Port Jackson Fig

[bonscythe]

Hi all,
I have bought another Ficus rubiginosa to get going, I was going about the thinking of keeping it in the polystyrene box till it is ready and hopefully it will grow faster. Just wanted to know how much you guys feed the figs during this part of year?
I have been using seasol and aquasol (or manutec azalia+camellia powder).
Using seasol then after 2 weeks using the other nitrogen-rich ferts then after two weeks seasol and so on.
Is this right? Or should I go one every week and alternate that way. I have had no ill effects from the ferts so far but want to get the most out of summer
Anyway, here's a couple of before/after pics of the fig.
Let me know what else I can do to shape if you feel the need

fig0sk 10-6-09.jpg

From the shop..

Front 27-12-09.jpg

After today, new front? There's a few ugly aerial roots which might have to go eventually too..
Cheers

Edit: It's around 30cm high, including the ugly hanging wire at the top!

[Jamie]

nice taper and sctructure mate will be a ripper in a couple of years.
i wouldnt stress to much about the airial roots aprart from cutting it off if it is ugly

jamie

[bonscythe]

Thanks Jamie, I hope your right..
How do you go about feeding the figs you have?
Cheers

[hugh grant]

Hi mate
nice looking tree it should look good in the future.
I usually feed my figs a heap of dynalic lifter at this time of year and really heap it up probably about half an inch or more if the tree is biggernough. I do this at the beggining of spring and in December. Don't be too scared about doing this much as they love and I havnt found it to burn my trees, so don't worry about that.
You could say I use it as a mulch on my figs. Butthats what I do to fertilize my figs plus a sprinkling of osmocote every now and then.

Hugh

[john tapner]

Keep it in the poly box. Good handful of blood and bone in the potting mix, Charlie Carp is good and the occasional handful of Dynamic Lifter. Then stand back quickly....................

Cheers

John T

[Jamie]

Thanks Jamie, I hope your right..
How do you go about feeding the figs you have?
Cheers

dynamic lifter and lots of it, twenty mm on top atleast. and then seasol every fortnight and miracle gro every week, as per directions.

sounds like a lot, but it works in my conditions

and john is right, if ya dont step back quick enough you will lose an eye...

jamie

[Chris H]

Im the same as Jamie.
I add more to the dynamic lifter every month

[Jamie]

Im the same as Jamie.
I add more to the dynamic lifter every month

spot on hartos, just keep topping it up, if it is to sludgey, remove it and replace.

jamie

[hugh grant]

Exactly guys the dynamic lifter will get it going alright.

Hugh

[Graeme]

Keep it in the poly box. Good handful of blood and bone in the potting mix, Charlie Carp is good and the occasional handful of Dynamic Lifter. Then stand back quickly....................
Cheers
John T

Ficus love Blood and Bone nearly as much as Chickie Poo (maybe even more!). I also use Charlie Carp as well, but only ever at half strength (or a little more). I have experienced some problems with product strength and have lost trees because it has been to strong, hence the 1/2 strength. I use it often tho'.
Not sure about down here, but in Darwin we had to watch the arial root growth. What we found up there, because of their rapid growth areas before the arial root would not grow as fast as the areas after the root. This led to reverse tapers in trunks and really wierd looking branches. It wasn't a real problem tho' as we just kept cutting the older roots off and let the younger ones take their place, until they became to thick
Appearance of ugly twisted arial roots can be improved if you grow them inside a Thick Shake straw (Golden Arches is a great supplier ) Just slit the straw, wrap around the root and push the bottom of the straw into the top of the soil. Take the straw off once the root reaches the ground or straightens up.

Forgot to mention...................... I'd give some thought to cutting the top off at the 3rd little branch up on the right side of the trunk as well. The tree is starting to loose its taper and the gaps between the branches is also getting a bit far apart. With the correct feeding you should get a lot more branching sprout from the trunk line, but then you have the problem of branch thichness being wrong as well. Bloody nice tree tho' and if you get sick of it I'll take it off your hands for you

[bundyfisher]

Last time I was at Steves nursery at Park Ridge you could tell where he was going for branch strength by where HANDFULLS of Dynamic Lifter were placed on the big grow bags down the back

[Jamie]

Last time I was at Steves nursery at Park Ridge you could tell where he was going for branch strength by where HANDFULLS of Dynamic Lifter were placed on the big grow bags down the back

handfulls.... damn i have gone through three bags of it in the past 2 days


jamie

[bundyfisher]

I will be definately giving this method some experiments , wonder how it would work mixed with diatomite for my corky elms as the elms like a bit more solid soil
Cheers

[Graeme]

handfulls.... damn i have gone through three bags of it in the past 2 days
jamie

You know it comes in BIG 30Kg bags dont you mate?
Damn that stuff stinks but, don't it? People 'round here are starting to get used to the smell now tho'thankfully.

[Jamie]

handfulls.... damn i have gone through three bags of it in the past 2 days
jamie

You know it comes in BIG 30Kg bags dont you mate?
Damn that stuff stinks but, don't it? People 'round here are starting to get used to the smell now tho'thankfully.

errr..... i am talking bout the thirty kilo bags...

it does stink, good thing is it keeps the mother in law away hahahaha


jamie