AusBonsai

These two stumps were cut off at ground level by our local council. I happened to be going past when they were cutting the second one off. I new they were figs so i stopped and went back and enquired what they were doing with them. They were obviously dumping them. I said i will take the two bottom bits off them. I am not sure why i done that as they were not even good for firewood! Anyway, i brought them home (about 3 weeks ago) and put them straight into diatomite, watered them and put them somewhere near some shade. I honestly cant believe it, but they are putting out shoots all over the place! I dont know if it is just a bit of stored energy that they still had in them or not but the next few weeks will tell. I have no idea what i will do with them as they are not good material at all, just big! They have chainsaw marks all over them as well! Not pretty.
Regards
Peter

Treat them like a cutting. keep them moist ect like you would your normal ficus cutting.
Good luck

pete your too funny surely there were better looking limbs instead.

If they grow well, maybe a little carving? not normal for figs though. At least you have something to grind away to nothing. :p

Pop them on eBay and sell them as 200 year old bonsai I've seen worse stumps on eBay with some pretty outrageous claims of age!

S.

anttal63 wrote:pete your too funny surely there were better looking limbs instead.

hahaha......i am sure that there would have been better looking stuff there (couldnt have been much worse) but i didnt want to give the council dudes more of a laugh then i already had! I can just see them telling their wives that night about this strange guy that pulled up today and carted away some firewood that he reckons he was gunna grow!
Oh dear.... the things ya do. Anyway Ant, you like a challenge, how about i send one to you and i'll keep one and in 10 years we catch up and seewhich one is the best...hahaha it would be a befitting outcome for the "Survival experts".
Have a nice night mate.
Peter

PeterW wrote:

anttal63 wrote:pete your too funny surely there were better looking limbs instead.

hahaha......i am sure that there would have been better looking stuff there (couldnt have been much worse) but i didnt want to give the council dudes more of a laugh then i already had! I can just see them telling their wives that night about this strange guy that pulled up today and carted away some firewood that he reckons he was gunna grow!
Oh dear.... the things ya do. Anyway Ant, you like a challenge, how about i send one to you and i'll keep one and in 10 years we catch up and seewhich one is the best...hahaha it would be a befitting outcome for the "Survival experts".
Have a nice night mate.
Peter

now your really cracking me up. i got my own challenges that i have horted, dont need anymore.

AusBonsai wrote:Pop them on eBay and sell them as 200 year old bonsai I've seen worse stumps on eBay with some pretty outrageous claims of age!

S.

Now theres a thought! I can see them now......sexy bonsai, very mature specimens, a must in any collection......hehehe

I reckon that the first one has got some potential. Let the roots go into the ground and just leave it for a year or two and you just might be surprised at the result.

I dont know if it is just a bit of stored energy that they still had in them

Yes, you have to be mindful of that stored enegy for sure. Being a Sunshine Coaster Peter, have you ever been to the Etamoogah Pub. I went a few years after it was built and they used two big Bunya Pines for the main beams to which the roof trusses were attached - new shoots were sprouting out all over those trunks. Amazing.

Jon

Jon Chown wrote:I reckon that the first one has got some potential. Let the roots go into the ground and just leave it for a year or two and you just might be surprised at the result.

I dont know if it is just a bit of stored energy that they still had in them

Yes, you have to be mindful of that stored enegy for sure. Being a Sunshine Coaster Peter, have you ever been to the Etamoogah Pub. I went a few years after it was built and they used two big Bunya Pines for the main beams to which the roof trusses were attached - new shoots were sprouting out all over those trunks. Amazing.

Jon

Jon, my business is shopfitting, we done a refurb down at the Currumbin wildlife sanctuary a few years back. We made a heap of retail joinery out of twisted willow, to purchase the material we were given a supplier from Toowoomba's details. It was ordered in lengths and diametre of branches ie 1.8 mtr long x 50mm and so on. When all the material turned up at our workshop, it was dripping green! Freshly cut. Now, apparently willow doesnt shrink or move like other timbers, so we cut it up into suitable sections to enable us to build the items. About 3 months or more after we finished the job, i got an email from a very happy client saying that the joinery units we made were growing. They sent me a picture of the slats of a dump bin that was actually putting out growth. I will have a look and see if i can dig up any pictures of it.
Peter

Thanks for that Peter - you just reminded me that I want a weeping willow in my collection as well. It's growing again.

Jon

Jon Chown wrote:Thanks for that Peter - you just reminded me that I want a weeping willow in my collection as well. It's growing again.

Jon

You may be onto something there Jon. If these things grow so easily and they do have very twisted contorted shapes already. I know were to buy em! Just add water.
Peter

I think they are actualy going to live! Growth all over them! Dont know what i will do with them.
Peter

PeterW wrote:I think they are actualy going to live! Growth all over them! Dont know what i will do with them.
Peter

im not sure either unless you put in the ground and grow and train a new leader