Bishopsford Bonsai Nursery and Asian Arts

Bonsai Things to do in Cape Town - February

2012-02-02T19:52:00.005+02:00

FEBRUARY

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel. Humidity %	Daily Sunshine Hrs	Temp. Max Celcius	Temp. Min Celcius
Feb	18,0	71	10,6	26,3	15,5

POSITION	This is the hottest month in our area and rain is very unlikely. Winds are infrequent but when they come they are very drying and blow what little humidity there may be away. Days are long. Long cool drinks and chats are the best way to spend evenings.
WATERING	Watering is the most vital job right now and forgetting, even for one day may be fatal!
FERTILISING	It is now very important to fertilise with nitrogenous fertiliser in order for trees to build up a good store of carbohydrates (energy producing sugars). This stored energy enables plants to put on good vigorous growth in spring and prevents die-back of small branchlets.
DISEASE CONTROL	Pests are particularly active so be observant. If a tree looks unhappy and if you do not know what is wrong seek help. Mites are active, they love still air.
PRUNING	Maintenance pruning should be kept up to date as in the next few months it may not be advisable to prune vigorously for fear of stimulating growth in winter. It is now still mid-summer.
POTTING	Figs and a few other evergreens may be potted if the day is not too hot. If it is absolutely necessary to pot a deciduous tree de-foliate it first.
REMARKS	This month and the next are the best time to take holidays in the Western Cape the weather is mostly rather settled and warm, good weather for outdoors. Look for stones and collect soil and compost for your mixes ready for autumn potting which comes round from March to May. Go on a suiseki hunt, rivers are often running low and stones may be exposed.

Bonsai Things to do in Cape Town - January

2012-01-27T19:50:00.001+02:00

JANUARY

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel. Humidity %	Daily Sunshine Hrs	Temp. Max Celcius	Temp. Min Celcius
Jan	11,6	70	11,1	26	15,7

POSITION	Long, hot, windy days, trees need protection & must not be allowed to dry out.
WATERING	Humidity is low, mist and place containers of water between trees to increase humidity. Trees that dry out may suffer leaf burn and die if left dry for too long. Watch watering carefully.
FERTILISING	Some trees, such as maples suffer from a combination of drying wind and build up of sodium in the soil which makes it difficult for them to take up moisture. Try sprinkling a small amount of gypsum on the soil and water well. All the watering causes’ nutrients to leach out of the soil so fertilise regularly. Fertilise flowering plants with 3:1:5.
DISEASE CONTROL	If trees are stressed use Superthrive in small doses to help them cope. Pests and diseases may be slightly less prevalent during these low humidity days but watch for them anyway and spray as necessary.
PRUNING	Maintenance pruning and nipping needs to be kept up and wiring may be done but watch lest branches thicken and cause wire scars. Strong growing and healthy deciduous bonsai may be de-foliated early this month to encourage a second growth season and to reduce leaf size.
POTTING	Figs may be potted now but it is too hot for most species to be potted.
REMARKS	A nice time of the year to get out and about, collect stones and rocks and even compost and gravel for mixing soils. Mosses mostly look unhappy during this time of year due to low humidity. Try to mist spray bonsai often.

Bishopsford Beginner's Bonsai Courses

2012-01-19T20:09:00.000+02:00

Just a reminder of the Beginners Bonsai Courses to be held at Bishopsford Bonsai Nursery:

Saturday 28 January 2012
Saturday 25 February 2012

These are intensive courses and they start promptly at 9am. It is advisable to arrive early. They should finish at about 4pm.

The best way to learn this art form is to create a bonsai for yourself and included in the cost of the course is:

A manual valued at R100
One years membership to the Cape Bonsai Kai valued at R195
A small tree and pot that you will turn into a bonsai, with our help

The programme includes three aspects of bonsai, namely;
Horticultural, Technical and Artistic

You need to bring:

A chair
A cup or mug
Lunch and liquid refreshments
Secateurs/Trimming Scissors (available at the nursery)
Paper and pen/pencil

The cost of the course is R450 per person or R650 per couple (one manual included).

If you would like to join us please contact us on (021) 790 3478 or leave a comment with an e-mail address so that we can send you a registration form.

