Port Jackson fig 21 years from seed.

[Grant Bowie]

Hi everyone,

I have used this tree before in some threads so I will do it here in one thread.

This is a Port Jackson fig I bought about 20 years ago as tube stock so it would be around 21 years old. It has allways been grown in bonsai pots and sort of just evolved.

I defoliated it 8th October and then again 10th November and should have done it again possibly a few more times before winter; however I wanted it in a show in April.

1st defoliation was 8th October 2009.
Here it is after its 2nd defoliation November last year 2009.

After 2nd defoliation with new buds coming slowly.JPG

It is in an aussie pot made by Roger Hnatiuk.
I repotted it into a 50/50 mix of perlite and crushed brick with adequate amounts of Osmocote to feed it as well as liquid feeding.

IMG_0889.JPG

It was doing fine and I have just moved it inside 2 weeks ago for winter. From experience it will bud and grow for the next 6 or 7 weeks so I defoliated it today just to see what will happen. The roots were already becoming visible at the bottom of the pot and so I think it is worth the risk. I intend to wire and shape so any comments welcome.

Front.JPG

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Grant

[gazzatash]

Wow Grant wahat an awesome looking PJ Fig... I hope mine will like that one one day... Grant I don't know enough about bonsi yet to comment on your wireing but maybe after attending your workshop at the AABC I may have a few ideas.. So I will only comment and say I love it..

Gazza

[Jamie]

gday grant!

i think you will come up trumps, fortune favours the brave they say, i defoliated one of my figs the other week and it is starting to get nice new little leaves, i know it is different up here but i think you will get away with it!

what are your (and everyone elses) thoughts on defoliating at this time of year as compared to leaving it be in order to store energy and have a strong burst come spring?


jamie

[Mitchell]

Fantastic! You have prompted me, to go de-foliate one of mine.

[ketutg]

i also experimented and defoliated one of my PJ figs a few weeks ago and it has been spending the cold nights indoors. Just this week i have seen tiny little buds forming. it's no way near as old as yours though.

I hope to air layer the top of my tree in late winter / early spring to increase taper

[craigw60]

Hi Grant, What are the dimensions of your tree ? Isn't it great to have trees of this age and quality you have grown from scratch, one of the advantages of getting older I guess.
Craig

[Glenda]

Last weekend I defoliated my willow leaf, retusa, and another that has a ? over what it is = a cutting from a retusa that has not got the lovely big roots, and all of them are shooting really well already. Mind you I am further north than most!

Glenda

[Grant Bowie]

Hi Grant, What are the dimensions of your tree ? Isn't it great to have trees of this age and quality you have grown from scratch, one of the advantages of getting older I guess.
Craig

Hi Craig,

It is about 45cm high from the base of the pot and about 38cm broad accross the front.

Australia is the place where so many trees are grown from very small and then kept for many years by the original owner.

It is both cheap and a factor of getting older as well.

I am even starting to think about starting a collection of small bonsai again; just like you.

Grant

[Grant Bowie]

gday grant!

i think you will come up trumps, fortune favours the brave they say, i defoliated one of my figs the other week and it is starting to get nice new little leaves, i know it is different up here but i think you will get away with it!

what are your (and everyone elses) thoughts on defoliating at this time of year as compared to leaving it be in order to store energy and have a strong burst come spring?


jamie

Hi Jamie,

I am hoping that I will get a strong bud back now; which will give me some finer ramification before spring and thereby diffuse the spring growth into more and finer ramification again. A lot of trees in Australia are very good but lack the finishing off of fine ramification over many years, just like my fig.

Grant

[Grant Bowie]

Fantastic! You have prompted me, to go de-foliate one of mine.

You should be safe enough where you live.

Grant

[Grant Bowie]

Last weekend I defoliated my willow leaf, retusa, and another that has a ? over what it is = a cutting from a retusa that has not got the lovely big roots, and all of them are shooting really well already. Mind you I am further north than most!

Glenda

Hi Glenda,

In Sydney and further south the willow leaf fig is deciduous so it will be interesting to see what happens up your way.

Grant

[Jamie]

thanks grant, i thought there was a positive to defoliating this time of year! i know being up here is a bit different!

glenda your willow leaf should be sweet! i cut one of mine back hard, really hard and its budding all over the shop! up there will be even better!

[maryo]

I love the fig, it is great to know they will survive in the colder climates.

[maryo]

I will be interested in knowing how your fig responds to such a late defoliation. We have already had our first frost here.

[maryo]

I will be interested on how the tree goes with such a late defoliation, we have already had a first frost and I have had all my figs undercover for about a month now.