F. Microcarpa Deadwood

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Hello, all! I got started in bonsai 14 years ago, and was very active until a career change forced me to liquidate much of my collection.

I am coming back today to ask the community's opinion on how to deal with the deadwood on this big ficus stump. I aqcuired this thing a few years ago from a defunct nursery. They let the top burn badly, almost killing the tree. I nursed it back to health, but am left with this 2.5" dry stump surrounded by cambium scars that have now completely curled and sealed over.

How best to deal with this? Remove completely and create a hollow, or carve into an interesting deadwood feature? I have zero experience carving, so suggestions on proper tools and technique are welcome!

0514201036.jpg
 
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ficus in the jungle naturally form hollow trunks from strangeling vines, and deadwood features don’t form in tropics.

Id hollow it out.

That is a good point! I know the general rule is no jin on tropicals, but I never had a tree present with such a massive piece of deadwood before.

To create the hollow, I assume I would just saw out what I safely can, then grind out the rest with a dremel or something? What sort of bit(s) would you use for that kind of work?
 

sorce

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It looks like it was grown around a broom handle!

Second for carving it out.

There are a couple commercial bits that work but I reckon the Bonsai Specific ones work best.


Sorce
 
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Sorce

Interesting thread. I may consider emulating that method when I get this carved out. I am hoping to get quantum board LED's by fall, and hopefully get a ton of healthy growth out of my tropicals over the winter. I imagine this could heal over quite quickly with something to back it.

Thanks!
 

sorce

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heal over quite quickly with something to back it.

Yours looks Benjaminish.

I swear they almost back themselves, like, eventually any hole will be covered. Yours may wind up looking like 2 separate trees, but it would eventually be scarless.

I'd be curious to go investigate natural or naturalized ficus to study.

Sorce
 
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Yours looks Benjaminish.

Yea, the photo does look a bit like that, but I can assure you it is a microcarpa. Quite possibly a Golden Gate cultivar. The leaves came in very large and bright after chopping it back to the trunk. I have grown probably a dozen different species of ficus, and probably half a dozen different cultivars of f. benjamina. A couple worked for me for bonsai, but really only the dwarf cultivars, in my opinion. Luckily, this microcarpa will probably calm down and reduce its leaf size eventually.
 

Forsoothe!

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Yes, the tropical conditions of Utah preclude deadwood. I have the same problem down here in Michigan...
FGM 1.JPG
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I paint on a solution of 15 to 20% bleach in water 3 or 4 times a year that keeps all my deadwood white by eliminating the molds that turn deadwood grey and ultimately consumer it.
 

amcoffeegirl

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That is interesting material.
A challenge if I’ve seen one.
Hard to tell from pics but one option may be to try and get branches to cover it.
Maybe wrap it with plastic or grow it in a high humidity spot for summer.
Try to encourage aerials to drop and thicken up the base. If that dead wood does then one day rot away you could end up with something very unique.
This carving was not done by me but I have one with a bit of caving.F5C7C3BE-42E7-4B27-8DB0-CA7ED7108BD5.jpeg
This is an old pic- I will try to grab a current one.
Ficus are not usually carved. If they are you must make sure there is not a cup to hold water. It must be able to drain away.
 
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Here is the postmortem photo. Well, hopefully not that dire. Removed a significant amount of trunk, cleaned up the junction, and rounded the exposed wood with a grinder to encourage a natural look once it heals over. Now, it goes into a humidity tent and I wait for 10-20 years... 0525202133.jpg
 

Forsoothe!

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IMHO, you need to gouge out that brown core and get down to clean, healthy wood. You need to clean up the surface, too, with something like big emery boards, or another kind, the size and shape of a tongue depressor to get rid of the fuzzy surface which invites fungi to take up residence. You also need to cut a drainage channel so water doesn't stand in the wound. When you get to that condition you can slow down deterioration by painting the deadwood with 15 to 20% household bleach in water every 4 to 6 weeks outdoors which will keep it white and ~healthy~. Don't be sloppy, don't wear nice clothes, and use a small nylon brush to just carefully wet-out the surface. Natural brushes will be destroyed by the solution. The grey that develops in/on deadwood is evidence of mold which will devour the wood over time. If you're lucky, and diligent, and young enough, the whole wound can be enveloped by live bark in only 30 or so years.
 

michaelj

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Yes, the tropical conditions of Utah preclude deadwood. I have the same problem down here in Michigan...
View attachment 302827

I paint on a solution of 15 to 20% bleach in water 3 or 4 times a year that keeps all my deadwood white by eliminating the molds that turn deadwood grey and ultimately consumer it.

This tree looks like it was so hungry, it's eating a chunk of coral.
 
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