Ficus Progression

JLDoggett · 09-16-2009, 03:23 PM

At the end of May I received a call from a client asking me to rescue one of her trees. She is a petit woman and could no longer move the tree or lift it to repot. To her it was a dear old friend having been in her care for the past 35+ years. She discribed it as being a couple of feet wide by about three-feet high...

...So on the last Sunday of May I drove to her house and was shown the tree pictured below. With the 16" tall pot and on the dolly it stands just under 8-feet high and was about 4-foot wide. The tree was wrapped in heavy plastic and rope then loaded into the bed of my pick-up truck for the ride to my house. I had not gone more than a block when I decided it could not survive the ride standing upright as most of the branches stood well proud of my trucks cab. I laid it down in the bed of the truck and had only a few branches stick out over the tail-gate.

Once it was at my home, I first expected it to drop all its leaves and wither away. Lucky for me it survived (try explaining to a client how her old friend died in your care).

On further examination I discovered was a cluster of 9 potential trunks with quite a bit of heavy low branching. I decided it would make a nice cluster bonsai.

My first effort was to expose the trunks and shorten them by at least half. The red lines in the last 2 images show where branches were removed at the base of the cluster. The question mark is a "trunk" I am unsure I will have when the tree nears completion.

JLDoggett · 09-16-2009, 03:47 PM

In early August, when the temps started to be more balmy, it was time to tackle the roots and the 75lbs of soil in the pot. The first picture shows it with new growth and sitting beside the pot into which it would be going.

Little did I know the roots had never been trimmed. instead it had been allowed to become so root-bound that the roots had grown around the pot many times. One had even grown upward and formed a coil around the tree This had to be removed. the arrows point to the snaking root and some of its secondary roots that had to go. One issue was where the root passed over anothe root and fused to it. That will have to be dealt with in future years.

The last image shows how little of the roots I would be keeping. It was impossible to comb out the roots as it was right out of the pot. I removed the lower mass of the roots first with a hand-saw. I then washed away as much soil as possible while cutting the thickest tangling roots. when I had removed all the soil possible I attacked that snke-like root. Heavy loppers were needed to cut through its 1-1/2-inch thickness. Regretfully that part that fused ruined the look I had origionally chosen for the front, so until it is gone, that side will be shown as the back. However I will continue to work both sides as potential fronts.

JLDoggett · 09-16-2009, 04:04 PM

Once the roots were to a point of fitting the new pot, it was potted in a good mix of akadama and pine bark. Moss was added to the top to cover any fine roots that poked out of the soil and to help keep the moisture in during the hot days of August.

The last image shows the "trunk" that is still in consideration for removal.

JLDoggett · 09-16-2009, 04:07 PM

As the tree stand today and a very rough vert of where I see it going. The more I look at the vert the more I believe I will drop the canopy by another 4-inches or so. Needless to say, my luck with ficus has been scantym so I have been going very slowly. much of the foliage seen is new since the repot, hopefully it is recovering. Next summer I will start removing wedges from the root ball until in 3-4 years I have them sorted. As for the trunk hights, I plan to reduce them again as the new branches come out. The centermost trunk will form the apex with the highs deminishing to the front and sides.

Ravenna · 09-23-2009, 02:11 PM

Hi Jim,

I like your idea with on the virt. Looking at your trees and at your virt I feel though that the trunks of your trees are still too long. If you look at the final height of your virt. you are a fair bit shorther than what you have now and ideally your trees should have more taper in the trunks. So I would be tempted to further shorten the trunks so they are a fair bit shorter than on the virt. Get some taper by developing new leads for the trunk and then build up your branches and your canopy etc.

Just a suggestion ( and make sure your trees have recovered enough before you shorten them again - don't want to upset your client )

JLDoggett · 09-23-2009, 08:27 PM

When I know it has recovered, I will gradually reduce things. I will go very slowly in an effort to keep it alive, no more major shocks, just some small snipping here, some there, until it is somewhere near what I am hoping for. I am sure some have thought "just cut it down to 12-inches or so and wait for new buds..." Nay, I say, slow and easy will win me the prize. I am seeing a lot of new buds popping on the trunks, I will let them grow a bit before removing any of the interior crossing ones.

One thing I am worried about is leaf size. they are presently about one and one half-inchs long and 3/4 of an inch wide, so I fear them being too big for a shorter tree.

noissee · 09-24-2009, 10:57 AM

I kind of like the longer trunks. I think, in a tightly spaced planting like this, that the natural tendency of the trees will be to grow more tall and skinny, searching for light. Usually, a good 'rule of thumb' is: the closer the trunks are, the taller and skinnier they can be. This is just based on what happens in a natural setting. Of course there are always exceptions; in nature and in bonsai.

