Chuhin Ficus Tiger Bark

[Shun]

Hey guys I just got a new tree..!
Never had a ficus before and wanted to try it out!

Do you guys think I should make the right side branch/trunk into a powerfull low first branch or make a secondary trunk?

I'm leaning towards a strong low branch but your opinion is always welcome!

This tree has a trunk of about 4 inches (~10cm) and 9 1/2 inches (~23cm) tall , 6 inches (~15cm) of nebari.


Proposed front


Right side


Back


Left side

And a small video of it to give you guys a better idea on the material I have on hand

Thank you!

 

[BrianBay9]

I would make the right side a secondary trunk. Although you didn't ask, from the pics you show I think the proposed front is the least interesting view of the four. It looks very cylindrical and uniform. I think all the other views have more taper and movement. Of course it's hard to appreciate all the details from photos.

 

[Shun]

Thanks for your reply! The current front is as shown because the whole tree leans towards it and the current back has the imense scar that I plan on healing it..! The photos from the sides show the lean.. also the back has no surface roots also

I agree about the cylindrical part but in person is much less evident.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

This is a really nice stump of a Ficus, will make a very nice shohin over time.

I personally would go with a strong more horizontal first branch on the right, rather than a sub-trunk. This tree is ''busy'' with many, too many branches coming off the trunk. You may need some of them to heal the wounds on the trunk, so you don't need to eliminate them right now.

For a shohin tree, or near shohin, you don't need a large number of branches, 5 or 7 branches and the trunk could easily be the entire tree. Your left trunk could be shortened significantly, and allow branching from that to make your upper canopy.

Right branch, left branch, back branch, right, left and back, then the apex. You're done. Sounds formula, but with a gnarly trunk like that, it won't look ''formula''.

Don't cut immediately, ponder my suggestions for a while, see if others contribute, and only when it seems right, do it. Take several months or more to decide. Make drawings.

 

[Shun]

Being in the southern hemisphere with temperatures starting to decrease is it possible to root cuttings from the tree? I've heard ficus sp. roots very easily and I want to get rid of some "useless" branches and use them to make thread grafts..!

I believe i'm firm on making it a low first branch.
With its trunk dimension I've never pondered it to be a shohin.. but who knows! I liked the idea

 

[Cadillactaste]

I personally love how scars heal on the tiger bark. Love their wrinkles in the bark when mature bark. Watching your video... this tree has so much movement/taper. Which in my opinion is lost on your chosen front. Some wire on there and bring branches where they need placed this would be a tree I would love on my own bench. Getting a sumo tigerbark in June. ? Wrinkles and scars...on this cultivar...is my weakness.

 

[BrianBay9]

Being in the southern hemisphere with temperatures starting to decrease is it possible to root cuttings from the tree? I've heard ficus sp. roots very easily and I want to get rid of some "useless" branches and use them to make thread grafts..!

I've never been successful with root cuttings from Ficus microcarpa. Some other species do much better - F. salicaria for example.

 

[jason biggs]

I think a thread graft through the back (at the bottom of the scar)
would balance the tree out nicely...
Really nice material - good score.

 

[Shibui]

I've never been successful with root cuttings from Ficus microcarpa.

I don't think Shun is asking about root cuttings. Asking whether cuttings will root I think.

I have not grown tiger bark but other Ficus do root very easy so I would try, even with cooler weather coming on. Just keep your cuttings somewhere a bit warm while they get started.
Not sure how cold it gets at your place in south of Brazil but assume you understand that figs do not like cold.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

Yes to making it a branch. Your chosen back is my chosen front. I like scars.

 

[BrianBay9]

I don't think Shun is asking about root cuttings. Asking whether cuttings will root I think.

I have not grown tiger bark but other Ficus do root very easy so I would try, even with cooler weather coming on. Just keep your cuttings somewhere a bit warm while they get started.
Not sure how cold it gets at your place in south of Brazil but assume you understand that figs do not like cold.

Sorry, yes cuttings root easily. Oddly though, root cuttings do not. You'd think those attributes would go together, but...no.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

If your night time temperatures are above 20 C, you should be able to get cuttings to root with a high success rate. IF it is cooler than 20 C at night, you will still get some cuttings to root, but the % success will be lower, and the time required will be longer. Spring and summer is the best time to root cuttings of ficus. You can try at any time, and sometimes get a smaller amount of success.

 

[Shun]

I personally love how scars heal on the tiger bark. Love their wrinkles in the bark when mature bark. Watching your video... this tree has so much movement/taper. Which in my opinion is lost on your chosen front. Some wire on there and bring branches where they need placed this would be a tree I would love on my own bench. Getting a sumo tigerbark in June. ? Wrinkles and scars...on this cultivar...is my weakness.
View attachment 234853

I have not considered it as a front before.. i quite like it also!! The only problem is that there is absolutely no surface roots on the left side if this is the new front..

 

[Gustavo Martins]

I’ve rooted tiger bark ficus cuttings in plain water during my winter (12C lowest inside the house maybe) on a window sill. I tried 5 or 6 and they all took.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I have not considered it as a front before.. i quite like it also!! The only problem is that there is absolutely no surface roots on the left side if this is the new front..

That doesn't bother me at all...I also like the back you chose. But if the scar bugs you turned hides it a bit. Trunk movement... ? Nebari can be worked in. But I've seen many where the roots aren't really the focus. It's the trunk line.
Example...

 

[Shun]

Sorry for the confusion! I meant to make cuttings to root, not root cuttings hahaha
Here, where I live (City of Curitiba) we get winters with 0 C and summers with ~30`s C..
Currently beggining of autumn with highs of 26 C and lows of 14C.

I have cut a few branches that I know I won`t be using in any of the possible fronts, stuck them in bonsai soil to try some cutttings and will shoot a few pics and post them here for your appreciation! Maybe with a clearer view we can evaluate better what I have..! It is a great material to start with and I'm hoping that with the help of you guys we can make the best out of it!

Thank you and will post more pics ASAP

 

[Gustavo Martins]

Sorry for the confusion! I meant to make cuttings to root, not root cuttings

That’s what I meant: to have cuttings rooting in plain water. I did not use root cuttings. I used twigs

 

[Shun]

So I just got around to pruning a few branches and wire a couple also.. it is very raw still and I did not want to go wild on the pruning and wiring since we are entering fall season here.. I left a few branches that I will not use on the final design to help healing the current scars. Also I chose the front suggested by @Cadillactaste as of now..!

My plans for the future includes a new first branch on the lower left. The other branches I'm afraid to sort out right now but I managed to strike about 8 cuttings and I'm hoping at least a couple will take so I can thread graft.

Hope you guys can see a little bit more clearly the design.. a little bit cookie cutter IMO but idk how to solve it.. maybe with more time and ramification?

Hope you guys like it! Thank you for your attention

 

[Cadillactaste]

Way more movement seen in that trunk! Sweet material you have there. Thanks for tagging me. Love tigerbark!

 

[luvinthemountains]

@Shun it's been a couple of years since you last updated this one. How is it doing?