AusBonsai

gday all
do i get any idea,s on how to style this fig it has a base of 3 inches is 2 foot tall all i need is help for the style
cheers dean the terror
i will get closer pictures of the tree today so it will give you all better idea's of how i can tackle this tree

It is a good start Dragon- nothing wrong with it at all! Now I am going to suggest something unconventional here- just seeing as you live in a place where it may not be hot and tropical all year round!

If the material were mine living in the hot and wet of the world I would prune the top right hand trunk back to about 20 to 50 mm above the last prune. This would encourage back budding and hopefully a nice sacrifice branch low down to thicken the base and root system even more. But that would need a good long growing season in front of it which you may not have this year (where are you btw?)

An alternative that may suit is to wire that top right (and the left) branch as though they were side branches and wait for a new apex to form from the back budding. Most people would think I am nuts for suggesting it- they dogmatically go 'apex first branches second' even though an apex is easier to replace than side branches. It is easier much easier to regrow the top in a fig than it is to regrow a side branch. You would probably remove them in the end anyway- but that allows you to a) keep the growth to keep thickening that trunk and b) get them out of the way of competing with your new apex and other branches. Not everything in bonsai is for direct results - sacrificial branches- either high or low are still greatly under rated. There is no reason that your sacrificial branches need to look ugly either- just grow long side branches wherever you can and remove them when you simplify the design latter.

This species grows well in a banyan style.

Ash

thanks ash
i will post these pictures i took 4 more so you can get a better look at different sides
cheers dean

gday everyone
this is a anoughter fig my daughter planted with my help about 8 months ago she liked it but i think it needs a bit of work
but because it is over 2 kilo i cant lift it so i think it has to wait for a bit but i really want to do something with it
its base is about 2.5 inches and about 1.5 foot tall
cheers dean the terror

View number one first branch on the bottom right is in prize position- so you can largely disregard what I said about encouraging a shoot down low. Now I would work to replace the main stem line above the first big cut (where the trunk line changes).
Ash

hi ash so what your saying keep that bottom right one and cut the rest off i live in wollongong 90 klm from sydney
that right
cheers dean

I liked view 2 for a similar reason to ash liking 1 I mgiht *attempt* to do a virt when i get home lol. I see a fairly classical fig from taht one. Using the branch that is the bottom left to extend out taht way a bit. I can see it in my head, but it's not so easy to draw!

hi nathan
all thoughts welcome dont forget i got 2 different figs on this post so you need to say pot colour so i know
what one your talking about top pictures green pot and bottom pictures brown pot that way i dont cut the wrong tree
cheers dean the terror

dragon wrote:hi ash so what your saying keep that bottom right one and cut the rest off i live in wollongong 90 klm from sydney
that right
cheers dean

Oh no I didn't mean cut it all off just above there- but up high there is a straight section that could be improved by reducing it at some stage. Maybe wait to do it at the beginning of next warm season- that will maximise on growth for you. If you do it now you may arrest the growth to much.

cheers
Ash

sorry ash
as i am only new when people say cut it i cut it like a mad man in a butcher shop
but when nathan does the vert then i will understand more about what you say
cheers dean the terror

hi ash
plus i think i will wait for the weather to go back warm again before i do anything as it is getting a bit colder here at moment
cheers dean the terror

G'day Dean, the whole process of developing good bonsai is one of cutting and re-growing and then repeating that over and over again, the mistake I see made most often is growers not cutting hard enough.
Craigw

Absolutely Craig. Or in the case of Figs, not cutting often enough either.

Cheers,
Mojo

thanks guy's
like i said i will wait for the warmer weather as it is getting a bit late in the season to do chops on figs
cheers dean the terror

hi guys
well nothing done today on any plant as i was busy at doctors and getting out of my wheelchair yaahoo on my feet again
but i was planning on working on the tree's but it has been raining here for the time i been back home so i might be able to get some done
tommorrow if it aint raining
cheers dean the terror