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| Creation of an Epiphytic Style Ficus |
 01-08-2008 04:13 PM
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Creation of an Epiphytic Style Ficus Methodology and Commentary By, Phil Herda First of all I must point out that I am in no way an expert on this process although I have frequently used some of the methods described in this article to obtain and promote aerial roots on certain types of Ficus in past years. However, this is my first endeavor in creating an epiphytic Ficus. Having said that, I thought I would share this process with all of those who might possibly be interested in doing some project like this so as to hopefully gain some insight, knowledge and ideas on how to achieve an Epiphytic style Ficus through my narrative and the accompanying pictures of the entire process from beginning to end. __________________________________________________ _______ Acknowledgment: Before I proceed I would like to give my thanks to Jerry “Bonsaihunk” Meislik for his most informative site, “The Art of Bonsai” and of course his also informative book on Ficus, “Ficus – The Exotic Bonsai” and his ever so helpful answers to some of my questions on the subject. Without that I more than likely would have never even considered in doing such a project as this. __________________________________________________ _______ What is it? A Small Forward To begin with, I had a beautiful thirty year old Hackberry with a very nice structure to its trunk measuring just over three inches across at its base and a Nebari to match. Regretfully I lost this tree about two years ago which hurt me terribly. For some odd reason I just could not get myself to throw it away. It had just been laying in my yard next to my bonsai benches decaying and drying out for those years. Maybe it was meant that I keep it. With this venture hopefully I can in some small way possibly resurrect it and not let it become a total loss. Before I begin please let me emphasize that the procedure I used for this tree need not be as involved as I am presenting it. By nature I am not necessarily a perfectionist but it does at times rear its insane persistent head much to my dismay! So please, do not be daunted by all the steps I took in preparing the host tree. I simply did not want to leave anything to chance with the host tree rotting at its base and most importantly, I wanted it to be completely sturdy and modular in its design so that it would be easier for me if the necessity came along where I would have to re-pot into a different bonsai container. Many of the steps that I am going to describe here can of course be modified and or made simpler according to the size and type of host tree that you use. To create an epiphytic style Ficus one need only have a dead tree (the host) and a fair amount of Ficus cuttings all of the same species. Using different species of Ficus would not be advisable as the coloration and markings of the different types of bark let alone the obvious different shapes of leaves would look unnatural and in my opinion would not look harmonious or pleasing. The wood of the host tree can be treated with a wood preservative such as Min Wax Wood Hardener or left alone to rot as the Ficus overtakes the tree. In this instance I decided to treat only the base of the host tree to a point level with the surface of the soil. The Hackberry being used has been in all the elements of weather for two years and has held up quite well except for loosing most of its bark. I debated over this decision for some time and as said, decided not to treat the entire tree. As the years go by and the Ficus cuttings overtake the entire tree it will take some amount of time before the trunk rots out or not but either way I will hopefully have achieved what I was after. The cohesion of the Ficus cuttings will after many years coalesce into one coherent mass of trees and for all practical purposes become as one and should be treated and looked upon as such. To quote Jerry Meislik from his book, “Ficus – The Exotic Bonsai” © on the subject of creating an epiphytic Fig, “The whole is treated as a single composition and not as multiple trees”. Time to Work OK, now let’s get to work. The tree that I used had a very large hardened mass of gnarled wood on the bottom of it which prevented me from fastening it to the bottom of the pot in the very secure manner which I desired. Picture 1 shows the entire tree before any work. Picture2 shows some of the bottom of the tree after a portion of the hard gnarled mass was removed and a line made where it was going to cut it. Picture 3 is after the cut. Picture 4 is the bottom after a coat of wood hardener and several coats of exterior Min Wax Spar Urethane. You will also notice in picture 4 that the hardener goes up about one inch on the base of the tree. This is the area in which the tree will be sitting in the soil. Pictures 1, 2, 3, and 4 (Click on picture for larger image) Now we come to a bit of improvisation and inventiveness. I