Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Port Jackson Fig

This is a quick transformation of 2 bonsai that i gave my Nieces 7 years ago . They weren't really interested in looking after them , there sole use was a set of cricket wickets so the were constantly damaged or should i say trimmed via tennis balls . Mind you when the first used them as wickets their gear was made from soft foam . With continual damage they were stunted . I re potted them 4 years ago in 350mm Terra pots placing a rock in the pot to stabilise the wicket not to actually grow the fig on . Returned to sender on removal from the pot 1 had clasped the rock the other did not . This was a good start for the finish i have now . With an extremely poor fibrous roots were present i covered the bases with moss after planting , however i have since learnt that figs don't like moss around their trunks . So i once again attacked the restyling and the end result is a good outcome . With numerous 10-15mm stub branches removed they should re shoot into very desirable Bonsai.

With a lack of fibrous roots below the soil i will place the figs into a water tray to maintain moisture and humidity to promote new roots .They will be wintered inside as the heavy frosts up here in the Alps will kill figs in one night .

Trident transformation

This is an update on the Trident Maple i decided to layer the top off . With some ideas from my brother i aerial layered the top for a Raft and a Broom style with the trunk turned into a Sumo Trident.I set the air layer in mid December 2008 and i mid January i decided to improve the radial roots at the base , so i carved the base , painted with hormone gel and raised the soil level in the tray .

In mid April i chose to remove the top layer as the root mass was huge , "the size of a foot ball" . With the top remove i then removed the center trunk for the Broom style and repotted all 3 plants into new containers. Minor root pruning too place on the Sumo trunk to downsize the container and a small trim to the tips of the other trees. Then using the hook and hold wiring roughly shaped the Raft. I will allow them to settle in and severely prune the canopies into shape in winter .