Wuggums-En banyan project

pootsie

With the cold weather setting in, we here at the Wuggums-En Bonsai garden have turned to the tropicals to work on.

We are launching a project to bind and fuse ficus too-little cuttings into a banyan-style bonsai.

This is a long-term priject, but it has now been started.

Here is a shot of the chief root inspector feeling lost amidst a sea of cuttings. Don't ask us how many, we have no idea. Lots.

pootsie

Attached Images

cuttings 112604.jpg (67.2 KB, 162 views)

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pootsie

A tad easier to deal with after defoliation, to allow binding.

Then they are bare-rooted.

pootsie

Attached Images

	cuttings 112704.jpg (60.6 KB, 153 views)
	cuttings 112704b.jpg (63.1 KB, 131 views)

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p.s. My cat is a bonsaiTALK Master.
Columbus Bonsai Society

pootsie

Then comes the binding of the main trunk.
I didn't take any shots while I was doing this, since it took all three hands

Dez was busy outside performing the duties of rodent control officer at this point.

pootsie

Attached Images

banyan112704a.jpg (66.5 KB, 189 views)

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p.s. My cat is a bonsaiTALK Master.
Columbus Bonsai Society

pootsie

With the trunk together, I wired down some of the cuttings as branches, and then bound some other cuttings in imitation of aerial roots.

pootsie

Attached Images

banyan112704b.jpg (70.3 KB, 159 views)

__________________
p.s. My cat is a bonsaiTALK Master.
Columbus Bonsai Society

pootsie

Now it's all potted up. That part was a tad tricky.

It is unlikely we will repot this within another 3 years, although in between we may add a few more fakie aerial roots.

input and insults welcomed

pootsie

Attached Images

banyan112704c.jpg (61.7 KB, 163 views)

__________________
p.s. My cat is a bonsaiTALK Master.
Columbus Bonsai Society

bosnia

Nice winter project.looking good to me.I have started one with Figs to.Wish you good fun.Bosnia >

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LostHawken

have you considered creating real arial roots? I know that ficus can be made to root quite easily. I haven't tried it (although I plan too soon) but I have heard that you can encourage an arial root by methods similar to airgrafting and then encouraging the root to the soil using a straw. I'm quite sure that I read of the technique on this forum somewhere last year...

pootsie

Thanks, guys!

Losthawken, My environment (OHIO, brrr) is not conducive to aerial roots, although I have the word from Jerry Meislik that it can be done with a sphagnum wrap follwed by the straw metod.

I will likely try that on this puppy in the future, but for now I hae a head start by cheating

pootsie

__________________
p.s. My cat is a bonsaiTALK Master.
Columbus Bonsai Society

RedPine

Pootsie,


A fun looking project.I wish school work could have been stuff like this.How long until you know it is completely safe to remove the tape without anything moving out of position on its own?I understand it takes years for it to be a true fuse,I guess I am asking how long it takes for them to stick to one another good enough to remove or redo the tape?Did you scrape away any bark at the joining areas,or would that slow down the process?The reason I am asking is,I have some ficus tied up but can't see if it is sticking.So am worried to remove the binds yet.

Thanks!

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