feel that the host tree must be secured to the pot as best as possible. This is done for two reasons. Number one is that the Ficus cuttings are going to be nailed and or stapled to the trunk so it is naturally going to undergo some rough treatment and you cannot afford to have it moving about. Number two is one of the most important reasoning’s in securing the host tree firmly to the pot. When a live tree is wired to a pot it is obviously done to secure it and keep it in place. After a live tree is wired to a pot it will also put out many roots which will add more to its stability. With a dead tree we obviously will not have this extra stability from any root structure. Also, when the Ficus cuttings are attached you do not wish to have even the slightest movement of the host tree as this could possibly rupture or tear the fine roots of the cuttings. So, by whatever means you use it is essential that you secure the host tree to the pot as best as you possibly can. Now that I have a flat cut on the bottom of my tree I could simply attach it to a small piece of plywood and then secure this to the bottom of the pot. However, this could not be done that easily as the tree would then be sitting too low in the pot. I had to raise the tree up so that the bottom inch or so of it would be beneath the soil level. I therefore had to make some properly sized blocks of wood to raise it up to the proper height. In this instance you could simply attach blocks of wood to the bottom of tree with the use of wood screws but the blocks must be the same size as the bottom of the trunk or smaller. If the block(s) of wood were much larger than the base of the host tree it would hinder the roots of the cuttings from going down into the soil close to the base of the host tree. This is more or less the method I used here but I got a bit more fancier in my means of doing so. I cut three blocks to the shape of the bottom of the host tree. The cut outs that were made are by no means precision cut but then again there was no need to do so. I then glued and clamped them together with wood glue and let dry thoroughly as seen in Pictures 5 and 6. As said, there is really no need to go to this much trouble. Just so the block(s) of wood are the same size as the base of the host tree or smaller. Pictures 5 & 6 (Click on picture for larger image) Picture 7 shows the pot being used and a piece of 3/16” plywood temporarily attached to the bottom of the pot. Picture 8 shows the tree taped to the blocks and placed on the bottom piece of plywood for marking to insure proper placement of the host tree. Once the tree is secured there is no way on earth to move it unless all the soil was to be taken out and starting from square one! Picture 9 shows the outline of where I wish the tree to be placed and secured. Pictures 7, 8 and 9 (Click on picture for larger image) After I got the proper placement of the tree with its base blocks on the bottom piece of plywood the base blocks were then glued to the plywood. After drying the entire module was treated with five coats of Min Wax and then secured to the tree with 3 ½” wood screws. The heads of the screws were then covered with a dab of Silicone. I then took the entire module/tree and secured it to the bottom of the pot with screws, washers, lock washers and again placed a dab of Silicone on the heads of the screws beneath the pot. In case you may be wondering if I drilled holes in the bottom of the pot I had no need to as I simply used the wiring holes that so often come with larger bonsai pots. This particular bonsai pot measures 16” X 12” X 4” and I did not realize until I started that this was the original pot that my Hackberry was in! It may seem a bit much but to emphasize again it is very important that the host tree be as secure as it can possibly be to the pot. Needless to say that this tree does not budge at all in its pot but by the same token I can easily remove the entire thing when the need arises in the future. As I stated earlier, I wanted a modular design to make it as strong as possible but yet be able to easily remove it in one piece when necessary. See pictures 10 - 16 Pictures 10, 11,12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 (Click picture on for larger image) Now we come to the actual process of using our Ficus cuttings in creating an epiphytic style Fig. I was indeed fortunate to have quite a few well established cuttings which are two to three years old. These are all Ficus microcarpa ‘Retusa’. I managed to get thirteen nice cuttings from one pot that I was propagating them in and as said they are about three years old. A few have a base measurement of approx. ½”. They for the most part are very hardy and grow quite well and profusely for me even during the winter months with good lighting and proper care. In my experience with them I have come to the conclusion that about the only way a ‘Retusa’ can be destroyed is to possibly throw it in a food processor and even then I still have my doubts! If grown in a very warm and humid