can you turn lower branches into aerial roots

[alexgee]

i have a few ficus's i have been working on for a while one budded prior to repotting under the soil, after repotting the branches ended up above the soil line, i have been training them down into the soil to try and get them to root???does this happen , as they seem to still be producing foliage.

cheers

[Jamie]

if the branch is in contact with the ground it is very likely it will root and feed the foliage at the end of that branch, if you want it to strike roots on purpose then cut a square section out of the branch underneath put some hormone gel/powder on and make sure it stays in good contact with the soil, if conditions are good and the tree is healthy roots should be there within a few weeks.


jamie

edit, the branch itself cant be put into the ground and feed the trunk as a tree only works one way to speak, nutrients go up the trunk to branches and in turn the leaves send sugars back down, i think. it works in a circular motion so to speak and the way i described above with the branch taking root and feeding the foliage at the end of that branch.

[anttal63]

Ummmmmmmmm i do wonder ??? Jerry what you say mate?

[Jamie]

Ummmmmmmmm i do wonder ??? Jerry what you say mate?

the only way it would work would be to strike roots to feed the tree again but it would have to completly reverse the flow of the branch

[Steven]

Peter Song from Oriental Bonsai Nursery (now in Dural) has a Ficus (not sure the species) that he planted upside down to correct the severe reverse taper. He grafted new foliage onto where the roots used to be and grew new roots where the foliage used to be. It's a very strange looking bonsai but the techniques he used amaze me.

I'll see if I can get a picture of it one day.

Regards,
Steven

[Jamie]

thats amazing steven, it just doesnt seem horticulturally correct i wonder if it is only ficus relative or more species that would be capable of this?


jamie

[Gumnuts]

Steven

Where abouts in Dural is Peter Song??????

[Joel]

I agree with Jamie. If there is no foliage past where the root is along the branch, the root is not sustaining anything. Sugars in the phloem flow both ways, so it could technically live, it just has no purpose (as water only flows in one direction and so it would generally die off).

Joel.

[dayne]

well it can be done kimura has turned a shimpaku upside down roots up top branches down below im doing this with a fig bending lower shoots down into soil to make them into roots a fig throws airiels from branches and energy moves to the tips to grow and back down so energy and nutrient and photosynthasis move tip to root and vice versa i believe it can happen but the roots will allways want to shoot leaves and branches but just turn them to roots and make a huge base of roots

[anttal63]

well it can be done kimura has turned a shimpaku upside down roots up top branches down below im doing this with a fig bending lower shoots down into soil to make them into roots a fig throws airiels from branches and energy moves to the tips to grow and back down so energy and nutrient and photosynthasis move tip to root and vice versa i believe it can happen but the roots will allways want to shoot leaves and branches but just turn them to roots and make a huge base of roots

Dayne thats what my heads tellin me. The wonders of a ficus never cease.

[aaron_tas]

dane i'm pretty sure that juni (the resurrection) was air layered, then he used those roots to grow the tree back up the incredible carved trunk.

now, im no hort. but i wasn't sure if that could be done, i don't know anyone that has changed the direction of flow...

in saying that tho, please keep attempting, i wanna see it

[Jerry Meislik]

Yes, it works.
But you need to leave foliage on the tip of the branch emerging from the ground. Basically a ground layer.
After strong roots have formed the end of the branch with leaves can be cut off.

[aaron_tas]

nice, thanks for the confirmation jerry

do you know if it is only figs, or have you seen it with other species

[Jamie]

so basically what you are saying Jerry is that the branch needs to feed foliage until that time roots have struck then once roots have struck the tree changes its entire flow of nutrients and water?


jamie

[Jerry Meislik]

Jamie,
I am not sure about the flow but the tree knows how to do it once you cover the branch and allow foliage to keep growing off the end.
I have not done this with other species of tree, so I can't comment.
PS I also do approach grafts hooking the branch up in reverse and the tree knows how to make it happen.
Jerry