Banyan Tree 1

Tree species : Banyan Tree (Ficus Benghalensis)

Collected on : Oct 14, 2015

I collected a trunk with some roots, from the bunch below. Potted into a nylon net bag, used for fruits & veggies in fridge. 1 part coconut peat, 1 part coarse pebbly sand  & 2 parts soil. The bag is resting on 3 big rocks inside the pot, so aeration happens from below too.

Before

Now - Jan 23, 2016

I am a big believer of root aeration & air pruning now. Ignorant people might benefit by reading up the link. Even bonsai experts don't seem to be implementing this. Its the latest horticultural science. Screw tradition.

Contrary to what you might think, the soil doesn't leak thru the net, though it can. The plastic pot is there just to give shape to the soil mass. Avoid black color pots as they heat up more.

Not yet celebration time. New roots and leaves are growing but they are still delicate. I am avoiding direct sunlight on them for another 1-2 weeks. I water very conservatively now on new plants, barely wetting the soil once in 3-4 days. Lost a few plants due to over watering, even in coconut peat alone.

52 days later, Dec 5, 2015.

 

Sunlight exposure to it was moderate but since 3 new leaf  buds are now active, I have moved it to shade again, with small amount of  filtered sunlight exposure.