Giant ficus trunk progressing into ..........?

[Damian Bee]

looks like it is coming along great mate

[MoGanic]

You know what, I probably would carve the middle of the trunk to make a few individual trunks, maybe two or three and that way you can utilize the Nebari for the base and have the bulk of the thickness make a feature for you...

Not sure if that makes sense, might do a sketch later if you want me to clarify.

Great progress on the growth though and I'll be happy to follow the progress as you begin to make further decisions.

-Mo

[MoGanic]

edit: double post - deleted.

[lennard]

You know what, I probably would carve the middle of the trunk to make a few individual trunks, maybe two or three and that way you can utilize the Nebari for the base and have the bulk of the thickness make a feature for you...

Not sure if that makes sense, might do a sketch later if you want me to clarify.

Great progress on the growth though and I'll be happy to follow the progress as you begin to make further decisions.

-Mo

Thanks for the replies.

Don't know what the general experience on heavy carving of Ficus trees is but I do have two trees that almost died after I did some heavy carving. Here is a tree of the same species I almost lost after carving and hollowing it out:
Before:

verklein 2.jpg

Carving:

verklein uitgehol.jpg

The tree today:

june 2012 a.jpg

I almost lost the air layer of the tree also- only the one half is growing now ......going to be a great hollow trunk one day!

You suggestion of making three individual trunks makes sense to me. I think to play safe it would be better to try and fuse upright growing twigs to obtain the three trunks?

Lennard