Ficus'ly difficult challenges...

[Asus101]

I collected these two ficus on the first day of autumn. I'm lucky though as we have two more months or grow time remaining.

Basically these were ex topary. Pompom tree's, a curse we do not wish onto any tree. I want to give them both a new life as bonsai.

My first challenge, how to work with that metal bar? It goes all the way through to the root base. I cant pull them out, the only think possible is to cut it out/drill it out. I can cut lower into the trunks into live wood later. For now only dead wood was cut into.

What do others think? How can i work with it and possibly hide it?

 

[Anonymous User]

I'd let it be for now, the tree is used to it. Let your new leader grow out, worry about the bar once the final design is in mind...at that time you may consider a hollow trunk, or another feature that would allow you to remove the bar without compromising design.



Will

 

[Asus101]

I'd let it be for now, the tree is used to it. Let your new leader grow out, worry about the bar once the final design is in mind...at that time you may consider a hollow trunk, or another feature that would allow you to remove the bar without compromising design.



Will

Like I had stated, I had cut the trunk up through the dead wood, it gives me the options later to either heal, or hollow.

I plan on leaving the tree's be. I may defoliate slightly to work out what branches I have to work with. It will be only the lower set of leaves for now.

Thankfully its only really a root prune and repot. I didn't have to dig them out of the ground. This should allow me to work on them in the coming spring. But with the difficulty of the having the bars, I need to start planning early so I know were to go when the times comes.

 

[Anonymous User]

Looks like you have it all figured out. Keep us updated on the progress.



Will

 

[Asus101]

So I have the right plan?

woohoo I have gotten something right for once!

I will admit, i dont think anything but a tropical could have survived all this.