Fusing figs

[Gareth]

Hi Guys,

I got some inspiration from Jamies fused fig, and thought to myself, hey, ive got some small figs here doing nothing, lets av a go.

Unfortunantly i did not get any photos, a few too mnay beverages the night before left me very hazy and apparently alergic to sunlight, so i didnt think about it until after i was finished.

I trimed all their roots from the area where the trucnks were going to be strapped together, trimed off the downward growing roots and then cut away some of the bark from the surafces that were going to touch when bounds together.

My thinking behind this is, perhaps as the cambium heals, it will heal "into" the next tree, and create a smoother transition between the trees, creating a mroe seemless join.

What the hell, if it doesnt work they will still fuse, and there will always be plenty more cuttings to take and try again.

from there i cut up some garbage bags (had no grafting tape) and bound three small trees together.

So, how does everyone else bind trees together, especially figs, and how long do figs take to fuse/ how long does it take to achieve a "solid fuse" where the trees will not come apart and start to act, and grow/ share nutrient as one tree?

Gareth

[Mitchell]

I generally use grafting tape as it's normally handy.

Time to fuse will differ but one could assume, after a year a solid join should begin. It could take in as little as 3 months, but better to leave it on longer than risk it falling apart.

[cosmo123]

Hi Gareth...I fused three figs together at a workshop run by Lindsay Bebb years ago. I remember the trunks were shaped to be a ble to fit together neatly then the three trees were held together by two galvanised screws. I have left the screws in as I repotted the thing a couple of years ago and it fell apart...so I screwed it back together again. When the screws finally do come out (I'll try again this year) the holes will mend fairly quickly gven the vigorous growth of ficus. Thanks for reminding me...I'll check em out this weekend....good luck

[Jamie]

hi gareth

now were talking champ!

I had a big write up on it before then my net dropped out, ohwell, here we go again. I have been fusing the tree below for a fair time, 3 maybe 4 years, it has always been grown in a pot, and all i used to begin with was grafting tape and some wire to hold them in tight. you dont need to slice the bark but it doesnt really matter either. as long as the trees are in tight, strong contact they will eventually meld in, growing sacrifices is definately the way to go, on the one in the pic it shows i have mostly used sacrifices at the top, i wish i had them a lot lower now. you can also see the airial that has gone across the trunk, the tree shot them while it was wrapped in the graft tap and before i knew it it had melding in to the trunk, so its gonna have to be there now.

fused fig 2.jpg

fused fig.jpg

(sorry bout the pics )

Jamie

[aussie4bonsai]

+Hi Gareth
I have been fusing and grafting for about five years.
The only photos I have are of a Green Island fig and they are screwed together.
I use electrical tape some times and I wind it on glue side up.
I will take photos tomorrow to show some results.

IMG_6_5_08a.JPG

IMG_6_5_08b.JPG

IMG_6_5_08c.JPG

[yadibrar]

welldone frnd
ya sure ,pls show us more results....

[aussie4bonsai]

+This is the green Island fig 2years and 2months later, photo taken today.

IMG_12_8_10gIa.JPG

IMG_12_8_10GIb.JPG

[aussie4bonsai]

+This is a Port Jackson, 6 cuttings bound together about 4 years.

IMG_12_8_10c.JPG

IMG_12_8_10d.JPG

IMG_12_8_10e.JPG

[Asus101]

I think last years October edition of bonsai focus with the guys from bali, read that.