What to do with a rescued ficus?

[Ent]

Hi all, I would like to start my first serious post by saying thanks for all the knowledge I have gained from the posts I have read on this site. I have learnt a lot.

I rescued a fig from work about six months ago that was growing in a crack of a cement slab up against a brick wall. It was quite flat, leggy and had very little roots that I could recover but has some aerial roots quite high on the trunk. I brought it home, trimmed it up and have taken about a dozen cuttings from it for me to play with. It powered on and has been cut back several times. It back buds ok and has two very low branches that I have been leaving as sacrifices to fatten the trunk. The base is about 4cm across and it is approximately 80cm high. I know it is too tall and not great material but it did not have a future where it was and is a good tree for me to learn on.

I would like opinions on what to do with it. I see a few options including ;
1. Keep to supply me with cuttings then go the chop when the trunk is bigger.
2. Develop it in the basic form it is but shorten up considerably.
3. Take advantage of the aerial roots and develop a strangler type tree. If I do this I was thinking of putting it in a training pot to encourage the aerial roots and removing the smaller major branch.
4. Remove one side of the tree to gain movement in the trunk. Most likely keep the shorter major branch as it has better movement and taper. This would however loose the aerial roots.

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Ent.


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[Bougy Fan]

Well it's a benji and I think they look good as bigger trees. I would feed it heavily with lots of chook poo and I would place the pot on the ground and let the roots escape to help fatten it up

[Jason]

Whilst I can't give any advice myself, still being a newbie, I can direct you to a thread that is chockas full if information on devloping awesome figs:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6717&hilit=developing+dynamic

That thread has a lot of helpful tips

[Ent]

Thanks for the advice Bougy Fan, it definitely needs to fatten up to improve taper. I am planning to keep the top in check and really push the sacrifice branches or should I just let it go wild for a while? Would you recommend a shallower pot to develop more aerial roots?

Jason, thanks for the link. I have read that link more times than I am willing to admit and the cuttings I have taken have all receiving treatment similar to the link. I repotted the largest cutting yesterday as roots were showing at the base of the pot. The root system was too fragile and young and I lost some in the repot, another lesson in patience!

Ent.

[Bougy Fan]

I would leave it in that pot - once the roots go into the ground it will go crazy. I am not a big fan of aerial roots myself but keep it in some shade with lots of water and they should come by themselves. Just remember wherever you have aerial roots that part of the trunk or branch will thicken and bulge. Good luck !

[Ent]

Thanks for the advice Bougy Fan. I will feed it up and think on direction over the next few months. As it has a straight truck and high aerial roots I am temped to build a strangler fig like Ash has done. viewtopic.php?f=133&t=11017&start=0&hilit=Strangler

[Ent]

Hi, does anyone else got a comment on style/direction for this tree? What would you do?

Ent.

[Neli]

Figs look good with fat trunks. Remember the ratio 1:6 , and ones fattened try to chop it down to 1/3 of that. That will be your first section of the trunk. Leave it in the grownd while healing it and developing a leader. Just dont do that until the thickness of the trunk is good. For the moment it is good for shohin.

[Ent]

Thanks for the advice Neli. I will take that as a vote to chop.

[Neli]

I hope you understood what I meant. Lets say trunk is 4cm that trunk is suitable for 24cm tree, 1/3 is 8cm.
If you want taller tree you can try to thicken the trunk with air roots. I did that on my fig today inspired by the other thread posted here.
I started a ficus B last year october. Did 3 trunk chops and my own technique of ramification and I have now a pretty well developed tree with taper...I can say almost finished ??? in such a short time.

[Ent]

Yes Neli I understood your advice and thanks again, I was not very clear in my response. When i look at this tree a clear direction alludes me, hence the initial post. I am now tossing up between a taller strangler type tree or to trunk chop when the trunk is at the correct size. I would love to see a photo of the tree you have trunk chopped 3 times as it will help me with direction.

[Neli]

October last year. Mine is shohin.

this is October this year:
before

and after styling it:

And look how much the leaves have reduced:

The tree is formal upright.
Now the crown is already more rounded. I need to thin it a bit in order to make the pads more refined.
Notice that I have wrapped the trunk with fiber and plastic in the hope I would get aerial roots. Nothing happened, but I found it dry yesterday when I opened it which means my gardener has not been watering the trunk, so I made holes on the trunk and covered it with muck and bandaged it.
One more thing to be aware of: I never defoliated, or trim a branch without leaving leaf at the end. FB has branch die back often if you dont do that.

[Ent]

Great job Neli, I am amazed at what you have achieved in such a short time with that tree. You have opened my eyes on what can be achieved in a year and to the power of the chop. I would not have thought that kind of development in such a short time was possible. Thanks for taking the time to help me out it is much appreciated.

[Neli]

You are welcome. Just remember that the trunk is the most important thing. It creates the illusion of an old tree.

[Ent]

Hi Moderators,

I realise I have posted this in the incorrect area. Could this post be moved to a more suitable place such as "Tropical" or "Australian Native Species/Ficus" please.

Kind Regards, Ent.