QLD small leaf ficus banyan style progression

[Jamie]

right

that can be done with out any drama cheers mate

will get back with a pic after i do it asap


jamie

[Jamie]

well time for an update, this tree had leaved out since the last time you seen it, the only problem is that one side of the tree grew rather large leaves and didnt have much in the way of backbudding while the other side of the tree shot back really well and the leaves were quite dramatically reduced.

the leaf difference, when i say one half was bigger than the other imagine looking down on top of the tree and the front of the tree had the nice small leaves and back budding, and the back of the tree had minimal back budding and large leaves.

Fig leaf reduced.jpg

the little leaf is only 12mm long, it had hardened of and stopped growing in size, that will give you an idea of how big the other ones were. unfortunately i didnt get a pic of how the tree was, as usual being keen to sort it out and didnt take before shots.

Figtopbanyan.jpg

and here is a side shot. it is starting to fill in with some nice structure but still has a way to go with getting the right shape.

Figbanyan.jpg

let me know your ideas on why the tree would shoot so differently from front to back, and to let you know it was getting even sun all the time getting turned 90 degrees every day

jamie

[dayne]

id say the roots may be one side hade more removed but just a guess

[Jamie]

yea that could be a possibility yet the thing is this one has been defoliated before this and all the leaves came out the same size, a little on the big side but all were in the general size range so i dont think that is the case, i had done some root work at the start not leaving much but it wasnt one sided.

i think there is a little more (maybe less) to this conundrum mate.


jamie

[MattA]

whats the lighting like where this was situated? Full sun, part shade? I have noticed less budding & bigger leaves on the shaded side of plants in my shade house. They get morning sun till 11, sunny side dense budding & small leaves.

Just a thought
Matt

[Jamie]

hi matt,

lik i said i turn it 90 degrees every day, the sun situation it gets is 4 hours in the morning, then it gets another 3-5 hrs in the arvo no midday sun.


thanks mate


jamie

[bonscythe]

Hi Jamie,
Just regarding your odd budding situation, I was thinking that if you defoliated the whole plant in one go and then the next day (or day after that etc.) it received stronger sunlight on the one side it would try and send it's new growth to that area (on that day or the day(s) after).
Once it has done this, then you turn it 90 degrees the next day, it may have already sent the bulk of it's effort into those particular buds, leaving the others a little weaker and so on.
I don't know if this is the case but knowing how quickly Ficus respond to this sort of thing, it could be reason one side is dominate at the moment.

Do you have any new ideas/virts for this tree?

[Bretts]

A better picture might help a little. Looks a different colour as well? Did you pluck or cut to defoliate?

[Jamie]

i will see what i can do for ya brett, no cut and paste on anything just had to play with contrast a little and brightness as the natural sun caused flare in the picture.

[Bretts]

Did you pluck or cut to defoliate?

[Jamie]

ahh sorry mate, didnt read things properly. this is my third day without sleep. i used scissors to cut to defoliate. i have found that with defoliating that to pluck them and take all of the stem that i dont get budding at those points where as if i trim i leave a little stem that will eventually die off and drop, but it doesnt damage the new buds.

jamie

[Jamie]

Hi Jamie,
Just regarding your odd budding situation, I was thinking that if you defoliated the whole plant in one go and then the next day (or day after that etc.) it received stronger sunlight on the one side it would try and send it's new growth to that area (on that day or the day(s) after).
Once it has done this, then you turn it 90 degrees the next day, it may have already sent the bulk of it's effort into those particular buds, leaving the others a little weaker and so on.
I don't know if this is the case but knowing how quickly Ficus respond to this sort of thing, it could be reason one side is dominate at the moment.

Do you have any new ideas/virts for this tree?

sorry mate i missed this one i was actually thinking this but this is why i would turn it everyday, but it is possible. i have left the side that had great backbudding and small leaves and defoliated the side that had large leaves and didnt backbud.

i havent got any new virts for this beast, the plan is still pretty much the same for it i am just trying to get it that way.

jamie

[Bretts]

Can't remember any benifits or not but Leong describes both ways in his book as long as the right technique is used. Thought maybe your technique may have changed from one side to another. Long shot but was a thought

[Jamie]

i know what ya saying mate but no my technique did not change i think bonsythe might have hit it with the sunlight thing being an initial starting point to the problem. even when turned 90 degreess every day if one day was sunnier or warmer then the next overcast which it has been on and off lately it is completly possible.


jamie

[Jamie]

well the leaf size has evened out, thankfully, but the excessive feeding i am doing is getting them a little bigger than i wanted. the little ones had hardened off as such so i know i will be able to get it down that small when it is fully ramified, it is coming up quite nice i think. i was thinking bout defoliating again, i am sure it will be fine, it is very healty, but i think it can wait a little bit and get a pot full of roots first

i do like it when it has filled out, it still needs a little more though that will come with the secondaries and tertiaries with time. but its getting there

Banyan qsl.jpg

jamie