Fusing trunks with Willow Leaf Ficus

[James H]

I have a couple of willow leaf ficus that I have been slowly growing up with the hope of combining them into a single fused trunk tree. I was wondering if anyone else has had luck with this and how they went about doing it.
My long term goal is to take my two trees placing them over a rock with their roots inter twined. Place the rock and the trees into a pot with bonsai soil and then wrap the rock, roots, and lower 1/2 of the trees in sphagnum moss.
I would like to add in smaller trees using the same method later on to fill in holes in the design as needed. I would be very interested in suggestions anyone might have.
Now im off to search for the perfect stone to start my design.

 

[Mike MoMo]

From what I have been told it helps to remove the bark and cadmium where you want the trunks to fuse. I have just started the process with three Salix cuttings. I have them wrapped with tree tape and tied with twine. It should work, speeding up what occurs in nature yet time will tell. With another 6 to 8 weeks of growing season it seems favorable. Good favor Good Growing.

 

[Jester217300]

cadmium

 

[coh]

I've been working on fusing branches on a couple of ficus (partly documented in http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/what-have-i-done-a-couple-of-new-ficus-trees.17182/). I wrapped them together tightly with raffia, some zip ties, and wire. Did not do any scoring of the branches, or removal of bark/cambium. Fusing is proceeding quite well, though obviously I can't say whether it would be more efficient if the bark was removed first. I think that is mainly recommended for approach grafts to prevent the thickening branch from pushing itself out of the channel.

 

[Mike MoMo]

Auto Correct Strikes Again!

 

[sorce]

Auto Correct Strikes Again!

Not so bad...some other "ium"s could get you on a watch list!
_________

I would imagine, using many whips of the same size would faster disguise where one begins and one ends...

I would also imagine, waiting to fill holes will just take way longer, and give you less control of the product.

I would also imagine, intertwining the roots means crossing them? Which will create odd spaces of bulge and look funny..
I would imagine, leaving them next to each other would look better.

I would grab a couple friends to help......
Cuz it sucks doing a ROR with one tree let alone 6-12....

But what do I knowdium, Its all imagined!

Sorce

 

[James H]

Thank you everyone that has reply so far. I will go ahead and try this project and see what happens. I just need to find the perfect rock to use as the base and then the fun will begin.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Willow Leaf will fuse, but not as quickly as natalensis. It will take more time with them wrapped.

 

[James H]

Someone here once told me that bonsai was about decades and inches. I try to take that to heart, I have nothing but time.

 

[petegreg]

Something up to your consideration... Once I was told ficus would never really fuse. The trunks can look fused, but the tree parts will remain autonomous. It should mean if I lose one tree, I'll lose a half of project. I don't know if it's correct. Here is my F. benjamina, born as a spiral approach of two house plants FB and FB variegata... The variegated part was 'eaten' by original form... only few years back it sprouted some variegated branch. That's a reason I tend to think the variegated variety is weaker. The tree had an terrible issue of scale insects last year, but now it's getting better and looks better as uploaded picture...


This is just an example to show up they are or can be really autonomous. Maybe the trunks of the same species and variety will act different.

 

[James H]

Wow that is amazing and makes a very interesting contrast. Have you see buds grow out with any of the white foliage anywhere else on the tree. I might have to try that as well just because it could make for something interesting. Your comment makes for a really good point and something to think about. It will be something that I will keep in the back of my mind as I move forward with this idea. I was thinking of using smaller trees to fill in holes in the overall design and maybe they will take or maybe they will stay more independent.

 

[petegreg]

Nope, thank you for interest, but this has ever given me only the white lowest branch as on the picture, nothing more.

 

[eferguson1974]

Cool project, Im trying to get about 15 small local figs to fuse. I just tied them together a couple weeks ago, but I kinda twisted them and overlaped here and there. I hope it comes out like a twisted old tree. I spread them out to make a nebari and the tallest in the middle, the idea being good taper and nebari control. I used tomato twine for staking plants because its what I have. Im wondering if I wire a few out as branches, if it will make a cool tree fast. I can get little stranglers by the dozen for free, pulling them off other trees. So I will probably bind up some more but scrape off some bark, to see if its faster or looks cooler.
I agree that the veriagated fb grows slower. I had a dwarf or a type with awesome ramification and leaves 1/4-1/3 the size of regular fbv or green. But I wasnt pacient and it got mad qnd gave up its ghost, to become jungle soil right next to the house. Now I have a regular size that was 6' or so but I struck a bunch of cuttings, which was easy but slow. Now I have an air layer to shorten it more, say to 3' or so. The layered off part should make a cool tree, it has unique movement, a perfect leader, and a big scare where a branch was lost and it healed. It too is taking longer to root than green ones.
Im looking for another small leaf specimen. Just the right one would make a cool literati or cascade, but a fat trunk would take a looong time I think.
I'll post a pic of my bound trees, just for a laugh. Like I said, there babies with weeks tied up, so no fusing yet.

 

[Labreapits]

It will take more time with them wrapped.

So it's better to somehow wire or cable tie them together, leaving the trunks unwrapped?

 

[Redwood Ryan]

So it's better to somehow wire or cable tie them together, leaving the trunks unwrapped?

Well no, wrapping is the best way. I just worded that poorly.

 

[Labreapits]

Well no, wrapping is the best way. I just worded that poorly.

I thought you meant that not wrapping them would allow more air or something to help them fuse more quickly. What did you mean? I have several that I am think of trying to fuse. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

I thought you meant that not wrapping them would allow more air or something to help them fuse more quickly. What did you mean? I have several that I am think of trying to fuse. Any advice would be appreciated.

Nah, air has nothing to do with it. You can wrap them in something expandable like grafting tape so the trunks don't swell over the tape as they fuse. Just wrap them and let them grow for a bit.

 

[Labreapits]

I was looking back through Jerry Meislik's book about Ficus.

On page 94 there is a picture of a multiple stem tree that is being fused together. It has a large trunk with may small stems coming off of it. They are tied together to fuse with what looks like black electrical tape and they are not wrapped solidly up the stems. There are several different groups of stems being fused together to make limbs and they have varying amounts of tape on them. Really looks like as long as they are being kept in close tight contact they are fine. Also if that is electrical tape it would stretch before cutting in.

Come to think of it Adam Lavigne used electrical tape to hold these tridents together.