AusBonsai

Mitchell wrote:"Here in Canberra it is starting to warm up"



It's like mid summer in Sydney! Sorry, had to do it, though I do envy your climate also.

When you mentioned a few months ago you were still defoliating figs, I decided to follow suit and did all of mine. Now I have a flourish of new growth and can barely get near some of my 4 inch cuttings planted out in ground.

Its good to experiment and see what happens!

You don't have to follow all the rules or guidelines.

Different methods for different results or purposes.

GranT

Its like mid winter here and some of my trees haven't come into leaf yet.
Craigw

Hi Grant
Last summer I cut a lot of the base of this willow fig to lower the height down to 300mm to make it a miniature and for after care I kept it in a shade house up to June then I put it out in full sun and it started to defoliate.
I took the last leaves of yesterday.

aussie4bonsai wrote:Hi Grant
Last summer I cut a lot of the base of this willow fig to lower the height down to 300mm to make it a miniature and for after care I kept it in a shade house up to June then I put it out in full sun and it started to defoliate.
I took the last leaves of yesterday.

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these figs are naturally deciduous in colder climates.

grant

Here in NQ they are definitely NOT deciduous. I defloiated mine mid-winter, and it had new shoots within the week. Heat and humidity have to be good for something! I will admit they look heaps better now than mid-winter, though. Leaves are greener and more vibrant than in winter.

Glenda

Glenda wrote:Here in NQ they are definitely NOT deciduous. I defloiated mine mid-winter, and it had new shoots within the week. Heat and humidity have to be good for something! I will admit they look heaps better now than mid-winter, though. Leaves are greener and more vibrant than in winter.

Glenda

When I defoliate a PJ Fig in Canberra it will probably take 3 to 4 weeks to come back in spring but then quicker as it gets hotter.

Grant

interesting with the willow leafs, I have one that went some serious root work and it dropped its bundle, I thought I possibly killed it, didnt have any leaves on it for a good 5 months during our colder period, it has opened up and really taken off now it has warmed up

also had a couple of elms go dormant for a few months too, they have been pushing new shoots now, bud swell was a week or two ago. one of my liquid amber also did the same, dormant right through mid/late autumn to only a couple of weeks back.

jamie

Jamie wrote:interesting with the willow leafs, I have one that went some serious root work and it dropped its bundle, I thought I possibly killed it, didnt have any leaves on it for a good 5 months during our colder period, it has opened up and really taken off now it has warmed up

also had a couple of elms go dormant for a few months too, they have been pushing new shoots now, bud swell was a week or two ago. one of my liquid amber also did the same, dormant right through mid/late autumn to only a couple of weeks back.

jamie

Figs and others can drop their leaves as a survival technique if seriously root challenged, Even Cedars have been known to drop all their needles in spring at root prune time and thats a real heart stopper.

Chinese Elms are almost evergreen or semi deciduous to be exact. Usually the warmer the climate the shorter the dormancy. Seedling variation and lots of "sports" in Elms as well.

Liquidamaber should be fully deciduous but once again in warmer climes they hang on to their leaves longer.

Grant

gday mate

yea its interesting as not all of my elms went dormant, some grew through and others hung on a little, and others dropped everything, I think the ones that got a longer dormancy will really push some solid growth this year, im looking forward to it the LA that I had was dormant when I got it the others were still in leaf.

that is the issue up here trying to grow deciduous or semi deciduous, sometimes they dont go into a dormancy and things end up a little slow, the ones that do go into a semi or full dormancy have been better

the willow leaf did get a lot of stress, although happy now it was one that I attempted air layering and it healed over twice, didnt want to throw roots which was odd as normally figs just throw out roots at the drop at the hat. I realise willow leaf can be a little pickier but in the end i took the top off with the caloused area there put it in diatomite and only then did it shoot roots. its coming along now anyways

jamie

Needle drop on cedars is alarming to say the least. I have found that repotting them during the hot weather alleviates that problem completely.
Hi Jamie if some of your elms drop and others don't then it could be a good idea to propagate and grow the forms which go into a proper dormancy.
Craigw

Jamie wrote: .......... one of my liquid amber also did the same, dormant right through mid/late autumn to only a couple of weeks back.

jamie

Interesting. My LA's have had tiny buds for ages, but they are not progressing any. Buds don't seem to be extending at all. Still definitely alive though!

Glenda

hi glenda

should start to swell and open soon, is it in full sun? or under shade, I have kept it in full sun and its going strong, might be why yours havent opened yet if they arent getting enough light on them

Jamie

bump

Jamie, like you I have been having some funny stuff happening this year as well. My Willow leaf fig dropped all it's leaves as if it was deciduous and I thought I'd lost it (didn't cry much tho'), sat leafless for what seemed like forever, but it is out in nearly full leaf again now. I have a Redwood that I was also convinced had gone to a better place until, on the way to the bin Friday morning, I scratched the bark to find it is till green. My Swampy has only just leafed out as well. But with the year we have had there is no wonder the trees are confused. I slept under the doona last night and that just doesn't happen up here at this time of the year.

hi mate

I know what ya mean, we had a really warm spell go through not that long ago and things started to take of, then we got that cool spell with plenty of rain and everything stopped, my trees havent known what to do and I am getting iratic results at best at the moment. one of my elms took off and had 6 inches of growth within a week or two and now it has stopped dead in its tracks. the joys of bonsai in the bay

hey, I seen a "hot rod" car cruise this morning at the servo on the corner of burrum heads/piable road, thought you might have been in that, there was a red xp falcon, a yellow corvette, an old holden station wagon. the falcon was really nice, I have always wanted an xp but have never found one in a workable state for the right money!

jamie