[Nate] Port Jackson Fig - Chunky
Posted: May 17th, 2020, 4:06 pm
I often hesitate to post any of my trees here, because they are all in a state of (under) development. But, I get a lot of benefit looking at other people's projects, so thought to post anyway.
This is the first 'bonsai' that I got given. It was a little finger-thick stick in a tiny pot with a few aerial roots from the Big Green Shed, bought by my mother-in-law, probably about 2010.
Even in my early days (with my other 'sticks in pots') I always had in my mind bigger, thicker trunks. So, I repotted it and let it fatten up over the years. I'd chop off its growth and make it back bud whenever the fancy took me and repot and do some root work every 2-3-5 years (or when I remembered). There was no plan, other than 'force low growth and fatten up that trunk' and 'get a good root spread'. PJFs are indestructible and forgiving, so it has endured my abuse with good grace.
Here it is at the last 2014 repot. It's about 15x thicker than when purchased. I typically let a few big branches develop and grow to about 1 metre and then chopped them indiscriminately. If I am in the mood, I throw them in some potting mix and I have heaps of cuttings from this and root cuttings - again, indestructible.
Here it is today.
First a pic to show how long I let the growing branches get (I chopped off a couple of others in preparation for repotting).
A close-up with a bit of size comparison.
Front after trimming off unwanted branches, and old cut branch stubs and thick roots. I've noticed that when these get going, a few key rots will fatten up massively under the soil, becoming trees in their own right and needing a saw to get through them. So, maybe more frequent repotting would be good for the root development stage.
And this is one image that I found myself gravitating towards as the trunk started to take shape. I'd like to go for something different rather than just another upright fig (and also because I have another one that fits that bill).
This is the first 'bonsai' that I got given. It was a little finger-thick stick in a tiny pot with a few aerial roots from the Big Green Shed, bought by my mother-in-law, probably about 2010.
Even in my early days (with my other 'sticks in pots') I always had in my mind bigger, thicker trunks. So, I repotted it and let it fatten up over the years. I'd chop off its growth and make it back bud whenever the fancy took me and repot and do some root work every 2-3-5 years (or when I remembered). There was no plan, other than 'force low growth and fatten up that trunk' and 'get a good root spread'. PJFs are indestructible and forgiving, so it has endured my abuse with good grace.
Here it is at the last 2014 repot. It's about 15x thicker than when purchased. I typically let a few big branches develop and grow to about 1 metre and then chopped them indiscriminately. If I am in the mood, I throw them in some potting mix and I have heaps of cuttings from this and root cuttings - again, indestructible.
Here it is today.
First a pic to show how long I let the growing branches get (I chopped off a couple of others in preparation for repotting).
A close-up with a bit of size comparison.
Front after trimming off unwanted branches, and old cut branch stubs and thick roots. I've noticed that when these get going, a few key rots will fatten up massively under the soil, becoming trees in their own right and needing a saw to get through them. So, maybe more frequent repotting would be good for the root development stage.
And this is one image that I found myself gravitating towards as the trunk started to take shape. I'd like to go for something different rather than just another upright fig (and also because I have another one that fits that bill).
