Fat fig future

[Isitangus]

Good morning bonsaiers, looking for some direction for this fat bottomed fig.
Initially I had thought about changing the planting angle to style/train as informal uprightish, but i then saw Chrisatrockys willow leaf fig, fell in love with it and wondered if I could take this tree in a similar direction.
Keen to hear all thoughts and ideas

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Any comments suggestions welcome

[Andrew F]

Its very leggy, so if you are happy the tree is healthy enough and when the overnight temp doesnt drop below 10.c you can chop it back wire it into position. Looks like great material and the start of a cool little tree. Best of luck.

[daiviet_nguyen]

Hi, great potential, but the branches are a bit too lanky for me and they look as though they do not want to work together.

I would progressively shorten them a bit to promote for secondary etc branches, perhaps put it into a larger container too? Given the shape that is already there, I would attempt to follow that direction, fanning out branches and turn it into a classic cone shape? (I am getting one of mine going that way.)

Just MHO and best regards.

[Isitangus]

Thanks for the feedback, daiviet do you have any pics of your plant?
It definitely needs to go into a bigger pot, can I slip it into a bigger pot now without causing it to much grief?
I acquired the tree in it's current state f lankiness so will chop chop when it gets a tad warmer.

[Tony Bebb]

Nice little fig Isitangus.

Beautiful base with great taper. Only getting warmer now mate, and looks healthy enough. Prune it hard and repot it now and it will shoot back well and give you plenty of branches for Christmas.

Tony

[Qitianlong]

I have a few figs looking the same, really lanky long branches... are you saying just hack them back to the desired length, leaving no leaves at all??

[daiviet_nguyen]

Good evening Isitangus,

In Melbourne, I usually repot native figs between late October and early December. I found that they usually slow down around May.

I do not much about your area though.

This is one of the figs I did http://www.ausbonsai.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=187

Best regards.

[daiviet_nguyen]

Hi, I would not not do that: strong as they are, I have experienced on numerous occasions where branches with no leaves just died.

I would leave some leaves, if they happen to back buds, then I will cut a little bit closer and so on.

There a lot of wonderful posts on figs native and foreign alike on this forum.

I am just purely sharing my experiences.

Best regards.

PS: I have just realised that you have directed this question for Mr. Tony Bebb. I jumped in to early then .

I have a few figs looking the same, really lanky long branches... are you saying just hack them back to the desired length, leaving no leaves at all??

[matlea]

If the tree is healthy and the night temps are warm late spring/ summer... Depending on where you are) then I wouldn't have thought there would be any issue of die back... I cut back and defoliate nearly every season and have had no issues... Also gets rid of any scale Infected leaves!

[kcpoole]

Depends on the variety Matlea, Some will not back bud real well ( benjamina), but most are fine to do so.

Hi Istangus
This is a link to mine that I have had for a few years now that is similar. viewtopic.php?f=142&t=12061&hilit=+port+jackson I have been working the tips on this one now for about 2 years, has changed quite a bit since this photo taken now too, but you can see the shorter branching than yours. I have been considering shortening these ones some more tho to remove some of the legginess

As long as not Benjamina, then I would wait till the right time for you ( when temps get above 15 deg for me), and then cut back real hard till each branch about 3 inches long then let them reshoot. let them extend again then recut.
I would imagine the final outline to be about 1 1/2 times the lenght of the pot. ( eg smaller than the current outline of the leaves.

Ken

[matlea]

Ken... That's also true... Wasn't thinking of how temperamental Benjamin can be...

[daiviet_nguyen]

What I did wrong, perhaps, was cutting the lower branches hard, but left the top ones strong. I had once to dig out a six (6) years old Port Jackson seedling, I did a trunk chop right down. And it shoot back. But I am a nervous freak, fear sometimes take over reasoning for me

If the tree is healthy and the night temps are warm late spring/ summer... Depending on where you are) then I wouldn't have thought there would be any issue of die back... I cut back and defoliate nearly every season and have had no issues... Also gets rid of any scale Infected leaves!

[matlea]

Maybe that's what happened?... I have noticed on one tree that I left the lower large leaves on ( was thickening and extending lower branches) that the new crop of leaves for the remainder of the tree came out pretty small... Guess a lot of energy was still going into the lower branches... Maybe that's what happened but in reverse?!

[daiviet_nguyen]

Maybe that's what happened but in reverse?! I cannot answer that. But my observations have been that the new leaves come out tend to be smaller than the previous crops, and slowly they just get bigger again.

-- This is one thing that I really love about native fig . I have only native. But my father wants me to take over some of the cut-leafs that he has.

[shibui]

by Qitianlong » Yesterday, 9:43 pm I have a few figs looking the same, really lanky long branches... are you saying just hack them back to the desired length, leaving no leaves at all??

Most figs (Benjamina doesn't do well in my climate) can be cut back to bare wood and will put out a huge number of buds from the branches and trunk. But don't just cut them back to the desired length. Cut back even further so that the new shoots can grow out to the desired size!

Daviet, pruning lower branches hard and leaving upper ones will usually result in lower branches dying on most trees. Trees have apical dominance. They are trying to grow into big trees so the upper parts are stronger. When there is a crisis (like pruning) priority goes to upper areas or intact tips that will be able to grow. We normally prune the top part and leave lower parts to force energy and strength into lower branches. When you pruned lower branches and left intact tips at top of the tree all energy is diverted to the top and lower branches weaken even further and may even die.