Too little too lanky

MrFancyPlants · Jul 21, 2013

Believe it or not, this guy looked really healthy as of 5 minutes ago. I tried another drastic chop in order to attempt to induce some back budding. If past experience is any indicator, it will not throw any back buds and continue to grow from only the tips of growth. Oh well, too little has its advantages and disadvantages. If it doesn't work this time in full sun then I'll try grafting lower growth when it grows out long enough to thread or approach.

JudyB · Jul 21, 2013

I thought I read one time (and I could be wrong) that you have to leave the end leaf on a ficus branch to get backbudding? anyone heard of this? I'm no ficus expert (one willow leaf)

GrimLore · Jul 21, 2013

JudyB said:
I thought I read one time (and I could be wrong) that you have to leave the end leaf on a ficus branch to get backbudding? anyone heard of this? I'm no ficus expert (one willow leaf)

Looking at one Willow leaf we have I am going to say that is correct. The plant has been in the Wife's care 17 years now and has 3 large "poms" of foliage and thinking back she has wired it chopped it and tortured it many times but the 3 large clusters of leaves remain and there has never been any signs of back buds. It is prompting me to experiment with one(we have to many) interesting indeed

MrFancyPlants · Jul 21, 2013

I've had moderate success inducing back budding on willow leafs by reducing each branch fork to two and then chopping back to only two or three leaves on each branch. Obviously only for healthy trees, but I got back budding on most branches and even a few buds back on the trunk.

MrFancyPlants · Aug 17, 2013

Well as I expected, not much in the way of back budding. But, on the bright side, all three cuttings struck root after nearly a month sitting in a shot glass full of fertilized water. I didn't realize it took so long until I checked the time stamp on the first posting. I am not sure if the cuttings will become their own trees, or if I'll use them for grafting back on to the original subject, but it is always nice to have options.

MrFancyPlants · Sep 7, 2013

Well, I got a back bud in a usable area. Unfortunately, that internode is a little long, but not much I can do about that. No rush, but I think I'll remove the first thicker branch and add to my group of cuttings(that all took). Not sure if I'll grow them out individually to trade or try and fuse them back together. I might try to graft one back on to my regular benjamina house plant to see if it will accelerate development at all and/or if the bark will match.

thams · Sep 7, 2013

FYI -- here's an article on reducing a large Benjamina. You can get backbudding without leaving leaf tips, but it's always risky.

http://www.bonsaihunk.us/ficusforum/FicusTechniques/FigTechnique15.html

MrFancyPlants · Oct 8, 2013

I received a new pot in the mail and was bit disappointed that I had misinterpreted the dimensions of it. It was tiny. But I often like to repot my tropicals in the fall, into smaller pots, so that I can fit more of them into my tiny LED tank. I think this one ended up fitting my too little just right.

GerhardG · Oct 9, 2013

Hi

I was reading the thread and wanted to say give it some time in a slightly bigger shallow pot,

but it's looking great in the last pic!

Too little too lanky

MrFancyPlants

Omono

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts

GrimLore

Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you

MrFancyPlants

Omono

MrFancyPlants

Omono

MrFancyPlants

Omono

thams

Omono

MrFancyPlants

Omono

GerhardG

Mame

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