Ficus jinseng progression with a difference

This is a very much maligned tree…and the main reason is that is bought or given as a present to beginners…who do not know what to do with it. Being a rebel I have decided to make something from this fig. I think so far I am happy with the progress. I hope something good will come from my efforts and plan. It was bought as a typical mass produced fig. This is not the actual picture of the tree but was looking exactly the same.

October 2010 it was planted in the ground. This picture was taken 2012. The separation between the roots can still be seen.

The plant was in a packet but the roots escaped to the ground and assisted with the good rate of growth, Dec 2012. it was ground layered with intention of removing the roots bellow the widest portion.

It has both type of foliage. Back branches are retusa and front microcarpa. The retusa branches are coming from a lower point, and bellow the graft.

This is the latest method for bending branches…a brick tied to he branch…and this brick is 4 times the size of a normal sized brick.

At one point it had trips. Picked all the infected leaves and put them in a plastic packet. Then sprayed it. It is fine for a year now.

July 2013 it was cut with a saw, and barerooted. Unfortunately there were not enough roots to cut it higher…The ground layered part has healed.

The possible front: There is still some reverse taper…which can be sorted out by two possible methods: 1. Grow roots to fuse to the trunk and cover the section with the reverse taper. 2. If option one does not work, ones roots above the reverse taper develop better the lower section can be removed.

This is the back branch retusa. Decided to keep it for its roots to fuse the roots to the trunk and cut it off later

Back. All the roots will be kept.to fuse to the trunk. It shall go over a tile soon in the ground, and probably some of this roots will be removed to create better taper. Wanted to stabilize it first in the small pot before planting it out.

All bandaged and ready . Soil was put between the plastic and the trunk and all tied up.Some foil bellow the plastic. Hole was left on top for watering

Only the very large microcarpa branches were reduced, for taper and movement. The retusa branches were left long for now to fatten the trunk since later they will be removed completely.

All additional progress reports, will be added here.

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