Grow onto cholla wood

[ShadyStump]

things I potted in pure limestone. Which is the weed in 2 pots bottom right, they are the test subjects for fertilizer

What's the theory on the limestone? It can be VERY high pH, sometimes deadly high, so I'm curious as to the objective.


And here's a pic of the cholla wood I collected today. 1 quart bottle and tape measure for scale.

Thinking about it, the big branching pieces may make better scaffolding used upsidedown, with the small ends in the pot, and your fig roots running down the branches from the cactus roots. Unless of course you want to make a rather interesting clump style with a tree starting at each point.

It's also occurred to me that a similar technique in reverse could make some fascinating vining species, with the vines growing up the branches. When the cholla finally rots away it would leave self-supporting trunks suspended midair.

 

[nuttiest]

Thinking about it, the big branching pieces may make better scaffolding used upsidedown, with the small ends in the pot, and your fig roots running down the branches from the cactus roots. Unless of course you want to make a rather interesting clump style with a tree starting at each point.

It's also occurred to me that a similar technique in reverse could make some fascinating vining species, with the vines growing up the branches. When the cholla finally rots away it would leave self-supporting trunks suspended midair.

Uh, what? you are going to give me some cholla? I thought you promised that to mateo yesterday I can root enough cuttings for everyone in a couple of weeks

 

[nuttiest]

Many species of Ficus are technically, or rather capable of growing as "strangler figs". A strangler fig is any fig that can grow epiphytically, and in the process, envelop, or cover, or out compete the host tree. The host tree then dies, and rots away leaving the root system of the Ficus exposed. These exposed systems are very similar to the root systems in negari style satsuki azalea display. Here I agree, cholla wood seems perfect for the project. I would wrap the outside of the tube of cholla wood with long fiber sphagnum to aid in holding water. Plant Ficus cuttings up and down the piece of wood in a manner that makes artistic sense to you. Some pieces would only get one Ficus cutting, some might get several. Then set or prop the cholla wood up in the desired position and water away. Misting or watering daily roots should work their way down the cholla into the pot below in just a few months. Remember Ficus love warmth. Only start this project when temps will be above 25 C or 78 F during the day for at least 3 months, beginning of summer for us northerners. Ficus do not root in cool or cold weather. And in a couple years the cholla and the moss will rot away, leaving a unique Ficus negari behind.



I have no idea why the acid, and wax tape, this could be rather hazardous. Ican not visualize good results from this method.

I worked in a lab for 38 years, I have more clothing with burn holes from acid than I want to admit. And a few scars on my hands. Luckily I never got any in my eyes, but I had proper equipment. Forget the acid and wax, way too complicated and very likely to harm either yourself, or your tree, or some neighbor's curious kid. I think the desired effects can be gotten without dangerous chemicals.

It's not like I carry open container around. I have the vat of water, or the wheelbarrow full of water, and add the acid to it. There is no walking around with it involved. Lime sulfur is hazardous too but a likeable tool as well.

 

[ShadyStump]

Uh, what? you are going to give me some cholla? I thought you promised that to mateo yesterday I can root enough cuttings for everyone in a couple of weeks

Yeah, well he ain't gonna use all of it in one go, and I know where to get more. All it's costing me is shipping really.
He's already PMed me about a couple pieces, but I'll let you know once we've finalized it.
Payday is this week, so,after rent and bills first thing, I should be able to ship next week to anyone interested.

Always game for an excuse to be in the woods, BTW, so anything at all you can think of that might exist in my region, I'll hunt it down if you want to work something out.

 

[nuttiest]

will definitely send you out of the house on a mission then, lol

 

[nuttiest]

Sorry to hear the kids were not impressed, bummer. I hope you told them the story about your uncle so they could roll their eyes at that too.
I have one grown man son will be fighting me over any cholla from colorado.

 

[ShadyStump]

Sorry to hear the kids were not impressed, bummer. I hope you told them the story about your uncle so they could roll their eyes at that too.
I have one grown man son will be fighting me over any cholla from colorado.

They were only so nonplussed because it's mundane for us. I also forgot the bug spray, so that didn't help.
I'll try to make sure it's worth the battle for you.

 

[nuttiest]

I thought this was going to be a succulent challenge You've got Haworthia, Aloe, and Senecio...

After 24 years living in a desert, I am up on my succulent knowledge

Okay, anyone who posted about this... I made many cuttings the last two days of above, along with both types of strangler fig, and like I said, they should only take two weeks to root. Will give you plenty of time to order your cholla on chewy.
This will be sent free, just pm your address for a few, I want everyone to be able to participate and will love photos.

 

[ShadyStump]

Searching burtt davyi online and it returned this. (No wonder we're all here on BNut)
Not exactly the same, but relevant.

Ficus Burtt Davyi Experiments 1 & 2

I’ve taken a lot of cuttings this year from a mame / shohin (TBD) Burtt Davyi tree that I’ve been growing out, and wanted to try some experiments … Ficus Burtt Davyi Experiment 1 Wanting to create something like this: I decided to create a hollow, tree-shaped “shell” filled with pumice. I...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[ShadyStump]

time to order your cholla on chewy.

