My first benji - styling advice

[Regan]

Hi, I just picked this up this morning, I have a good idea of what i'm going to do just want other peoples ideas first.

thanks

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[Luke]

Wow!!! that is a mighty amazing tree! i dont have advice sorry.. but many compliments! reminds me of peter pan very nice!!

luke

[Regan]

Some major surgery is going on at the moment, sorting out all the branches that have fused together at the top.

Any advice for bending large branches down from the trunk, I'm just thinking of cutting a wedge out and bending it down.

As my dodgy paint pic shows

ficus cut.jpg

[Jamie]

honestly mate,

i would pick the best front by the nebari then i would choose a young shoot thats down reasonably low, then cut the rest off from there and put some hormone gel on the off cut piece and stick it in some propagation mix and hopefully that will strike.

wire the new leader up if there is any small shoots around the tree wire them down and grow on from there, it shouldnt take to long.

probably not what ya wanted to hear but the tree has a good base but the top has been neglected and there isnt much there useful.

jamie

[Regan]

Your right jamie it's not what I wanted to hear, I was tossing up whether or not to do that this arvo.

Definately wouldn't be a problem striking if i cut the top off there is a mass of airial roots up there, allready have a few cuttings from it.

I didn't realise just how bad the top of the tree was when I picked it up, would've been perfect for what I had in mind for it if it wasn't all fused together,
I did buy it mostly for the base and the airial roots though. I think I will try to make something from the mess that is there, and if it doesn't look like it's going to work I will just give it the chop.

Ants have made themselves a huge nest inside it how do I get rid of them?

[stymie]

Ants usually take up residence to farm aphids. Eradicate the aphids and they usually go elsewhere.

[Jamie]

they also go to trees when there are mealy bugs, scale etc.

it sounds like if they have a nest there then there is some definate probs with the tree, im not sure how to get rid of them inside, i think don has the right idea though, get rid of the source of food for them and they will leave.

jamie

[Regan]

What should I use to treat it? I have some confidor, how do I tell what pest it is?

Should I use cut paste on it if i'm doing major branch removal etc? I have had some conflicting advice on this, some people say I should, Some say I don't need toworry.

[Jamie]

it depends what your prob is, you need to identify the pest, look in tight corners or vrevices of the tree and along the branches etc. if its mealy bug they are the white powdery looking things that move really slow, scale look like bumps and can be any where in the tree, most likely the branches that thing has because it is so dense and well protected.

the cut paste is an optional thing really, i havent used it before but i dont see it hurting either, being a fig it should heal quite quckly, just make sure your cuts are either carved out or at least cut with a concave or knob cutter so it is bleow the depth of the bark and heals neater

jamie

[Regan]

Thanks Jamie, Doesn't look like mealy bug, what colour is scale there are lots of bumps on the tree, but they just look like the little airial root nodes that figs have what do aphids look like?

I think i'll need to clear ot some branches and leaves to be able to look everywhere on this

[Jamie]

aphids generally group in clumps.

scale can be different colours, brown, black, etc.

with the bumps on your tree just rub it see if it falls off, it might take a little of the bark of but if its scale probly nut, rubbing it should just squish em.

see how ya go with that, do a google search on the ones that are mentioned so you can see exactly what you are looking for


jamie

[Regan]

Thanks Jamie. I have checked my tree as much as I can and can't see signs of any of these pests, the only thing I know it doesn't have is thrips. I'll have another look in the morning. Is it possible that the ants have just decided to build a nest in the tree without there being any pests to speak of?

[Regan]

I have done a virt of where I want to go with this, any feedback or changes appreciated. Thanks

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Ficus virt1.jpg

[Jamie]

nice little virt there mate, i think you can acomplish this in time, i still think that if you want that shape you will have to chop back to where the trunk forks, and rebuild the tree from there, the trunks as they are right now are to thick for the sort of taper you are after.
same with those thick branches. you will need to chop right back, remember to put the cuttings into propagation mix as you will most likely get them to strike


jamie

[Regan]

A bit of chopping this morning, still some problems but it is starting to head in the right direction, just have to wait and see what shoots now. I can always chop more off so give me your ideas. I know you want me to chop right back Jamie but I'm not sure if it will be necesarry, the branch on the left is the biggest problem, I wish it was smaller would've been perfect.

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Edit - helps if I remember to attach the pic