New Burt Davyi

[brentwood]

Just picked up this ficus today, in a lovely April Grigsby pot. I'm hoping I can keep those aerial roots going. Just wanted to share, open to any suggestions. Looks like a few toys that died before hitting the soil, any way to restart those?

B

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Just picked up this ficus today, in a lovely April Grigsby pot. I'm hoping I can keep those aerial roots going. Just wanted to share, open to any suggestions. Looks like a few toys that died before hitting the soil, any way to restart those?

B

Very nice. I don't have a burtt davyi ficus, but in my limited TBF, Schefflera. & green Island ficus, aerial root expereince I would say no. I'd love to be wrong though.

You can try misting them to keep the wet as long as they're not black & shriveled up. I mist my branches while the plant is in a high humdity enviroment to promote AR growth.

 

[brentwood]

Toys obviously equals roots, ugh auto correct. I've trimmed the obviously dead roots and tried to get the others into landing pads of Japanese moss, easier to keep moist that way. I'm trying wraps of paper towel on two more, directing and keeping wet. Spray it whenever I see. I may pick up a cheap desktop humidifier, see if that helps them develop. Late season fidgeting.
B

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

During the winter when my tropicals are inside, I've used a big clear plastic bag to trap the humidity so aerial roots could form. I mist the branches where I want the AR to form. I keep them under lights & take them out of the bag every 4-5 days to check on it, and let it breathe. The AR began to form in a week and then the 5-6 week long growth process to reach the soil. It's worked for me, but you have to watch out for fungus & mold in that environment. I have a progression thread in this forum that has pictures if you want to see. They do best in humidity at 80+ in my experience, I've tried room humidifiers with no luck. Just thought I'd share my experience with getting aerial roots to form and stay alive. I have a grow tent now. Good luck.

 

[Michael P]

Once the aerial roots hit the soil and grow deep enough to have they own source of water they are easy to keep alive.

 

[brentwood]

It's been in my garden a year now, seems very happy - hard to tell but it's still pushing aerial roots, pushing regular roots out of the pot. I feel like a larger pot might be nice, let it spread horizontally for a while, maybe put some cuttings in there as future trunks - thinking out loud.

B

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

It's been in my garden a year now, seems very happy - hard to tell but it's still pushing aerial roots, pushing regular roots out of the pot. I feel like a larger pot might be nice, let it spread horizontally for a while, maybe put some cuttings in there as future trunks - thinking out loud.

B

Do it! I like this one.

book marked.

 

[RaginCajun]

Cheap, thin plastic straws. Sleeve the aerial roots and stick the end of the straw into the soil. After a single summer those roots will be in the soil and hardened off. And the straws will be so brittle you can squeeze them, theyll shatter into tiny pieces.

 

[jason biggs]

it is looking super healthy - much better than when you first got it unfortunately the growth habit of this species is erratic, 1 year the aerial roots will boom and then the next will shrink back... your tree has a great outline

 

[brentwood]

I did the up-pot today, did a little spreading of the roots, starting from here I'll be putting clippings under the canopy to encourage more of a footprint. Still envision a wider pot, bit I picked up 2-3 inches here at least.

B