I had a question about my Ligustrum chinensis that I thought I would throw
out to the list. The thing is growing like a weed, but I am somewhat
concerned about it losing leaves.

Ligustrum chinensis is deciduous with an urge to be evergreen, but I wouldn't worry about it losing leaves. You should, however, find out if it is hardy in your region, and if so, put it outdoors.

Everyone: Thanks for the Bucida advice! I was able to calm the mind of a newbie. Here's my next question: Someone just bought a large fig with a "dead area". He hopes he can encourage the cambium to heal over the dead area. Now, we'll leave aside the
troubling question of what killed the dead area. I have no experience with large figs; my figs don't heal over cuts worth a damn; is it likely this tree will?


Nina Shishkoff


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Nina Shishkoff wrote:

snip

Everyone: Thanks for the Bucida advice! I was able to calm the mind of a newbie. Here's my next question: Someone just bought a large fig with a "dead area". He hopes he can encourage the cambium to heal over the dead area. Now, we'll leave aside th
e troubling question of what killed the dead area. I have no experience with large figs; my figs don't heal over cuts worth a damn; is it likely this tree will?

Nina Shishkoff


Nina:
Jerry Meslik is probably the person to answer, but I'll throw in my limited experience. I have a Ficus Too Little that I did a major cut on three years ago. I did the cut right at the point where several major branches came out of the trunk. This is a b
room-style tree, more or less. For a couple of years it healed over at a good rate, but has slowed down some now. The trunk diameter at the cut is about 1.25
inches.

Craig Cowing
NY
zone 5b/6a sunset 37

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************************************************** ******************************
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+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

... deciduous with an urge to be evergreen Nina

Well Doc, I like what Walter Pall has to say on the subject. He says that
only in the US do we talk about deciduous and evergreen. Everywhere else
they talk about conifers or needled trees vs. leafed trees. I think this
definition helps us to realize that evergreens only appear that way because
they bear one- and two-year-old needles over the winter. Eventually they
lose the old needles too. So when we talk about ligustrum having an "urge
to be evergreen", we really mean that they carry their last year's leaves
( leathery tho' they may be) into the winter. This should help explain the
phenomenon to your correspondent.
Marty P.S. Happy New Year!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nina Shishkoff"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2004 9:46 AM
Subject: [IBC] ligustrum [and extra added fig question]


I had a question about my Ligustrum chinensis that I thought I would
throw
out to the list. The thing is growing like a weed, but I am somewhat
concerned about it losing leaves.

Ligustrum chinensis is deciduous with an urge to be evergreen, but I
wouldn't worry about it losing leaves. You should, however, find out if it
is hardy in your region, and if so, put it outdoors.

Everyone: Thanks for the Bucida advice! I was able to calm the mind of a
newbie. Here's my next question: Someone just bought a large fig with a
"dead area". He hopes he can encourage the cambium to heal over the dead
area. Now, we'll leave aside the troubling question of what killed the dead
area. I have no experience with large figs; my figs don't heal over cuts
worth a damn; is it likely this tree will?


Nina Shishkoff



************************************************** **************************
****
++++Sponsored, in part, by Jarbas Godoy ++++

************************************************** **************************
****
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Jarbas Godoy ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Healing a large cut on a fig is no easy chore. Mainly because most of us
grow these trees indoors and growth is thus much slower.
Any cut heals only because of growth of the trunk around the damaged area,
and this occurs in relationship to how much green foliage is growing near
the cut.
It will help to allow rampant growth of the tree.
It will help to allow branches as close to the cut to grow unrestrained.
If the cut is old damage the callus to stimulate it to grow again.
Most helpful, will be to turn the tree around so the cut will not be as
visible!
Keep your fingers crossed.
Jerry Meislik
Whitefish Montana USA
Zone 4-5
http://www.bonsaihunk.8m.com/
Nina Shishkoff wrote:

snip

Everyone: Thanks for the Bucida advice! I was able to calm the mind of a
newbie. Here's my next question: Someone just bought a large fig with a
"dead area". He hopes he can encourage the cambium to heal over the dead
area. Now, we'll leave aside the troubling question of what killed the dead
area. I have no experience with large figs; my figs don't heal over cuts
worth a damn; is it likely this tree will?

