Ficus natalensis

[The Ficus Guy]

Hi everyone,



I bought a Ficus natalensis from online a week ago and it has arrived today. It's not too great of a start, but it's my first natalensis, so I'll take it. It lacks taper and has reverse taper going on as well. I just thought I would gather everyones comments on how these react to trunk chops and root work. Thanks for any advice!

[Bougy Fan]

I love them ! They back bud all the way up the trunk after a chop and are very hardy. They grow faster than some other figs and the leaves reduce well. The bark ages very nicely aslo. The only thing I struggle with is taking cuttings - I seem to have a poor strike rate. Have no qualms about getting rid of the ugly root as long as the weathyer is warm enough over there

[The Ficus Guy]

I love them ! They back bud all the way up the trunk after a chop and are very hardy. They grow faster than some other figs and the leaves reduce well. The bark ages very nicely aslo. The only thing I struggle with is taking cuttings - I seem to have a poor strike rate. Have no qualms about getting rid of the ugly root as long as the weathyer is warm enough over there

Great, thanks Tony!

I've heard that you can treat the roots like salicaria roots, in that they will sprout leaves if planted. Is this true? Great to hear that they bud back well, cause I'm going to have to take this one allll the way back to a stump due to the reverse taper.

The weather isn't an issue for me, since I grow my trees indoors year round

[anttal63]

Hello mate; i have one that im in the process of air layering except its too cold to seperate for i did it late . However it struck well and quick. i would reccomend you do that to yours to get rid of the reverse taper and also the straight trunk with the bad roots. You can always use the stump again when it shoots back.

[The Ficus Guy]

Good point, thanks Antonio!

I think what I may try is to get some aerial roots flowing, then try and fuse them to the trunk to get rid of the reverse taper. We'll see how easily it throws aerials in a setup that has 99% humidity.

[anttal63]

Good luck with ya arials heres my air layers

030620121252.jpg

[Bougy Fan]

I braved the showers and took a pic of my fig. I really love these guys ! They backbud like crazy and seem to continue to grow in the cold. I repotted and cut this one back hard about 4 weeks ago. Wish my benjis did this

Natal 1.jpg

[anttal63]

I braved the showers and took a pic of my fig. I really love these guys ! They backbud like crazy and seem to continue to grow in the cold. I repotted and cut this one back hard about 4 weeks ago. Wish my benjis did this

Natal 1.jpg

What cold ??? Oh yeah Min. 15 Max 22 Come down here Tone then you will know cold gotta drag my figs indoor every night

[Bougy Fan]

Yes I know it doesn't get that cold up here - but the other figs do slow down. At least it's not as bad as it is the UK. I am a member over on Wee Trees and I am amazed at the lengths they go through to protect the trees. After every winter there is usually a "how many trees did you lose" topic

So we really are the lucky country I think

[The Ficus Guy]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I have a new interesting idea. What if I chopped above the branch where I've marked, that would then leave two branches on the lower half. I then root cuttings from the upper half. While I'm waiting for those to root I see what kind of buds pop on the lower trunk. If I don't get many, I then fuse the rooted cuttings to the lower trunk, thus improving the nebari due to their root system. Yay, neigh?

[The Ficus Guy]

I was toying around with wire and did this. Wire job isn't the best, but hopefully it gets my point across. I would chop at the top red line and make that a temporary leader until I hopefully get some buds down on that straight section. The second left branch is a little iffy since it may or may not be considered a bar branch. It isn't exactly at the same level, but it does look darn close. I would then chop down low, leaving that branch on the bottom to keep that stump alive. Next I would flare the base of the cutting to get it a little larger and then root it. Comments?

[Bougy Fan]

I would cut off the first branch on the right and wire up the second branch on the left as the new leader

[The Ficus Guy]

I would cut off the first branch on the right and wire up the second branch on the left as the new leader

Oooo I like the idea of wiring that branch up as the leader. The only reason I didn't was because of a wound there. It looks like the previous owner broke a branch off there. That will probably heal over eventually, though (See pic below).

However I did wire that branch up, then tilted the tree so that it looks a bit more natural. Tomorrow I plan on chopping at the red line, which should give that stump enough room to backbud. I will then flare the base of it.

[The Ficus Guy]

Here's what I did.

[The Ficus Guy]

The second cutting.