Ficus kinmen progression

This is a demo tree from the 2008 BSF Convention at Cape Canaveral. I was lucky to purchase the tree in the auction and equally honored to watch Mr Cheng Cheng Kung doing his fantastic work on this Ficus kinmen. I hope that Jose Louis is going to chime in and comment on Mr Cheng's work and the allover progression of the tree. Feel free to ask questions, consider design changes or contribute to technical aspects of growing ficus in general.

The Grand Master Cheng Cheng Kung:


























The plan:

Thats really looking good Dorothy. That's the first time I've seen that rooting technique. Can you tell us more about i?

Luc

I meant to type "Dorothy."

I did it for you, but you always can go back and edit your own messages. There's a little button in the upper right corner of the message that says "edit."

Congratulations Dorothy, you have made major progress in only a few short years.
Jerry

Very nice Dorothy!

...I think this one should should be in the Bonsai Section and Advance techniques.

regards,
jun

luc tran wrote:Thats really looking good Dorothy. That's the first time I've seen that rooting technique. Can you tell us more about i?

Luc

Thank you "luc tran". Mr Cheng basically created a zig-zag line along the base of the tree. He used the chisel since it is easier to do. We apply this technique frequently here in Florida. However, I was taught to lift up the down pointing triangles (flaps) and to secure them with little rocks. That way they won't just fuse back to the trunk and send out roots pointing in a good direction.

Jerry Meislik wrote:Congratulations Dorothy, you have made major progress in only a few short years.
Jerry

Thank you, Jerry. I am trying to grow this one with a very gnarly character. I know I won't be able to come even close to the Taiwanese looks. However, I consider this tree as the first "Taiwanese" member of our family.

-Dorothy

jun wrote:Very nice Dorothy!

...I think this one should should be in the Bonsai Section and Advance techniques.

regards,
jun

Noooooo. Then you cannot criticize it any more (if I understand correctly).

-Dorothy

What type of tree is responsive to this type of root technique? I'm guessing tropicals.

Can you expalin a little more about keeping the scarring from callusing and healing over instead of sending out roots?

Thanks Luc

dorothy7774 wrote:

jun wrote:Very nice Dorothy!

...I think this one should should be in the Bonsai Section and Advance techniques.

regards,
jun

Noooooo. Then you cannot criticize it any more (if I understand correctly).

-Dorothy

There's no reason why critique can't happen in that forum. I will be resurrecting an older thread of my own now that I am coming to the end of the development process on the tree concerned. In it, there were several critiques and virts and in fact I went with one of the suggestions to arrive at the final image. It's all part of the learning process IMO.

Great job Dorothy. I agree with Jun. This should be moved.

The free growth on the tree was that for 1 year, longer or less? Was rooting hormone applied at the time?

It's amazing how far you've taken this tree and I have no doubt you'll be able to achieve that virtual in no time at all. I'm going to have to get in touch with you next time I come down to visit my family.

Have a great week!!!!
Sam

Dorothy,

Sorry for the late and brief reply. I am currently in Taiwan.

As stated in our presentation, this tree, before it was worked on in the demonstration, had no prior training as bonsai and was basically left alone to grow like a crop. Because of this, it was necessary to perform drastic pruning of branches and roots to lay the foundation for the future design. Vertical scarring techniques and chiseling of the wounds in an elongated fashion were indispensable to promote the development of scar tissue and uniform root growth.

Today, those steps have ensured success, and Dorothy has made a wonderful job. My only observation: place the tree in a larger container. The proportions between the trunk and the branches still need tending, as the transition is too abrupt. (trunk is very fat/branches a bit skinny). Placing the tree in a larger container will enable you to achieve you goal faster.

Warm regards and congratulations on a job well done!!!

Jose Luis

great thread.
Why do a zigzag line rather then a strait line, I thought you want your roots all radiating from the same vertical level not multiple levels?
Also when doing a "layer" I thought you just have to remove a wide enough strip that the upper and lower cambium wont grow back together, and that pealing the bark away from the tree has nothing to do with forming the roots.
Is the reason why the standard way of layering not applied here because there was not room at the base to take a wide enough strip?
I guess if your going to peal it away from the tree it would have to be in a ziggzag or wedge shaped rather than a strait line.
Over the last few years Ive been ground layering ALL of my trees to get better nebari, i wish I would have thought of this technique, as from what I can tell it enables you to incorporate that widest portion right at ground level rather than layering a few inches higher and losing quite a bid of that basal swelling. This makes me want to just rip out all the threadgraft/approach graft roots on my tridents and just do this technique. By the way do the roots form at the tips of the downward facing triangles or along the whole edge?
thanks a bunch

Bucknbonsai,

Vertical scarring is only performed on ficus. Thus type of technique is not suitable for other species. Tropical ficus do not have level/uniform roots.

