AusBonsai

The walking fig kinda looks like the machines in the war of the worlds.

hahaha

nice!
these roots are walking too i rekon... (dads tree)... this other base looks like its falling over... drunkenly,, like me meh Mad war of the worlds reference btw,!! (got me thinking) the top of the drunken stumbling tree is like an alien machine for sure!!! .... luke

Okay I have thinned out my Fig,
Now i just need to figure out what I should do with it. Any styling techniques would be appreciated, I have had this poor fig for a very long time (18 - 20 yrs) and I think its time that some proper styling was done with it. It has been neglected way too long and seems how I have no idea on how to style a fig, any observations input or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I think I may have to invest in Leong Kwongs ficus book.

Thanks as always

Archie

Hi archie,
One thing I have learned the hard way is that when you defoliate, if you leave the growing tips intact you won't get as good a set of back-buds (if any )
and sometimes (depending on time of year etc.) the leaves that continue to be put out at the end of the branch will just get larger!
If you want strong back budding from your axillary buds then take the tips off at the same time you defoliate.
Another thing, with the aerial roots you have forming, if the trunk is more lumpy than round you can use roots to 'fill' in the gaps and thicken the trunk up by fusing them to the trunk in the spots needed. Doesn't take long for them to join, just need to be in contact for a while.
Cheers

Okay I took some of your advice and have now nipped of all the growing tips. I am still not really sure how I am going to style this Fig.

Something will come to mind I am sure

Archie

How long ago did you defoliate?
The reason I ask is that when I had the dodgy back-budding, I didn't pinch the tips at the same time as removing the leaves. Got poor back-budding and started reading up on defoliation, read about the tip removal part a couple of days later and went out to rectify my errors.
Once I did this it appeared to be too late and it just slowed the inevitable. Poor back-budding.
If it wasn't that long ago that you actually defoliated then it should be ok, but in my case it was..
So that particular potensai will have to wait till next year for a proper defoliation!
Have fun with it..

Thanks for all the info,
I defoliated today and also nipped the growing shoots today as well.

Okay my first attempt at a virtual,
This is what I might think about doing.

I might even wrap in moss and try and get some more thickness from the trunk.

Not sure yet
I just dont want to kill it, seems how it was my first bonsai from my mother.

Archie

i like the base archie i would be wiring the new leader the other way though, so to the right, this will make a nice banyan style tree in 3 years you wont kill it either mate they are very hard to kill!

So something more like this.

Oh yeah is this a banyan tree or is it actually a PJ fig. I heard PJ figs had furry underleaves. Ive had it so long I just thought it was a PJ at least i know its some sort of fig

if you are going banyan style go with the second virt in the first lot, i didnt realise they were virts i couldnt zoom them. if you are after a more upright tree, go with the second lot of virts that has the leader to the right

they call a cultivar of fig a banyan fig i just cant think of which on it is right now, otherwise i beleive it is more a style.

jamie

nice little sumo you have there. quick question, when was the last time it was repotted? if it was over 2 years ago you may want to repot it with some fresh soil come early spring.

Hi again,
Yeah its been sometime since it was repotted probaby 2 - 3 years, i was thinking of throwing it in a training pot for a season or too with the sphagnum moss to get some more girth.

Thanks for your comments

Here's a link to a page describing banyan figs. I have always thought that it was a single tree but after reading that description it sounds like it is more likely to be several epiphytes growing in/on each other, creating the appearance of one great tree.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banyan
Search for 'banyan bonsai' in google images and you will see some great examples..

if this one is going into a box you wont need sphag mate, it will boom and you will have a tree quicker than you think, keep the food right up to it, and keep a layer of dynamic lifter on it and replace as necessary, my benji has a 5cm minimum layer of DL and it has put on masses of thickness and growth, i am layering the top off now as it has fused together, it fused in less than 8 months