climate they will quite readily throw out aerial branches without any hesitation. Living in Chicago these are obviously conditions that do not exist for me. However, if care is given to the humidity and keeping the tree wrapped in Sphagnum moss you will be quite surprised as to what they will do. This is exactly what we wish to achieve with this project. Controlled and constant humidity around the cuttings at all times until you are satisfied that the cuttings have sufficiently established themselves on and around the host tree with the many aerial roots that they will hopefully put out. A process I have used in past years to attain aerial roots on Ficus and it works quite well. Ficus cutting's (Click on picture for larger image) Tool Time Now for the tools required and the preparation of the process at hand. First of all everything must be laid out and ready to go. You will notice in Picture 18 that there is hardly any soil in the pot. Trying to jam the tender root ends into the soil will not only be frustrating but will also in all probability damage them. Better to leave them bare and when the process is finished to gently add the soil a little at a time to the pot and then gently prod it about the base with a chopstick. The potting medium that I am using here is a mixture of Brussels potting soil, crushed red lava rock and a good amount of Akadama. Needless to say all the large particles have been removed by straining as well as all of the fines. I find it best to never plant in soil that is wet or, even moist. This enables the granules of soil to more easily enter every nook and cranny of the roots. Picture 18 (Click on picture for larger image) As for the tools required you will need what are simply called “Wire Nails”. These come in a variety of lengths and gauges. The ones that I am using are ¾” long and size #19. Try to stay away from using what are commonly called Finishing Nails or Wire Brads as these lack a sufficient head on the nail and you risk having the cutting(s) pulling away from and off of the nail. A tacking hammer like pictured will come in handy as it is small and easy to handle in tight spaces and easier to use with such small nails. Also a staple gun will simplify things when trying to secure the roots to the base of the tree. And of course some long grained Sphagnum Moss to pack around all of the cuttings. Having a fine spray misting bottle handy will help to keep the roots from drying out and for moistening the Sphagnum Moss. Obviously, never let the roots of the cuttings dry out while you are working. Also, I am using aluminum foil to wrap around the Sphagnum Moss and the tree to keep it from drying out. In this instance I opted for the heavy duty foil. Less tears….less frustration! (Click on picture for larger image) Now Grab Some Of Those Cutting’s Pictures 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 (Click on picture for larger image) After about an hour I managed to secure all thirteen cuttings on the tree to my satisfaction and now it was time to add the rest of the soil. As you can see in Picture 25 this was done ever so slowly and a small amount at a time. Just use a handful of soil and then gently prod into the roots with a bamboo stick. This is a great example of why I always use dry soil as it is very easy to get every granule in between all the roots and cover every area. After slowly adding a bit of soil at a time and prodding about to get all the roots covered it was finally filled with soil and ready to be watered. (Pictures 26 & 27) Watering was done by submersion with a bit of Superthrive for approximately ten minutes. Seeing that the soil was bone dry it needed to be soaked well. As for watering by submersion the only time I use this method is after re-potting a tree. Pictures 25, 26 and 27 (Click on picture for larger image) Moss Time The Sphagnum Moss must first be soaked in water. With this being done it will be much easier to apply and mold it around the mass of cuttings. If kept wet it will stay in place for the most part as you form it around the base of the host tree and the cuttings and build it up as far as you feel necessary. This is done a little at a time and worked around the entire tree.Finally, all the Sphagnum Moss has been applied. Pictures 28, 29 & 30 Pictures 28, 29 and 30 (Click on picture for larger image) Time to Wrap it Up As you can notice from several of the pictures that the foil wrap does not go as far up as I desired. This was due to the amount of some low foliage on the cutting’s. I did not wish at this point to remove any foliage and this can all be sorted out in the future. Suffice to say that the most important and critical part of the cutting’s have been covered with moss and foil. Also, it being heavy aluminum foil and more or less now formed to the moss I can easily remove and or open it. I like this option so that I can easily check for any buildup of mold and air it out for a short period. This can of course also be done with a plastic wrap but I feel that the foil will be