Nina Shishkoff


Nina:
Jerry Meslik is probably the person to answer, but I'll throw in my limited
experience. I have a Ficus Too Little that I did a major cut on three years
ago. I did the cut right at the point where several major branches came out
of the trunk. This is a broom-style tree, more or less. For a couple of
years it healed over at a good rate, but has slowed down some now. The trunk
diameter at the cut is about 1.25
inches.

Craig Cowing
NY

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Jarbas Godoy ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

... deciduous with an urge to be evergreen Nina

Well Doc, I like what Walter Pall has to say on the subject.
He says that
only in the US do we talk about deciduous and evergreen.
Everywhere else
they talk about conifers or needled trees vs. leafed trees. I
think this
definition helps us to realize that evergreens only appear that
way because
they bear one- and two-year-old needles over the winter.
Eventually they
lose the old needles too. So when we talk about ligustrum
having an "urge
to be evergreen", we really mean that they carry their last
year's leaves
( leathery tho' they may be) into the winter. This should help
explain the
phenomenon to your correspondent.
Marty P.S. Happy New Year!

I agree with a lot of what Walter says, but here he is wrong.
"Deciduous" is the correct botanical term (no matter where you
live) for trees that lose their leaves once a year, leaving their
branches bare. There are evergreen "leafed" trees just as there
are deciduous "needled" trees. And, "Needles" and "Leaves" are,
of course, both LEAVES.

NO tree keeps a leaf forever. Some "evergreens" lose leaves
continuously over the course of a year; pines may be the prime
example. Other evergreen "leafed" trees lose their leaves as the
new leaves appear -- giving the impression that they are always
in leaf. Here in the south, the live oak (Q, virginiana) is a
prime example; it loses its leaves over the course of 2-3 days
every spring. It is bare for such a short time that we call it
"evergreen," though it really isn't. Southern magnolia, some
holly and other broad-leafed trees are never bare, but drop
leaves all year long; they are true evergreens. Elm, maple,
sweetgum, etc. lose leaves in the fall and are bare all winter,
typical deciduous trees. The American beech's leaves die in the
fall, but the brown leaves cling to the branches all winter (I've
often wondered what the evolutionary "reason" was for this!),
dropping just before new buds swell and new leaves appear. A few
trees appear to be AC/DC in that in cold climes they'll lose
their leaves and in warm climes they will keep them -- or appear
to. Ligustrum chinensis and some of the Chinese elms appear to
be in this category.

There just is NO way to make such a distinction as Walter's, and
it certainly is scientifically inaccurate. Nature is infinitely
variable. Walter is one of the best bonsai stylists, but . . .
;-)

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Nature
encourages no looseness, pardons no errors. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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************************************************** ******************************
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+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Morning Folks,
Nina,

under tropical conditions,you can encourage the ficus b.
[all I can say is it's the glossy leaf type seen as trees in the
mall/shopping centre.],to heal large wounds,even without
growing long branches.Just keep the leaf mass high.

If you need an image I can send one of a fairly small
airlayer that is about 10" [25+cm] with a well healed over
large wound on the upper part of the trunk.

This tree has never been allowed to extend branches and
leaf density has been kept high to encourage a large trunk
but small tree.
The pot has never been deeper than 2"[5cm] nor longer
than 10"[25+cm].

Aside,I only just realised that this ficus prefers,light shade
and lives on less than 1"[2.5cm]of soil,as long as it stays
moist [the soil that is].I even have aerial roots beginning to
descend.
Yes,folks I have an actual semi-successful,Ficus Bonsai.
Clap,clap,chuckle.

Hope this helps.
Khaimraj
[West Indies/Caribbean]

Wow it's 6.30 and now becoming light.


-----Original Message-----
From: Nina Shishkoff
To:
Date: 06 January 2004 6:46
Subject: [IBC] ligustrum [and extra added fig question]
snip

Here's my next question: Someone just bought a large fig with a "dead
area". He hopes he can encourage the cambium to heal over the dead area.
Now, we'll leave aside the troubling question of what killed the dead area.
I have no experience with large figs; my figs don't heal over cuts worth a
damn; is it likely this tree will?


Nina Shishkoff


************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Jarbas Godoy ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++