AusBonsai

I posted an article on fig propagation from seed on another thread. I will now share a bit of my experience with taking it a bit further.
First pic - QSL fig at about 6 months

Brian

In that pic you will note that it is shaped like an onion, tapering down to nothing with roots right at the bottom - reverse taper. This next photo shows what I did to them. I cut them off at the widest point and treated them like cuttings.

Brian

More to follow if there is any interest

Brian

yes brian, always interested in techniques that produce good trees, i have some like this exactly that i need to fix but wasnt sure about doing something like this or to do a ground layer ?


jamie

I am definately interested. I remember these pics from years ago on your site. One of my first trees was a fig from seed that I did this to. I still have it and it is going gangbusters. Great nebari and basal flare. Please keep posting and I hope you have a pic of the tree as it stands today!

They are a great start for styling sumo figs, I'm with Brian on this one you can get the best little bases buy doing this.

Jamie no fear mate!!! Flat bottom figs have a 90% success rate in QLD using the right mix (Diatomite).

well that has just settled it then hasnt it it will be getting a flat bottom and put into diatomite

OK guys

This view is after the cutting above has rooted. I should point out that when I grew cuttings on regardless of variety, I never dug a hole but spread the roots on the ground and chucked a shovel full of soil over the roots. This ensured that a good nebari would result

Brian

OOOPS! The photo didn't happen

Brian

Do you have more recent pics, the suspense is killing me!

Hi Jarrod

Yes, more to follow

Brian

Good stuff Brian keen to see more

Next photo

I can't remember how much later this photo was but you can't win 'em all

Brian

The way I Get good root flare on my fig cuttings is i cut an X on the underside of the cutting and then in the centre of the X I shove in a little pebble or rock to spread out the bottom. Then I just stick in the ground and hope it takes I have done this too a few cutting I did about a 18 months ago and they have really wide bases that flare out very well and there not that thick still maybe about 2-3cm on the trunk but the base is about 4-5cm wide.

Hugh

any pics of this hugh? i would be interested to see, i have done a "skirt" on an airlayer and it filled with callous wood that has helped with flaire big time so i would like to see the results of the X technique how much of an X would you put i and how far would you spread? obviously this would heal up... this has just given me an idea actually

i will get back to you all with it tomorrow


jamie