much easier to handle and replace rather than the plastic. Pictures 30 and 31 (Click on picture for larger image) Conclusion I then placed the tree in semi-shade where it will stay for about a week or more. This all depends on how I feel the foliage looks. I feel that the sooner a plant such as a Ficus can be exposed to sunlight the better. After two days I started placing the plant in direct sunlight for about two and a half hours each day. It is also being misted four to five times a day depending on the temperature. I also gave a dose of organic fertilizer which is 4-4-3. Yes, I know that there are more than likely some cries of astonishment at this but I’m a firm believer in Brent Walston’s theory on fertilizing. Something I’ll not get into here as that is a whole other subject and not what this article is about. Bottom line, go with whatever means or practices you are comfortable with. After about a year or so you can gently remove the foil to see what kind of roots and or trees have formed. Please take warning that some of the aerial roots that you will surely see can be very thin and fragile. Remove the moss with utmost care so as not to break them. A long tweezers comes in real handy here. You can if you wish remove those that you feel you don’t want and also gently move those about that you wish to be placed in a different position. If there is anything else that you wish to thin out now is the time to do so. Then, replace the Sphagnum Moss back again along with the foil covering and let it grow unfettered for several more months and check again. In time the mass of new trees will cover the entire trunk and fuse with each other. You can also, as Jerry Meislik pointed out, restrain the growth of individual trees and allow them to remain as separate epiphytes In this instance my objective is to leave them grow unrestrained and to fuse as one. Of course as time goes by I will most certainly keep everyone updated as to its progress but that will not even be known until at least a year from now. To quote an old Chinese proverb: “He who rushes to get someplace will never get there” __________________________________________________ _______ References: Procedure for producing and propagating Figs as epiphyte's on dead wood or a dead host tree as seen in their natural habitat. Ficus-The Exotic Bonsai" by Jerry Meislik (Published by Devonshire Gardens Ltd. ISBN 0-9749524-0-0) The Art of Bonsai site of Jerry Meislik __________________________________________________ _________ Copyright © 2007 Philip Herda, No part of this article and or pictures may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without expressed permission from author. |
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| Replies to Article/Review: Creation of an Epiphytic Style Ficus |
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02-07-2008, 11:11 PM
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#1 |
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A bit "Windswept"
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Chicago, Ill.
USDA Zone 5
Posts: 927
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Re: Creation of an Epiphytic Style Ficus
An enormous amount of growth on this tree since 08/2007. Way over the top of the host tree and growing profusely. I removed the foil wrap in 12/2007 and am keeping it moist by misting every day. Every so often I would remove the foil wrap to look at any growth and noticed an ear wig about the size of a '57 Buick! Nasty looking little creatures that have what looks like pincers on their tail although they are not. Have never seen one this size before! I then decided to leave the wrap off and simply keep the sphagnum moss moist.
I have never removed or touched the wrapping of moss but there seems to be a proficient amount of growth going about the outer layer. I imagine that sometime in mid to late June I'll gently remove some of the moss with a tweezers and have a closer look when it's placed outside for the summer. With that I'll do some more detailed work on securing the growth of the branches to the host tree with some, tacking, pruning and defoliating as the growth is getting very dense which is a very good sign as to its health. If there are indeed as many aerial roots as I believe there are these will also be gently arranged and the moss replaced until late summer and then a more closer evaluation made. No rush and it seems to be coming along nicely. Hopefully it should prove to turn out quite well. If I get around to it I'll try to post a picture.  ~Phil
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Please, always keep in mind that the typewritten word does not always convey what you wish to say, and to always treat others as you would have them treat you. Think twice-submit once. I started out with nothing....and still have most of it. "Its hell out there, give them hell back." ~ Prowler/Victor Gray 12/31/1943 - 11/24/2008 |
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Creation of an Epiphytic Style Ficus