Kind regards,

Jose Luis

jrodriguez wrote:Dorothy,

Sorry for the late and brief reply. I am currently in Taiwan.

As stated in our presentation, this tree, before it was worked on in the demonstration, had no prior training as bonsai and was basically left alone to grow like a crop. Because of this, it was necessary to perform drastic pruning of branches and roots to lay the foundation for the future design. Vertical scarring techniques and chiseling of the wounds in an elongated fashion were indispensable to promote the development of scar tissue and uniform root growth.

Today, those steps have ensured success, and Dorothy has made a wonderful job. My only observation: place the tree in a larger container. The proportions between the trunk and the branches still need tending, as the transition is too abrupt. (trunk is very fat/branches a bit skinny). Placing the tree in a larger container will enable you to achieve you goal faster.

Warm regards and congratulations on a job well done!!!

Jose Luis

Thank you Jose Luis for chiming in and for the kind words! I will transplant the tree into a larger container soon, I am glad you pointed that out. This is the first time I was growing a ficus and concentrating on adding that gnarly look. I worked with arial roots to fatten up portions of the tree, like in the book. It really worked!
Mr Cheng's book is awesome and anyone growing ficus needs to have it. I know there are many more ficus books on the market (most of them I have....). Mr Cheng's book elevates the growing of ficus into recreation on a very high level.

Please send my warmest regards to Mr Cheng!

Best,
Dorothy

Sam Ogranaja wrote:Great job Dorothy. ..The free growth on the tree was that for 1 year, longer or less? Was rooting hormone applied at the time?
..

Thank you Sam. The process of growing the tree out and pruning it back went over 4 years. No rooting hormones. I worked with arial roots that fed certain areas and eventually cut them off when they had done their job. There are lots of aerial roots in the back that are starting to fuse into the trunk. I had also some in the front fusing into the trunk. I only use the aerial roots to accomplish fattening or to thicken the immediate trunk.

bucknbonsai wrote:.. By the way do the roots form at the tips of the downward facing triangles or along the whole edge?
thanks a bunch

The roots form around the whole edge, especially from out the upper tip of the trinagle, the crutch. When you lift the flaps and place a little rock underneath, the tree is encouraged to send out roots for survival. Not lifting the flaps the tree (ficus) will just heal it over and in most occasions not send out roots.

-Dorothy

Dorothy,

One more trick.... Air layer the branches you want to fatten up, on the underside. Once roots develop, encourage growth of these air roots in independent azalea flats. The base of the branches will thicken rapidly, not so much the trunk. Just like you did with the main stamen (trunk), the roots will feed that particular portion of the branch directly and not deform the already muscular trunk.

I failed to mention that the pot needs to be about twice as big. If you place it in a larger pot, the trunk will become too fat (like a tuber/potato) and the proportion of the branches will not be rectified.

When you repot, place less organic content on the media. This will promote better feeder roots and less tubers. Since there is no mountain sand in Florida, lava cinder will work.

Kind regards,

Jose Luis

where is mr chengs book available? what is the title

bucknbonsai wrote:where is mr chengs book available? what is the title

Please send me a pm with your email address and contact info. I am the distributor for USA and Latin America of Bonsai Shari Sidiao products.

Regards,

Jose Luis

dorothy7774 wrote: ... ...I know there are many more ficus books on the market (most of them I have....). Mr Cheng's book elevates the growing of ficus into recreation on a very high level... ...

jrodriguez wrote:... ...I am the distributor for USA and Latin America of Bonsai Shari Sidiao products... ...

May I ask who represents these products in Europe?
I have visited the online store at the website and there is not a book concerning the cultivation of ficus (or at least I could not spot it...)

Update from yesterday, after pruning:

Hey Dorothy, just stunning..........great job. G

Awesome tree Dorothy!!!

Very beautiful tree. You did great job Dorothy