AusBonsai

At the Wauchope (NSW) bonsai meeting, this month's demo was the creation of a strangler fig using a dead cork oak and 3 ficus obliqua. The figs had been grown in poly pipe tubes for two years to develop long roots. Two figs were attached to one trunk of the oak, then the roots wrapped around the trunk and covered with muck (50:50 potters clay and peatmoss). The other trunk has one fig and its roots covered in moist spaghnum moss and glad wrap. Here is the photo series.

Great stuff Steven thanks for showing. I became interested in this a few years ago from Lenard Webbers book. He noted that when he used deadwood it rotted away and wanted to try a living host tree.
After trying to find a host tree I ended up using a hackberry. Not great material but at least it was a start. Is the slowest fig to recover after an extra cold Winter so I am just hoping it survives next Winter at the moment while I still search for a good host to try a better one

Great progression photos, Steve. I'm looking forward to an update and to see which works better - the muck or gladwrap and moss. Nice healthy looking trees too. Thanks for posting.
Penny.

Update plz.

Here is an update on the fig. I haven't unwrapped the glad-wrapped roots yet as I want to give them as much time as possible to settle into the soil in the pot.

The trunk covered with muck has had the muck re-applied a couple of times now. The roots on this trunk are now over a cm thick.

I have also trimmed the top of the tree. Obliqua responds well to trimming, throwing out a lot of new, fine shoots.

Great work Steve.
Also good to see you putting all that rainfall to good use...

I unwrapped the spaghnum moss wrapped side to see how it went. It had good roots too, compared to the muck covered trunk. The main difference was that the spaghnum side had a few fine roots in the moss, rather than down the trunk. Based on this, I'd recommend using muck rather than moss.

Hey just new to this site. Looking to grog some strangler figs. Is it possible for you to post photos or diagrams of the initial growing process with the Polly tube and strawberry pot? Many thanks

Fascinating progression!
I have several ficus microcarpa whips which I want to try this technique on.
Thanks for posting!

Here is a picture of the down pipe sections i use to grow long rooted trees. These are mostly Little Ruby figs.
Here is an update on the strangler figs. Freshly trimmed.

Awesome work Steve....i lived in War Cho Pee for a while...should have joined then....keep up the great work

cheers
Max