MEGA Updates On My Bonsai Collection

A quick update on several of my bonsai trees.

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Self Watering Ficus Mini Bonsai

Here I show updates on 2 of my mini bonsai plants and convert them into self watering setups.

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Instant Bonsai + Air Pruning Pots

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Part 1 video - covers Instant Bonsai concept with tips on collecting good tree material from ground & explains my choice of colander pot for it & some potting tips too.

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Part 2 video - covers a partial self-watering setup for my colander, benefits of air pruning pots, drainage speed test between 1-2 holes vs. multiple holes, converting a bonsai pot to air pruning pot, net pots of multiples sizes & shapes, massive ignorance of air pruning concepts among people growing plants/trees in containers and existence of ceramic colanders & 3d printed air pruning pots.

Water Bonsai From Cuttings Of Cluster Fig Tree / Ficus Racemosa

Tree species : Cluster Fig Tree (Ficus Racemosa, Indian Fig Tree, Goolar Fig)
Cuttings taken on : June 9, 2016

This post is part 3 of this story.

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 Read Part 1 & Part 2 here.

How To : Rooting a leaf cutting of Ficus Racemosa

Tree species : Cluster Fig Tree (Ficus Racemosa, Indian Fig Tree, Goolar Fig)
Leaf taken on : Sept 1, 2016

I took this leaf from a big tree, to compare & show the leaf size reduction I achieved in my bonsai plants of the same species. Then, instead of throwing it away, I thought - why not root it in water and see ! Just plain water, changed twice a week, no rooting hormones.

Sept 18

Sept 21

Mini Cuttings Of Ficus Racemosa / Cluster Fig Tree Growing In Water

Tree species : Cluster Fig Tree (Ficus Racemosa, Indian Fig Tree, Goolar Fig)
Cuttings taken on : July 12, 2016

To be grown as mini bonsai

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Cuttings Of Cluster Fig Tree / Ficus Racemosa Growing Roots In Water - Part 2

Tree species : Cluster Fig Tree (Ficus Racemosa, Indian Fig Tree, Goolar Fig)
Cuttings taken on : June 9, 2016

Part 1 of this article

UPDATE - July 17
 

Cuttings Of Cluster Fig Tree / Ficus Racemosa Growing Roots In Water - Part 1

Tree species : Cluster Fig Tree (Ficus Racemosa, Indian Fig Tree, Goolar Fig)
Cuttings taken on : June 9, 2016

I recently spotted a cluster fig tree sapling, growing on the roadside pavement and decided to prune it first and collect it a month or 2 later. I reduced its height from almost 3 feet to half a feet and got some cuttings in the process.

Air Layering On A Big Cluster Fig Tree On Site

Tree species : Cluster Fig Tree (Ficus Racemosa, Indian Fig Tree, Goolar Fig)
Air-layering started on : May 28, 2016
Collected on : June 19, 2016 for
For : Mini bonsai

This is my 3rd attempt at air-layering and the first on a tree, on location. The last 2 were done on potted trees already in my possession. With this method, my success rate so far is 100%, 6 out of 6, without any rooting hormone. I stopped using them long back.

Double Air Layering On Same Trunk - Ficus Racemosa / Cluster Fig Tree

Tree species : Cluster Fig Tree (Ficus Racemosa, Indian Fig Tree, Goolar Fig)
Collected on : July 29, 2015
Air-Layering started on : Jan 25, 2016


Part 1 - Growth history from a collected small sapling ! 

Fig Tree Cuttings For Mini Bonsai

Tree species : Cluster Fig Tree (Ficus Racemosa, Indian Fig Tree, Goolar Fig)
Collected on : Dec 30, 2015
Season : Peak winter, 15-18°C min temperature 

 

Soaked them in water first, then cleaned the trunks with an old toothbrush, as the parent tree was heavily infected with scale insects.

Plant no. 1 in my bonsai collection - a Fig tree

Tree species : Cluster Fig Tree (Ficus Racemosa, Indian Fig Tree, Goolar Fig)
Collected on : July 29, 2015

After watching YouTube videos on bonsai for 2 weeks, I finally decided to take the plunge. My Bonsai Ver 2.0 begins, at age 41. The last time I touched soil & pots was 2 decades ago, during academic life. At that time, I probably had 3-4 plants for growing as bonsai, with very basic exposure to bonsai art. They died after a year or two, once i got busy and that was the end of my bonsai hobby, until now.

My son Kevin next to this Fig tree.