Don't forget, I'm game to trade what I can find for anything interesting. Cuts your costs to postage.
Ok, so probably not cheaper, but you get your pick at least.

 

[nuttiest]

I think the large leaf / small leaf thing is not at all what I thought, lol here I thought I had a new ficus just by cuttings, but no.
The original one was in with willow leaf ficus at wigerts but looked different so I got it. Turned out to be more a strangler fig.
The large leaf one I now thik was the bottom of one of those grafted 'ginseng', explains why the habit so different.

 

[nuttiest]

Searching burtt davyi online and it returned this. (No wonder we're all here on BNut)
Not exactly the same, but relevant.

Ficus Burtt Davyi Experiments 1 & 2

I’ve taken a lot of cuttings this year from a mame / shohin (TBD) Burtt Davyi tree that I’ve been growing out, and wanted to try some experiments … Ficus Burtt Davyi Experiment 1 Wanting to create something like this: I decided to create a hollow, tree-shaped “shell” filled with pumice. I...

www.bonsainut.com

I think you are right this is burtt davyi, that looks like same leaf shape. This is not a strangler at all, now we have to make all new plans

 

[ShadyStump]

I think you are right this is burtt davyi, that looks like same leaf shape. This is not a strangler at all, now we have to make all new plans

When I read up on strangler figs the other day I learned there MANY ficus species that are considered, "stranglers," among them burtt davyi. That's why I was looking them up.

Strangler fig - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

There are a couple varieties introduced in the Florida area that are locally known as just strangler fig, when the term can apply to a whole bunch of ficus species. That's probably where the confusion lies.

 

[19Mateo83]

When I read up on strangler figs the other day I learned there MANY ficus species that are considered, "stranglers," among them burtt davyi. That's why I was looking them up.

Strangler fig - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

There are a couple varieties introduced in the Florida area that are locally known as just strangler fig, when the term can apply to a whole bunch of ficus species. That's probably where the confusion lies.

What technically qualifies a ficus as a “strangler fig or banyan fig” is that it begins its life as an epiphyte – meaning growing on another plant, sending roots down covering its host tree eventually strangling it. There are many many types of ficus that do this, pretty much any ficus that forms aerial roots can be a banyan or strangler. The ficus benghalensis is usually the one people refer to as “the banyan fig”. Benjamina, retusa/Microcarpa, religiosa, ingens, are just a few ones found in the hobby that will readily throw off aerial roots if conditions are right.

 

[19Mateo83]

I picked this tree up on a whim about 4 months ago and stuck it under the grow light and kinda forgot about it. I figured I’d try the banyan look so here’s what I’m trying on the mallsai Tiger bark. You can see what it looked like originally. I wired an apex and thinned branches and used a knife to “peck” at the bark a little bit and wrapped that portion in sphagnum. I then placed a few of the larger cuttings in the sphagnum. I will continue to put cuttings in the moss as time progresses. The end goal is a thick base with tons of roots and shoots filling up where the sphagnum moss is. I’m hoping this gives it a natural banyan look if it works. I wish I had taken more pictures of the before and during this process.

 

[nuttiest]

Here is the first, I can see from doing this I need to glue or epoxy the wood to a stone so it is not in ground contact. Also use a smaller ficus so it can be wound around. Such beautiful wood to do more projects with, like a deadwood forest with Epiphytes.

 

[19Mateo83]

That’s pretty neat! That seedling fits that cholla quite nicely. When I finally get around to doing mine I plan to try a ball of sphagnum followed by a bit of soil to plug the hollow trunk, kind of like an air pot. Then plant little cuttings on the holes, hopefully it will encourage aerial root growth like they do in nature where the roots grow down to seek the soil..

 

[ShadyStump]

All I can find around here are the small bags of moss for decoration, though I haven't been able to look very hard all week because my dad had COVID and I was helping him around the yard the other day. THEN I'm leaving to take the kids camping in the morning.
So right now the tree @nuttiest sent me is waiting in the greenhouse.

As soon as I can, I'm going to try replicating the process completely by starting the tree at the top of the cholla, and wrapping the roots in sphagnum and letting them grow all the way along the stick. I'll likely have to rearrange my greenhouse in order to keep safe humidity levels throughout the process.

I need to glue or epoxy the wood to a stone so it is not in ground contact.

I'm using the longest stick of cholla I could get with any character, and just anchored it in a pot using smallish rocks.

Should leave the wood dry enough to not rot at the bottom before the roots reach that far, especially if I'm keeping the top portion wrapped in wet materials.


Experimented with some strips from an old pair of blue jeans today, too.

Didn't work half as well as I'd hoped. In our dry heat the whole thing was bone dry within a couple hours.
Took it all apart, and I'll try again. Maybe peat or perlite will work?

 

[nuttiest]

I kept all my ficus under serious mango shade so I didn't have to water everyday, you might want to put that on north or east side of house for a while

 

[nuttiest]

and I think the peat will work