Ficus rubig. progression

[Redwood Ryan]

Hi all,



While this isn't really a progression in the "bonsai" kind of way, it is a progression nonetheless. I started growing this little guy from seed back in mid-February of last year.

Here's some of the sprouted rubigninosa's from back then. This tree is one of them, the biggest one I think....


I repotted it into its own pot:


It grew and then started pushing aerial roots, even at its young age:



And I mean, it REALLY started pushing aerial roots:

 

[Redwood Ryan]

It was sitting on a bed of gravel, so the roots grew through the drainage holes and down into the rocks:


Repotted again:


And fast forward to today when I gave it another repot, I plan on it gaining a fair amount of growth this summer (I put a good amount of worm poop in the soil too):




I plan on leaving all the aerial roots on the lower trunk so that they thicken the trunk at the points they're attached at.

It's not much, but it's a pretty crazy amount of growth in just over a year. Go Ficus.

 

[Ces]

pjf i.d.

hey Ryan,

that is some great growth from you're tree in one year. Are you sure its a port jackson though?

leaf shape seems different and in the photos i cant make out any of the characteristic fur found on the under side of PJF foliage.

I've been wrong many times before, though.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

I'm fairly certain it's a PJ, this may just be the juvenile foliage that will (hopefully) change with age and reduction techniques.

 

[KennedyMarx]

There's a lot of growth for one year, but I would try to put some movement into it before it gets too thick. Have you thought about planting at an angle or attempting to wire it?

 

[Redwood Ryan]

It's actually pretty thick as is. I have tried getting wire through the aerial roots and onto the trunk, but it's difficult and doesn't seem to do much. Oh well, I'll just shoot for a squat sumo kind of look...