resuscitation of F.benjamina

[timbrown13]

This is my attempt at reshaping a F.benjamina. I first brought it in 1995. I first brought it as an indoor tree. Then I learnt about bonzai. I tried to shape it in about 1997. Then I thought it looked ugly. I then let it go for a about ten years, just watering it to keep it alive. It was really badly infested with scale and then the ants moved in to the soil while feeding of the sugary waste of the scale. April 2009, I had another bonzai faze and I tried an aerial root but if failed, I probably should have tried to control the scale better.

I recently moved and decided to revisit my bonzai hobby. I sprayed the scale and it began to recover. I continue to control scale with paraffin spray. It works well.

Last weekend I repotted it and wired the branches to this current form. I was trying to develop cloud shapes as per the chinese style.

The next morning my wife commented that it looked like a Dalek from Dr Who. I thought that was very funny, but it is very true.

I suppose that I am waiting to see if sends up new shoots off the old trunks. Have all the dormant buds have been spent and died? I dont know, I guess I will wait and see.
April 2009

April 2009.JPG

August 2010

August 2010.jpg

August 2010 other side

August 2010 (2).jpg

[timbrown13]

Oops forgot to add that I wired the top half of the trunk because it looked too straight. I think that it looks more natural with a bit of a 'S' shape curve that the dead straight trunk.

Cheers

Tim

[Bougy Fan]

Hi Tim
Sounds like you have a long history with this tree. If it were mine I would chop it back by at least half to give make the trunk ratio somewhere near realistic. At the moment it is way too high for its girth. I would also try to get some more movement in the trunk - perhaps with the aid of some engineering masterpieces if neccessary. Not too sure how thick the trunk is to know how hard it is to bend. Keep going - theres a wonderful bonsai in there !

BTW love the way your missus thinks with the dalek comment


Tony

[Pup]

Hi Tim first up the word is BonSai no Z this is an attempt at BonSai and it is not what I would call good but I feel it does not allow you to be in the 3rd Category of the competition.

I am only a judge so if the Admin feel you qualify fine by me.

[timbrown13]

Category 3 in the comp is for the people starting out and they need all the encouragement they can get.
Lets cheer them on. The judges decision is final and I am happy the decision has been made.

Cheers

Tim

[bonzaidog]

Hi Tim....I don't know if it's just me ,but I can't seem to follow what's going on with the thread, competition wise...but Tony's advice is on the money, use the first branch as the new leader and grow it on from there. The chop should induce some backbudding ,which will give some design choices in the future as well. Probably better to wait till your weather warms up to do any major work though. Perhaps a grow box and a good feeding regime this Spring/Summer will help turn the corner! Hope this helps. ....Dog.

[timbrown13]

Thanks Dog, I needed the bump, this tree needs more attention.

I repotted and partial defoliated about three months ago. It managed to push out one new bud. Three months later, after regular feeding the new growth has replaced the lost leaves.

I will remove some branches from the top after this post and try to encourage more budding. By the time the warmer weather arrives, I might have a better idea about where to chop it back. I would like to get it back to looking nice, rather than daleky.

Cheers

Tim

[kcpoole]

Hi Tim
I woud not do anything for now except water and feed.

Wait till the warmth of spring and then chop the trunks back hard to force Budding lower. I woud eventually be looking at a trunk only a few inches high if you get a bud that low

Ken

[Bougy Fan]

Hi Tim
Ken is on the money - lots of pelletised chicken manure and heaps of water. Don't worry about defoliating - that will just slow the growth down. When you are satisfied about it's trunk size and branching then you can apply techniques like defoliating. And plenty of sun too


Tony