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Sad Ficus Petiolaris
Posted: November 24th, 2010, 11:51 am
by FigKiller
I think I've got the right name - also known as Mexican Fig, I think.
I suspect its new shoots were hit by frost. Ther went rather suddenly from green to brown. It has been very badly treated in the past and recovered but this time it is just sitting and looking dumb.
Any suggestions?
Re: Sad Ficus Petiolaris
Posted: December 19th, 2010, 6:24 pm
by FigKiller
Gee I'm clever! SWMBO kindly put it out in the rain - not a good idea. I moved it into the sun; moved it into shade. Watered it; didn't water it. Swore at it; spoke kindly to it. Nothing!
As a trial I snipped off a dead shoot. No effect.
Starting to organise a funeral. One more diabolical glare and it started shooting all over the place.
Re: Sad Ficus Petiolaris
Posted: December 19th, 2010, 7:18 pm
by Mitchell
One more diabolical glare and it started shooting all over the place.
I find threatening it with the bin often works...
Another example of why, one needs a corner to place dead and dieing plants, to see if they re-shoot.
Some of the most interesting bonsai can be created from a plant that has died right back.
Just recently I could have sworn I killed an olive, yes an olive. All foliage died back to the base, it sat and sat, I let the pot go bone dry from neglect, just left it there.
4 months later it shot from the base.

Now I have a tree 10x better than the original one.
Got some pics of the re-shoot.
Re: Sad Ficus Petiolaris
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 9:44 pm
by FigKiller
This gets even better. I searched the 'net for help and found this 'rare/unusual' fig. Looked like mine and sounded like mine. Just one thing mine was missing - the red leaf veins. Was the label wrong? Was it maybe another species? Mine only ever had green veins. Come the resurrection and the veins are red - and gorgeous!!
I can't help wonderoing of there's a future for a bonsai death and resurrection movement.