Ficus without direction, Owner clueless!

[Elmar]

G'Day all,
been spelunking around these forums for a while and sharing thoughts and opinions, but its time to get off the couch and just have a crack!
My family have given me 4 plants to "get started" and so I've picked one to start (read - least likely to die)

271213 Ficus Initial.jpg

Its got an awesome root system

271213 Ficus Root.jpg

So where to from here? Im thinking it's too tall and I want to cut it above the first branch and turn that into the new leader?! Perhaps do an air layer rather than just cut it off and that way I have two trees … but if I do that twice (@ second and third branch) and use the Rapid Growth Method viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3173&start=0&hilit=rapid+growth I could end up with more …I'm going loopy!

So, please, set me straight!

[mugen]

Hi I think you are on the right path with chopping to the first branch and potting it up into a large container and feed it up. It's the right time to work on ficus so you can be quite ruthless in saying that it looks like a ficus benjimina to me they can die back a little after pruning so cut higher than that first to allow for a little die back. To get that trunk nice and fat feed feed feed and chop back every now and then. Wire the leader for movement.
Hope that helps

[Boics]

First is concentrate on trying to re-establish some health to this tree.
Is it even still alive?

Scratch the bark / trunk a little to see if there is any green.
If so those bits are likely still alive.

Personally i'd be looking at health first style later.
No point styling dead trees!

[kcpoole]

Cut back to the first branch
Repot and trim off any large down ward pointing roots the season to
Recover

Ken

[Elmar]

First is concentrate on trying to re-establish some health to this tree.
Is it even still alive?

Scratch the bark / trunk a little to see if there is any green.
If so those bits are likely still alive.

Personally i'd be looking at health first style later.
No point styling dead trees!

Hahaha, yes it's still alive! It had some massive leaves on it so, while reading thru the forum I got the inclination to defoliate... Leaves are coming back nicely, with time and more reading I started to think that I can do more. So ideas started to form which I posted above...

Being newish to this wonderful ...(?) hobby(?)... I have a lot of enthusiasm and enough tools to be very dangerous. I thought it best to 'harness' that with some guidance before I turn into a Freddy Kruger of the plant world!

[Elmar]

Thanx mugen, glad I'm not too far of the mark.

Cut back to the first branch
Repot and trim off any large down ward pointing roots the season to
Recover

Ken

So chop it (allowing for die-back), trim the large roots and then repot giving it a year to recover.

I should be able to cope with that.


Cheers
EZ
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[Grant Bowie]

Spray the cut section with water(Figs only to stop the sap flowing) as soon as you have cut; let dry and then seal with Kiyonal if you can get it.

Nearest bonsai nursery or Bunnings in nursery/bonsai section.

Grant

[Elmar]

Hmmm Port Hedland doesn't have either, but Bunnings do online ordering....


Cheers
EZ
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[Elmar]

Come to think of it, I still have a wound sealer, but it's old! Many years old.
Best to turf it or is it inert and doesn't deteriorate...?


Cheers
EZ
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