AusBonsai

This is Ficus sur used as a root over rock.

Ficus sur looks quite like Ficus sycomorus but not so tall and the leaves are shiny and not hairy. The fruits are also born on permanent modified branches in trusses. The trusses also form underground and can be used as cuttings. The leaves does not reduce as well as sycomorus.

As far as I remember I have draped the roots over the rock last October/November and wrapped it up in cling wrap. I used palm peat on the rock.

This is just part of the rock- the rest is still buried in the pot.

Any comments or advice on the roots as well as the direction I should go with the top growth will be appreciated.

Thanks.

Lennard

Hi,

It is a nice one. I like the rock, and the way the root clings to it.

If I was you, I would put the whole composition into a deeper and wider training pot to
speed up roots development and also branches etc.

Please keep us posted of the progress.

Best regards.

hi lennard, nice rock, nice root spread and very nice movement. will be a rippa in future.

sweet as root spread, nice work. i agree with a bigger pot to encourage growth

I want my Ficus to grow strongly but I dont want one or two roots to overpower the rock as is the case when one of the roots escape from the pot through the drainage holes or even just growing in a bigger pot.

To overcome this I was thinking of growing a sacrifice root directly from the trunk of the tree into a rich growing medium/or the same medium and keep the roots I like regulary "pinched" to prevent them from thickening up too quickly.

Am I making sense?

Lennard

To overcome this I was thinking of growing a sacrifice root directly from the trunk of the tree into a rich growing medium/or the same medium and keep the roots I like regulary "pinched" to prevent them from thickening up too quickly.

Interesting idea Lennard, it's worth a try, but you would have to keep a close eye on it. Escaped roots of ficus usually grow very rapidly and could change the overall design. If it got too big it may leave a scar when removed. Also, when you sacrifice the large root the top of the tree may loose vigour and die back. I am speculating, rather than talking from experience, but I would be wary.
Good luck.

pasquale wrote: I am speculating, rather than talking from experience, but I would be wary.
Good luck.

Yes, as a beginner thats my problem too. I've got a lot of plans and theories but almost no experience on doing some stuff.

I thought about the sacrifice root becomming too big and leaving a scar, I think I will not let it grow thicker as a pencil before cutting it of. I will have to repeat this a few times before I will be happy with the top growth.

Thanks for all the replies.

Lennard

Lennard,
It looks great! Very nice work. I think your idea about a sacrifice root will work.
As mentioned one of the problems with a root-over-rock design is that the tree and roots continue to grow but the rock does not.
This of course will change your design gradually over time.
PS your rock looks like a camel!
Jerry

Lennard
Ive done a lot of root over rock ficus and understand the issue of "loosing" the rock under the roots. Because of the "spout" at the front of the rock this should help keep the rock as a focus, it is a good rock for this sort of thing.
I would still put this one in a deeper pot or my preferred method which is a box made of fence palings.
This way you can remove a pailing at the end of year one and lower the soil level and then the next year remove another and so on. For a shorter tree or smaller rock I have ripped palings in half with a power saw to create thinner palings.
This gradual removal means that the roots develop more of a network at the bottom of the rock than they do at the top.
However as the tree gets older there is nothing which will stop those roots thickening up. It is so characteristic of a fig.
Ive never tried the sacrifice root idea but i would assume that it will distort the trunk. I would be very interested to see the result if you try it.
I think your rock looks a bit like a magic lamp with a genie inside.

Nice lennard, Love the Sinous roots spreading over the rock,

I thought the rock looks like a Camel myself

Another angle showing the depht of the pot. The rock goes right down to the bottom of the pot.

Hi Lennard,
I tend to agree about the size of the container. One get the "cramped-in" feeling when seeing the sides of the container against the roots and rock.
The roots will just develop better in 1-size bigger one? Best of luck. Gerhard

An update on this one:

The tree is growing nicely and I am getting nice ramification. This picture was taken September 2010.
Beginning of October I have cut back the growth to the last leaf and have partially defoliated it. By partially it means I have left the leaf stalk with a little bit of leaf to prevent any of the twigs dying back.

With the leaves removed you can see how nice the tree has progressed in terms of ramification in just one years time. I'm going to let the new buds grow out and repeat the defoliation process in about two months time- then I am going to wire the tree to get some order in the branches.
Any comments and advice welcome.

Lennard

nice tree mate I really like it, it reminds me of a fig growing that that grows near my place. I love the placement of the roots and the ramifications is going well. Give it a few more years and it will be an awsome tree.
Keep us updated

Hugh