 10 classes for Bonsai, so I guess the class is still well partonised.

I entered last year came first with a ficus

[Graeme]

What about collecting ficus any places?

Not that I can remember, sorry mate. There are some Pemphis at Nightcliffe but

Congratulations with that Show win as well.