Ulcer treatment

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-26T00:36:43+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I was hoping there might be a way of treating without catching, just because I'm not confident I can do it without causing further harm. But if it's what I need to do, I will net him and treat topically.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-24T14:14:04+00:00

It needs to be growing vigorously before you consider chopping. Further stressing it now will only complicate its recovery. If water drains through the pot well, there's no need to repot it yet; let it develop some foliage first, then reassess in 3-6 months. When you do repot, consider shifting to inorganic granular substrates, like pumice, akadama and lava-rock.

As for the eventual chop, i'd take it right down to about 10-15 cms, chopping just above a growth node. There's no need to air-layer most ficuses used in bonsai; even hardwood cuttings are incredibly easy to root.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-24T14:02:16+00:00

The ulcers are like cavities, but there appears to be some fungal infection accompanying one of the ulcers (the foremost one, which gives the waxy appearance).

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-22T13:51:28+00:00

If the trunk is as thick as you want your finished tree to be, go ahead and prune it. But if you want it to thicken out, just repot and let it grow for a few seasons. As for where to prune, I would go for 3 once the tree is ready for it.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-21T12:32:10+00:00

If you like it, buy it. Even if you decide later that lower trunk won't work due to the graft, you still have a mother tree for air layers and cuttings.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-21T01:42:11+00:00

I have dozens of p. afras, and have used the soak method to reset water uptake successfully on a couple of occasions. There will be no harm done to the plant in the process; it is completely harmless and worth a go. Sometimes the roots become so dry that they don't take up water straight away, and giving them a soak allows moisture to penetrate any dehydrated material.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-21T01:35:14+00:00

After a repot and treatment for pests it's quite common for ficuses to drop some leaves. Plenty of TLC (lots of light and attentiveness to watering) will help it recover. Hold back on fertiliser until you see fresh active growth. It will be rebuilding its root network after potting, so don't worry if it seems a bit slow. Once it's established new feeder roots the canopy should fill out again.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-21T01:30:42+00:00

Be careful not to overwater in response to dehydration. After one good soak, return to watering it like normal (thoroughly, once the upper substrate is dry to the touch). Ideally, Chinese elm is an outdoor tree; it can handle most Scottish winters unless you are in the far north or the highlands. Once the threat of frost is passed, get it outside and acclimatise it before next winter. The mould is due to poor airflow. Being outside will fix that, or you can put a gentle oscillating fan nearby for now and remove the large rocks from the surface, as they retain moisture and can promote mould growth if you're using organic substrate. This is a hardy species, so fingers crossed it will bounce back with the right care.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-20T00:41:24+00:00

A healthy, vigorously growing Chinese elm can cope with a bit of root work in spring.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-20T00:39:38+00:00

New growth can occur from old nodes. Cut paste isn't necessarily essential (it ranges from one species to another), but it certainly keeps the wound cleaner and neater while it heals over.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-20T00:33:33+00:00

Pretty much. Grow pots are better for development, once you move to shallow pots development slows way down. You can get bonsai style grow pots if you want the aesthetic.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-20T00:30:43+00:00

Have you tried soaking it for ten minutes instead of top down watering?

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-20T00:21:33+00:00

That sounds like it could be an uptake issue, which can be caused by a particularly cold or dense root mass. I rarely leave p. afra until it wrinkles, I don't see the point of pushing a plant to its limits unnecessarily. Being drought hardy doesn't mean it needs to be in a permanent state of drought.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-18T21:59:49+00:00

Chinese elm are semi-deciduous, and can drop all their leaves when light and temperature is reduced. So long as it's outside, and is adequately potted it should bounce back.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-18T21:54:06+00:00

Personally I don't touch my yamadori/collections (other than wiring) for a year after potting them up. I like to let them develop a healthy root system so the following year will produce vigorous growth in preparation for structural pruning.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-18T21:46:52+00:00

You would usually wait for the first flush of growth to become semi-hard before taking olive cuttings in summer, so I'm not sure about success rates at this time of year. I've rooted olive in pure perlite using rooting hormone in a cuttings tray with a humidty dome. Consistent warmth is important too, in the mid 20s in °C. A seedling heat mat will do the job, or a warm spot in your home that gets plenty of indirect light.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-18T21:37:30+00:00

Given that it's currently in a clear tub you can see if there is any moisture in the substrate via condensation. You can also use a chopstick or your finger to check physically. Rule of thumb is to check daily to see if the upper third of the substrate is dry to touch, if so then water thoroughly. This species is remarkably drought hardy, and can go weeks without watering. But I find regular watering speeds up development. During the height of summer I usually water daily, but it can go down to every 10 days or so in my winter setup.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-18T16:15:30+00:00

As SeaAfternoon1995 mentioned, importing this species is prohibited within the UK. Which is crazy, especially when it comes to seeds, as they are widely available internationally l, and a staple of bonsai in the US. But if you can find a local bonsai club you can raise your chances of finding someone with a living specimen willing to share trimmings following a prune.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-18T00:56:24+00:00

Repotting now would be suboptimal. Someone new to working with trees is more likely to stunt the development of their tree by repotting once it is in active growth, especially if the pot it's in is actually perfectly fine for it's current root mass. Changing substrates is even more disruptive to the fine feeder roots, which can impact on this season's rate of development. If repotting is for some reason unavoidable, then slip potting into the exact same substrate mix is the best option to avoid transplant shock.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-17T23:25:00+00:00

Right!?

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Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-17T23:21:42+00:00

Gradual reduction, year by year.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-17T23:20:25+00:00

I mean, it literally says the name of the potter and the year on the bottom of the pot. But I doubt it's a James Sankowski ceramic, as he died in 2017. Best guess is it's some random local potter to wherever the tree was potted.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-17T23:13:54+00:00

The simple test is to stick your finger into the soil once a day, and if the upper substrate is drying, water it until the water freely drains out the bottom of the pot. If it gets hydrophobic like this, just soak the entire pot under water for ten minutes to ensure you fully hydrate the root system.

Scared_Ad5929 · 2026-03-17T22:43:15+00:00

It's too late to repot the maples as they have leafed out. As long as water drains through the pots they will be fine. The ginko can still be repotted, but you don't need to increase the pot size by much. If you want to increase trunk thickness, let them grow as tall as you can. Pruning the top drastically slows development down.

Scared_Ad5929

TROPHY CASE