White fig

[bonsaiboy50]

Just thought i would share this with everyone . I planted some seeds from this huge fig a few years ago and got a very good result, about 30 seedings. I gave many away but kept the one you can see in the pic. It is just shooting back from a major cutback.This type of fig is deciduous. As you can see this fig was planted in 1880 and is quite manificent. Love to know if anybody has any white figs and if they have had any success in making a bonsai out of them.

[S.O.P]

Just saw this: http://veterantreegroup.blogspot.com/20 ... sited.html , last night, funnily enough.

We have a few remnant trees here and there in our area, happened to see one crawling down a rock on a river bank just last week. Fascinating too, it actually was a flat wall of root so the rock was near invisible.

The local environment centre has a few for sale I noticed too. Just tubes though. Yours looks pretty good, do the leaves get smaller? Does it lose every leaf? Up here they seem semi-deciduous

[Joel]

Pffffft. Thats hardly a huge Ficus virens.......

I'll get some photos from work of some larger ones sometime. Maybe 3 times that size, judging by the photo.

Nice start to a nebari!

Joel

[S.O.P]

If they are big, add to them to the http://www.nationalregisterofbigtrees.com.au/index.php so everyone can enjoy them.

[Matthew]

I had one about 20 years old in rockhampton but thought it wouldnt like it in victoria so i gave it to a member here. Chrisatrocky has it who is on sometimes. if he reads it maybe hell put a pic up. The leaves are quite large but will reduce with defoliation and regular pruning. They take along time to form branching and ramification but the trunks are killer

[Graeme]

Virens is one of those Love Hate Bonsai.

They have a few attributes that make them popular with Bonsai fans. The leaf colour displayed in that top pic is one of those attributes and as Noah said they can develop great trunks (and branches) in a fairly short space of time. They also display nice surface roots as well, but the biggest drawback to them are the leaves.

While it is true that leaf reduction can be achieved easily, it is also true that the leaf size will return to full size, or near full size, just as quickly. In the past I have had the leaves reduced very nicely only to have them come back large again after dropping naturally. Also leaf size doesn't remain constant throughout the tree with both large and small leaves on the same branches.

Maybe time might cure these problems as the oldest tree I have ever trained was only 6 or 8 years old and there are methods of ensuring good foligae cover prior to display anyhow.

[kvan64]

I haven't got one as bonsai yet but I've collected a few. They shoot back really easily. You could also make thick cutting as big as ...power poles size and they would strike within 4 weeks. I have been giving away quite a few small ones recently. Here is a couple pics of my recently collected tripple trunk biggie. It has shot back heavily. I will post some new pics when I have a chance to take them

[Jamie]

hi mate

thats a nice nebari there BB it should make for an interesting tree! are you planing on cutting back to a new leader lower when it back buds? it would help more with taper.

nice big one there DK leaf sized shouldnt be a problem with that size tree mate, and I reckon that is the keep to the leaf size on F. virens, if the tree is a bigger size leaf size wouldnt be a problem, the one I have (cheers DK its going strong and thickening well still ) has some good strong growth, its in the ground at the moment in a rich soil and is fed heavily and leaf size isnt massive would be a good size for a larger tree, anywhere around the 75cm plus mark high and the natural leaf size (well on the one I have) would work well with that size.

I might find it a challenge re leaf size as the one I have isnt going to be over 20cm tall, its got a while to go just yet, but the way these guys power on I reckon they will be able to handle multiple defoliations through out the year, especially up here where we can push defoliations a little more. I think that would be the best way to train the tree though, as leaf size can be an issue, grow the tree for ramification and the intense new growth which if showing the tree and timed right will give small leaves with a nice intense colour to them thats just what i might do too

jamie

[Matthew]

jamie the one i had is about shohin size . I found branching does take awhile on these but shown either in the dormant stare or defoliated they can look pretty nice. that whitish bark they get with age is a real treat. Where are you chris?

[Jerry Meislik]

Nice collected Ficus. Should work up great.

Jerry

[NathanM]

I'll take a pic of my virens over the weekend I love it's trunk (even though it's only short, but very stout) but not so mucc the large leaves. A few more seasons with 3 defoliations a year should help