just lopped the top off my f.retusa and grafted the real top back on

[thailand-steve]

i forgot to take a pic before i chopped it, but it was about 1.5m tall and covered with branches and leaves, growing very strong. the base is about 2 1/2"

so i took a part of the upper trunk that has a branch with nice strong aerial root. i carefully scraped off the bark on the lower 1cm of the scion but left the cambium intact. then i marked the size of the scion on the chopped off top of the stump. i used my 1/4" router (don't have a demel) to cut a 1cm deep hole a nice snug fit for the scion.

then i hammered the scion into the hole. it was a very tight fit so didn't bother screwing it in or anything.

then put some cut paste around the join, then some cling film around that to keep water off then some aluminum foil around that to protect from the sun.

i expect it a take in a couple of months, i'll post progress.

steve

note, next time i do this, i'll probably make the scion a bit longer and the hole deeper, maybe 2cm, for a stronger graft. i'm sure this will take but i worry about accidentally knocking into it before it fuses together

 

[will0911]

interesting...has a pretty good base...did you find how to do this from a source?

 

[thailand-steve]

interesting...has a pretty good base...did you find how to do this from a source?

its basically peg grafting which i saw on youtube, but their example was into the side of the trunk. also Jerry Meislik has an article here http://www.bonsaihunk.us/ficusforum/FicusTechniques/FigTechnique49.html.

i totally love Jerry's website for ficus ideas, i just wish his photos were a bit clearer

 

[will0911]

i hope it takes for you!

 

[thailand-steve]

my peg graft on top of this ficus is doing fine, lots of new growth and its in full sun. i had no doubt really since it had a nice root to keep it alive

but the problem now is that size transition from the old truck to the new is pretty ugly. i'm wondering if i should carve some of the inside out, or graft another branch into the flat area or do nothing and hope that some roots grow in to cover the area over?

i'll leave it a bit longer before i do anything, just wondering really

 

[Redwood Ryan]

So, why exactly did you do this? Were you afraid that you wouldn't get a bud to sprout on the original tree? That transition is what really bothers my eye, and I'm not sure any amount of carving (which I wouldn't do on a Ficus, especially in a warm, humid area) could correct that transition. Just my .02.

 

[thailand-steve]

So, why exactly did you do this? Were you afraid that you wouldn't get a bud to sprout on the original tree? That transition is what really bothers my eye, and I'm not sure any amount of carving (which I wouldn't do on a Ficus, especially in a warm, humid area) could correct that transition. Just my .02.

i figure even if a bud did come up, which i'm sure it will, in fact some have started already, but that flat top would still be ugly. i think this will help the transition to a top branch, i guess we'll see. i haven't finished with it yet