Controlling ficus roots

LittleDingus

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I'm specifically asking about nerifolia but this might apply to other ficus as well??

I'd like to make a root over rock planting of a nerifolia. I had bought some young plants in the spring to let grow out a bit before trying to plant one on a rock. When I first moved them out of the nursery pots into decent soil, I had trimmed all the tubers. I went to take a look at them just now and after just 6 months growth, they have tubers bigger than the trunk!

20201124_100946.jpg20201124_100850.jpg

I know part of it is the nature of the beast, but is there a technique to slow down/tame the tuberous root growth on ficus? I had them planted in a mixture of NAPA 8822 which is diatomaceous earth of ~1/8" particle size. Generally, the finer particle size encourages finer roots. These all did have lots of fine roots, but the tubers were huge...and after only one growing season. I basically have to trim all the roots off and start again if I ever want to get them on the rock I have planned.

I do have 3 of them to choose from at the moment. I did take one as a "sacrifice" and trimmed all the tubers...which meant taking off all the roots...and put it on a rock...we'll see what becomes of that! The other two I repotted for now thinking I would research controlling root growth more before I trimmed them back again.

Will exposure to air slow down tuber development? Should I be uncovering them sooner to encourage length over girth? I think I read somewhere (I should keep notes) that cooler temperatures encourage more tuberous root growth? Maybe I shouldn't allow the canopy to shade the root zone as much?

Thoughts, suggestions, experiences much appreciated :D
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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Tuberous roots are the nature of the beast. The pruning shears are your only solution. At least as far as I know. Once you have them on a rock, the roots will flow over the rock, if the tuberous storage roots start to form again, at least they will conform to, and "engulf" the rock you have them on.
 

sorce

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I think you may be able to get them to not return.

Try never letting it dry out.

Something triggers them.

If they are to get them through a dry season, but there is no dry season.... eventually it will figure out they are unnecessary.

Sorce
 

LittleDingus

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These nerifolia are still in the grow out phase. If anything, I water too much. That might be part of the reason these guys plumped up so well too...I've been trying to push top growth.

I don't care so much if the tubers return once it's on the rock. That's part of what I was hoping for to begin with: that and a couple of strategically placed aerial roots. I was hoping to have some starter roots to encourage them to grow a little closer to where I want them on the rock, though.

As it is, I did take one as a guinea pig and cut all the roots and secured it to my "rock"...really a large geode cut cathedral style...and trailed sphagnum down the channels I hope for roots to grow into. It's more hit/miss than I was hoping for but I understand that's part of the beast also...

I've been debating whether or not to start a progression thread over this project. It's a bit unusual and probably not truly "bonsai"...as if that's ever stopped me ;) But I've seen it done a lot with twisted wire trees over geodes so I thought it would be fun to try with a real tree :D
 

Shibui

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I recently did a demo of ROR with a Ficus rubiginosa. Many ficus roots grow happily through air if humidity is maintained so I did not worry about long roots. Just placed what roots were there in desirable places and wrapped the lot in alfoil to direct the roots and maintain moisture to the roots as they grow down the rock. No need for sphagnum or clay or anything, just water.
Nerifolia is one I don't grow here so I don't know how it would react to that procedure.
 

LittleDingus

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I recently did a demo of ROR with a Ficus rubiginosa. Many ficus roots grow happily through air if humidity is maintained so I did not worry about long roots. Just placed what roots were there in desirable places and wrapped the lot in alfoil to direct the roots and maintain moisture to the roots as they grow down the rock. No need for sphagnum or clay or anything, just water.
Nerifolia is one I don't grow here so I don't know how it would react to that procedure.
It didn't occur to me to try and grow new roots likecaerial roots. I might havevto give that a try if my current effort fails. I didn't use a lot of sphagnum on this one...but hopefully enough to encourage the roots to follow the "path".
 

JonW

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I've seen this happen on some varieties and not others. Never seen this on any Tiger Bark / Kinmen.
 
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