Green island ficus progression CJR

[Cajunrider]

 

[Cajunrider]

Green island twin bought 9/15/18. 2 air layer prepped and planted. One is root over rock.

Air layers collected 10/19/18.

 

[Cajunrider]

Both air layers reduced to 8" tall with rudimentary wire. I intend to keep them at this size for as long as I can.

One air layer is now in a pot made from a $2 thrift store find.

The other air layer is in an old flower pot.

 

[Cajunrider]

A little adjustment and additional wiring. I'm pretty happy with one the way it is. I'm leaving it alone for a while.
Front view.

Top view

 

[amcoffeegirl]

A little adjustment and additional wiring. I'm pretty happy with one the way it is. I'm leaving it alone for a while.
Front view.
View attachment 221852
Top view
View attachment 221853

I like that- good luck with it.

 

[Cajunrider]

Fat and happy in my office. I hope to keep it this size for a long while. I want a fatter trunk but no taller.

 

[jason biggs]

neat work. well done!!
In your climate you don't need to air layer ficus - just put cuttings straight into a pot
and you'll have 100% success rate...

 

[Cajunrider]

neat work. well done!!
In your climate you don't need to air layer ficus - just put cuttings straight into a pot
and you'll have 100% success rate...

Thanks. I hope to get the trunk and the roots developed much better in the future.

 

[Cajunrider]

Fat and happy in my office. I hope to keep it this size for a long while. I want a fatter trunk but no taller. View attachment 223595

I've taken it home and let it grow out side. Current plan is to put it in a grow box to get a bigger trunk and develop the nebari as well. It has served me well as first lesson. Now I want to make it much better in 5 years.

 

[Cajunrider]

This one has grown thicker over the past year. The trunk went from 5/8" to 1 1/16"


View attachment 272524
The other one has similar growth and has been transferred to a grow box.



Cuttings I stuck into pot have grown like crazy too.

 

[Cajunrider]

Almost 2 years have gone by. They are not much taller but is a bit fatter with some air roots. They could have grown faster but I have practically abandoned them in the past 16 months.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Longer, pointier leaf makes this Ficus microcarpa variant now called "Green Mound". "Green Island" is rounder and shorter leafed.

 

[Cajunrider]

I had no idea. When I bought it the label from the grower said green island ficus.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I had no idea. When I bought it the label from the grower said green island ficus.

Not uncommon. The new designation is just recognition of a difference that has existed for some time and only matters to picky people.

 

[Cajunrider]

Major cut back on both of them.

 

[Cajunrider]

What they have become.

 

[Cajunrider]

This one was given away to a friend.

View attachment 424421

 

[Cajunrider]

Fall prune.

 

[Cajunrider]

Fall prune.
View attachment 455275
View attachment 455276
View attachment 455277

That one was also given to another friend. Here is 1/2” cutting from last season. Today it was chopped short and a 4” section was encased in rock and bark to develop roots that will be aerial root once the trunk is re-exposed in the fall. Once the bark and rocks are removed, there should be a mass of twisting roots around the trunk.
PS: There wasn’t a need to train that trunk for movement. The trunk will be completely covered by roots. The section above will be wired for movement later.
The ficus are my favorite give away to non-bonsai friends.

 

[giventofly]

Did you removed the cambium on that part or just filled with substrate?