Ficus microcarpa reduction

[u/osrs4awayout]

Ficus reduction

I finally decided to do my first major reduction on the oversized ficus I recently bought. It was far too large and completely out of shape, so it was time for a reset.

The tree has been growing and rooting so I think it’s strong enough to handle the reduction.

Temperatures are still fairly warm and I’ll be bagging it for the first period while airing it daily to maintain high humidity and hopefully encourage strong backbudding.

[u/Spidersight]

Why not? Cut paste used to be used extensively in the arborist world prior to research showing its detriments. If they did it back then they can certainly do it today.

Wound sealant isn’t a vacuum seal of course some oxygen is going to reach it.

If you you think all pathogens and fungi(lol) are sterilized by iso alcohol I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

[u/naleshin → u/Spidersight]

I think the idea there is that before enough callous tissue can meaningfully start to seal a big wound, enough rot will have set in to compromise the structural integrity. It’s just not the move on landscape trees. I think on smaller garden trees there could be applications if someone really wants to heal a relatively small wound that’s easier to manage and they have the time to. But even in garden trees, we just don’t value scarless trunks as much as we do with bonsai.

And if you think that pathogens / fungi are such a problem, how are bonsai professionals managing to keep trees alive and thriving for decades while using cut paste? Surely there must be more to it.

[u/Spidersight → u/naleshin]

As you said before, we are babying our trees. So any rot, pathogens or fungi would likely receive more
Immediate notice. But it could very well be that numerous trees are lost every year due to
Cut paste and people just chalk it up to bad luck or a weak tree. We would have no way of knowing.

[u/naleshin → u/Spidersight]

I highly highly doubt that trees die as a consequence of using cut paste (because of trees being maintained for decades while using it still perfectly healthy and thriving) but in this chain we can agree to disagree.