AusBonsai

Hello all,

I have been eyeing off a particularly sick looking fig which is at my work, but haven't got around to asking the maintenance lady if she minds if I take it and replace it with something else. It has a trunk about 6cm thick and about 60 cm high.

Unfortunately I walked past it today and found it out in the garden, lying on its side, roots exposed, having been given up for dead and replaced. I quickly scooped it up in the hope that I may be able to revive it, although I don't hold much hope.

The roots are in a bad way, as I think it has been struggling from lack of nutrients. I have returned home now and placed it immediately into a container with seasol at recommended strength for a good soak.

Does anyone have any advice regarding what I can do to give it the best chance of survival. There are no branches or leaves left on the tree, and there are signs of rot in the roots. Can anyone help?

Regards,
Damo

Hi Damo

Sounds a bit grim. If you flick a little piece of bark with your fingernail nearb the base of the tree and some white sap still seeps out there is good hope. If it is green with no sap you would be 50/50 at best. If there is no green you should give up.

If there is a chance you have done well with the seasol. I would prune the rotten and dead roots and pot it into an open free draining mix and keep it in the semi-shade with some early sun. Water well but let it dry before you water again and seasol weekly till it grows or dies.

Best of luck and would love to know how you go.

Regards
Tony

Damo,

You have done all you can and i would repeat Tony's advice on ways to see if you have any hope.

On the side of how tought figs can be, I cut a 60cm semi mature bonsai back to the first branch & potted the 30cm high, 3cm thick offcut in august as a cutting. It slowly died back down to the base & i was on the point of throwing it out when I noticed the slow roll back of life under the bark had stopped, next a bud appeared, it now has several leaves. Its a shadow of its old self but the point is it has managed to find a way to survive like every fig will do. I have 2 that had been dumped in the bush, one had already started to reshoot insitu the other I didnt give much hope, both are now on the road back.

Look forward to hearing how this one goes for you, it may be one of the few deaths of a fig ever known

Matt

Thanks for the advice Tony and Matt, I have some free draining soil and a new container of Seasol all ready to go. I'll do as you said and if it doesn't come back, so be it. I'm just kicking myself for not saving it when I did see it was on its last legs, at least I'll know next time. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks again,
Damo