First Bonsai - PJ Fig

[Carben]

Hey guys, so Ive just been given this Bonsai (Port Jackson Fig)

figgles.jpg

Annnnnnd i want it to end up looking kinda like this one =) or kinda like the one on the right hand side of the site banner

_NOP6166-Edit.jpg

Any general maintenance advice would be much appreciated. I also have a bonsai encyclopedia and floral shears etc etc..
Open to all tips and tricks

Cheers,
Carl

[Handy Mick]

You should then put the fig in a grow box an feed feed feed, once you have selected your branches you need to work on ramification, this will take a while but figs are great for beginers

[Carben]

Whats a grow box? haha, do I need to wire it so it grows in the right direction?

[Fish]

Best way is to use photoshop. Cut the picture to the way you want it, then place it on your picture of the pot. Works well for me..


Enjoy the PJ Fig mate, she is beautiful, always read, use the search bar top right of this site, welcome, ask questions, experiment, dont be afraid. With lots of TLC and time, she will be transformed into the tree of your dreams.

Cheers
Fish


PS. Tally update.

Current Members Stock - 77368 (being a well educated guess)
Xmas Stock -9
New members by the seasons end - Countless

[Handy Mick]

Whats a grow box? haha, do I need to wire it so it grows in the right direction?
A grow box can be a poly styrine box or a wooden box, you can realy use anything as long as it is much larger than the finishing pot, this allows the roots to grow uninhibited and freedom as in the ground, the plant will grow much faster and thicker with trimming and feeding, you really need to find like minded people in your area i.e. join a club, they are great to be involved with, much better than books or messages on the computer, but this is a awsome site to help you.

[Handy Mick]

Whats a grow box? haha, do I need to wire it so it grows in the right direction?
A grow box can be a poly styrine box or a wooden box, you can realy use anything as long as it is much larger than the finishing pot, this allows the roots to grow uninhibited and freedom as in the ground, the plant will grow much faster and thicker with trimming and feeding, you really need to find like minded people in your area i.e. join a club, they are great to be involved with, much better than books or messages on the computer, but this is a awsome site to help you.

[Fish]

Handy Mick, stutters...lol

[Handy Mick]

bloody bloody computers computers

[Mitchell]

G'day Carl and welcome to Ab.com!

Like the others have said.

To grow a trees size we place it in a large container "Grow box", (could be a white styrofoam box) which allows a mass of roots to form and add size.

To keep it small, it goes into a bonsai pot when we are at the finishing stage.
Since it has been already potted I would leave it where it is.



I don't necessarily think you will get that trunk even if it does go in a box. Personally I would leave it where it is, it looks nice and will be pleasing for you to view.
I would use this already planted tree to hone your skills.

Give it a good feed, as it could be putting on more growth atm. I use dynamic lifter on all my figs.
Secondarily, I would remove all leaves except the one at the end of all the branches. If you remove the tip (uncurling new leaf) the branch will stop growing in length, by the look of your hoped pic, we need a bit more length to them. This first defoliation will also help you get started in reducing the leaf size of the fig (though is not permanent unless tip goes too). I have defoliated like this, all my figs at least 4 times this summer so far.

Once you have the leaves off, you can look at applying some wire to the branches for some curvy movement.


Hope that helped a bit, feel free to ask more questions or for me to elaborate more.


Did I just serve you at Buzzings?

[bonsai_Dan]

G'day Carl Do a search in the search bar for Grow boxes Carl. Plenty of interesting information on them .

[Ash]

G'Day Carl,

You are going to get some conflicting advice here from each of us. Please don't let it deter you. We all mean well! We just use different approaches to bonsai.

I think that the recommendations to plant this tree in a grow box or to defoliate is recommending you to put the cart before the horse. I would approach your bonsai more steadily and spend some time learning from the tree.

The tree you have been given is quite attractive as it is. I would enjoy your fig tree how it is and would spend time learning how to water it and fertilize it and how to give it the right conditions it needs to be healthy. After you have had it for a whole growing season I would then start to think about other techniques to change it if you decide it needs to be changed.

For now- Water the tree regularly until the water flushes out of the pot. You can't overwater in any one time. Overwatering is watering too frequently- not watering too much at any one time. I water once a day and your tree will probably be about the same. The more you can water each time the more you can fertilize. The more you can fertilize the more the tree can develop. Fertilize your bonsai once a fortnight - a good feed for this tree will be Searls Fish and Kelp. Mix it in a watering can as per dilution recommended on the packet and water all over the plant until it flushes out the drainage holes. Keep your bonsai in as bright a condition as possible. Figs like a lot of sun, Sun = growth = thick trunk in the future. If it has been in the shade you can gradually give it more sun. In a few weeks time when more leaves have emerged you can prune the tips of the shoot taking the bud at the end and the last leaf. This will encourage it to branch and will give you more branches to work with next season.

This place is a great place to get tips but I would recommend going and finding other bonsai grower in your area and talking to them in person.

best of luck with your bonsai

Ash

[Carben]

Thanks heaps guys, Im slowly beginning to understand how all the shaping and changing the way it grows works.. I still dont really know how to get small leaves n stuff though haha.. slowly reading my book..

And yeah you did serve me at bunnings Mitch! haha..

So what your saying is i dont really need to do anything just yet, and that wont hinder my shaping later on? so i have some time to finish reading up on all that stuff?

Oh and i like my trunk.. its more the leaf and branch arrangement that i want to acheive =)

[Mitchell]

Mate, you have your whole life time to shape this tree, all you need do now is to water and feed it.

I like the trunk also, plenty of character to work with.

The act of defoliating your fig, does two main things. Decreases the leaf size and forces the plant to shoot new/more leaves down the branch. These new leaves form branches and in turn make you tree look more like a tree than just a bunch of leaves.

Atm none of my figs have any leaves on them, as a day ago I removed every leaf off every fig I have. In a day or two many new leaves will shoot.

[Mitchell]

Here's some shots.

The two in pots are in their first 6 months of training as bonsai. Prior they were stock plants in black plastic pots/grow box.