AusBonsai

40+ is no problem for ficus rubiginosa but F. macrocarpa is not quite as resilient. I would still do it because the material is not real quality so it does not really matter if it does not survive.
A large cutting may survive but if it does not look good now it is unlikely to be any better when rooted. Sometimes it is better to just throw bits away.

I chopped up the less desirable tree today. I took some top parts as large cuttings and then heavily root pruned the base. Mainly to fit it in my current largest shallower pots. We shall see if any of them take, I’m hoping they will.

Removed from pot, huge roots. The inner root ball was completely dry, even though this pot had terrible drainage and I’ve watered everyday. In terrible soil.


It was mostly giant long roots, and fine tangled feeder roots. I took off a lot.




New pot.

No buds on the stump yet... even the large cutting has two buds. Hopefully it is going to be ok. On a positive note the other tree which I’m layering the top off has roots!

Still no buds on the stump yet but it’s still green. Interestingly, the large trunk cutting I took from above the stump, has no buds but I decided to check for curl grubs as I found some in other pots - to my surprise there is a lovely circumferential new root system, so quickly! I disturbed the roots as little as possible. So now I’m wondering now if I should fertilise it to see if it’ll push some leaves before it gets too cold?

Righto! From the two large topiaries, I’ve now got a few that show some hope of being bonsai yet.

Stump number 1:
One one set of buds from same node (these ficus seem to sprout two buds from the same point which grow away from each other)


Middle section large cutting tree number 1:
Has a circumferential root system but one node that had a green bud but it won’t push. Nothing to see.

Top section large cutting tree 1:
Pretty happy with the buds that have pushed here. If they live I should have some decent branch arrangement. Leaving it alone now as the roots need a lot more time.


Stump of tree 2:
Only shooting from the base so far, still green above though, but not doing what I want. This one was taken too late in the year so may not be well.

Air layered top of tree 2:
This one is doing pretty well. I’m thinking of removing the smallest branch so there aren’t 3 from one point, then making the smaller of the remaining to sit slightly behind the larger one so it looks a bit like a twin trunk. When the roots are more developed and it is warmer, I’ll cut both remaining branches back further to get some lower buds.

Proposed front:


Back (sort of, angle is wrong:

Sides:

This cutting is doing well:
September 2018 March 2019

April 2020 - I had the left hand branch wired for months in a lower position. I took the wire off yesterday and it sprang right back in 5 minutes!