JLDoggett · 09-24-2009, 12:31 PM

Noissee, what you describe is what I am used to seeing in the woods here. It is not unusual to walk through a grove of pines or hickory with tall, thin, almost taperless trunks going to a hight of 30-40 feet before you see their first branches. This is usually covered by a canopy of foliage that is so dense no direct sunlight reaches the ground below them. The understory growth is usually limited to ferns and mosses. It is interesting to see the diversaty of birds and small furry critters who live in these groves.

I may take some pictures to show what I am refering to.

noissee · 09-24-2009, 01:42 PM

I know what you are referring to. perhaps you can mimic one of those forest scenes with some moss and dwarf fern undergrowth? Maybe even try a "fallen log." I hear those are difficult to pull off well.
Edit: looking at the picture again, I think the log might be too much.

JLDoggett · 09-24-2009, 03:12 PM

Maybe a rock poking through the moss in the future.

Starting next spring I plan to remove wedges of roots each year until I have removed the entire mass of roots that presently occupy the pot. While I know this is a tropical and it will spend the winter indoors under lights, I figure it should be allowed to rest for 6 months of recovery between each attack on the roots. I am still recovering from the stress of the last reduction.

09-23-2009, 08:27 PM	#6 (permalink)
JLDoggett Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: New Hampshire, USA, Posts: 630	When I know it has recovered, I will gradually reduce things. I will go very slowly in an effort to keep it alive, no more major shocks, just some small snipping here, some there, until it is somewhere near what I am hoping for. I am sure some have thought "just cut it down to 12-inches or so and wait for new buds..." Nay, I say, slow and easy will win me the prize. I am seeing a lot of new buds popping on the trunks, I will let them grow a bit before removing any of the interior crossing ones. One thing I am worried about is leaf size. they are presently about one and one half-inchs long and 3/4 of an inch wide, so I fear them being too big for a shorter tree. __________________ "Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and wrong....because sometime in your life you will have been all of these" And I further resolve to click on an ad, each time I visit, to help support the site and to be welcoming to lurking guests when you join! After all, you're already here.

09-24-2009, 12:31 PM	#8 (permalink)
JLDoggett Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: New Hampshire, USA, Posts: 630	Noissee, what you describe is what I am used to seeing in the woods here. It is not unusual to walk through a grove of pines or hickory with tall, thin, almost taperless trunks going to a hight of 30-40 feet before you see their first branches. This is usually covered by a canopy of foliage that is so dense no direct sunlight reaches the ground below them. The understory growth is usually limited to ferns and mosses. It is interesting to see the diversaty of birds and small furry critters who live in these groves. I may take some pictures to show what I am refering to. __________________ "Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and wrong....because sometime in your life you will have been all of these" And I further resolve to click on an ad, each time I visit, to help support the site and to be welcoming to lurking guests when you join! After all, you're already here.

09-24-2009, 03:12 PM	#10 (permalink)
JLDoggett Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: New Hampshire, USA, Posts: 630	Maybe a rock poking through the moss in the future. Starting next spring I plan to remove wedges of roots each year until I have removed the entire mass of roots that presently occupy the pot. While I know this is a tropical and it will spend the winter indoors under lights, I figure it should be allowed to rest for 6 months of recovery between each attack on the roots. I am still recovering from the stress of the last reduction. __________________ "Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and wrong....because sometime in your life you will have been all of these" And I further resolve to click on an ad, each time I visit, to help support the site and to be welcoming to lurking guests when you join! After all, you're already here.

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09-23-2009, 02:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
Ravenna Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Switzerland Posts: 204	Hi Jim, I like your idea with on the virt. Looking at your trees and at your virt I feel though that the trunks of your trees are still too long. If you look at the final height of your virt. you are a fair bit shorther than what you have now and ideally your trees should have more taper in the trunks. So I would be tempted to further shorten the trunks so they are a fair bit shorter than on the virt. Get some taper by developing new leads for the trunk and then build up your branches and your canopy etc. Just a suggestion ( and make sure your trees have recovered enough before you shorten them again - don't want to upset your client )

09-24-2009, 10:57 AM	#7 (permalink)
noissee Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: florida panhandle Posts: 206	I kind of like the longer trunks. I think, in a tightly spaced planting like this, that the natural tendency of the trees will be to grow more tall and skinny, searching for light. Usually, a good 'rule of thumb' is: the closer the trunks are, the taller and skinnier they can be. This is just based on what happens in a natural setting. Of course there are always exceptions; in nature and in bonsai.

09-24-2009, 01:42 PM	#9 (permalink)
noissee Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: florida panhandle Posts: 206	I know what you are referring to. perhaps you can mimic one of those forest scenes with some moss and dwarf fern undergrowth? Maybe even try a "fallen log." I hear those are difficult to pull off well. Edit: looking at the picture again, I think the log might be too much.

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