Bonsai things to do in Cape Town - December

2011-12-01T08:00:00.002+02:00

DECEMBER

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel. Humidity %	Daily Sunshine Hrs	Temp. Max Celsius	Temp. Min Celsius
Dec	13,9	70	10,8	25,1	14,9

POSITION	The sun is high and the days are long, humidity is very low so trees may have to be moved to partial shade. It is kind to most bonsai if the ambient humidity could be increased by placing dishes or water around or by keeping ground under the benches damp. Misting is an ideal way of increasing moisture in the air.
WATERING	Frequent south-east winds blow during December drying bonsai out. A few hours of totally dry roots is enough to kill a tree, so this watering is a vital daily task.
FERTILISING	Constant watering leaches nutrients out of the soil and they need to be replaced. Do not feed totally dry trees, water them before applying fertilisers.
DISEASE CONTROL	Watch for insect pests and diseases, they do not take holidays, use appropriate measures. Remember it is normally inadvisable to mix pesticides together due to possible chemical reactions. Mix only as much pesticide or fetiliser as you can use at once, many chemicals, once mixed oxidise and may become harmful.
PRUNING	Maintenance pruning and nipping should be carried out this month. Some design pruning and wiring may also be done.
POTTING	The only trees that may be potted are wild figs. If very little root disturbance is required trees may be transferred to other pots.
REMARKS	This is show time and holidays. Enjoy both and visit bonsai friends. And give the gift of a Bonsai, it will be enjoyed for a lifetime.

Bonsai things to do in Cape Town - November

2011-11-01T08:00:00.004+02:00

NOVEMBER

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel. Humidity %	Daily Sunshine Hrs	Temp. Max Celsius	Temp. Min Celsius
November	13,7	70	10,3	23,6	13,0

POSITION	The start of hot dry summer weather may be experienced, some trees may need to be moved to less sunny spots or, if necessary, put up shade cloth. Remember, trees need very bright light for photosynthesis to operate so if shade cloth is used do not use types that cut out excess light.
WATERING	If the trees are outdoors daily watering is required unless it rains.
FERTILISING	Continue fertilising and feed flowering and fruiting bonsai with a fertiliser which is high in potassium such as 3: 1: 5.
DISEASE CONTROL	Pests are always around and a wary eye has to be kept out for them.
PRUNING	The frantic growth of spring may have slowed down a bit but it is still necessary to nip and perhaps a critical eye may be used to revise and update designs of trees. Look very carefully to ensure that top branches are not becoming too heavy and so on. Sort out secondary branches and the fine networks of branchlets so that they do not become an entangled mess.
POTTING	There is still time to pot many evergreens, watch the buds.
REMARKS	Visit other bonsai growers' collections and nurseries for inspiration. There is time for seed sowing and propagating by cuttings and air-layering. Clean-up, erect new benches... Do not be impatient but relax and enjoy everything you do as you do it.

Bonsai things to do in Cape Town - October

2011-10-01T08:00:00.002+02:00

OCTOBER SPRING!

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel. Humidity %	Daily Sunshine Hrs	Temp. Max Celsius	Temp. Min Celsius
October	32,7	74	8,9	21,2	10,6

POSITION	Early spring! All or nearly all deciduous plants are out in leaf, the soft new foliage is a delight. We normally still experience rain and some cool weather is still around. Days are definitely less cloudy and longer. The drying south-east wind has not started seriously but be careful of hot dry days.
WATERING	Daily watering of outdoor bonsai may be required unless it rains.
FERTILISING	This is the time of year when advantage must be taken of good strong growth and from now on feeding should be regular and conscientiously carried out. Trees put on girth and wiring must be carefully watched lest scars develop.
DISEASE CONTROL	Pests are starting to enjoy life and may be decimating bonsai. Judicious control needs to be exercised. Some pests are not easy to see or identify. If a tree is not looking "right" ask for help.
PRUNING	Nipping and feeding is what is done now, it may seem a contradiction to feed and then to nip most of the new growth off but that is the way to build up a fine structure of small branchlets and achieve detail design.
POTTING	Many evergreens may be potted now. Watch for swollen buds. The correct time is usually when buds are swollen but before the leaves unfurl. An exception may be figs it is far too early to pot them.
REMARKS	In our area the weather may be unfriendly with cold wind and rain but it is spring and when the weather is nice take the opportunity of collecting moss and stones for use with bonsai. It is also a good time to collect potential bonsai from the wild as long as the appropriate permission has been sought, have respect for the ecology. This is a very good time to plant seeds and to take cuttings

Bonsai things to do in Cape Town - September

2011-09-01T08:00:00.004+02:00

SEPTEMBER

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel. Humidity %	Daily Sunshine Hrs	Temp. Max Celcius	Temp. Min Celcius
Sept	41,7	77	7,7	19,2	8,7

POSITION	Still cold, rainy and windy but the signs of spring are emerging and buds are swelling. Some trees are well into new leaf.
WATERING	Water if it does not rain for a few days. Wind causes evaporation even on really cold days.
FERTILISING	As deciduous trees come into leaf they will benefit from light feeds. Evergreens that show signs of growth may also be fed lightly. Growth stimulants may be used but remember that they are not substitutes for fertiliser. After the heavy rains of winter nutrients have been leached out of the small quantity of soil in bonsai pots. Bonsai are dependant on feeding.
DISEASE CONTROL	Pests, especially sucking mites and some fungi are active, take steps to control if necessary before they debilitate a bonsai.
PRUNING	Allow the soft branchlets on deciduous trees to extend to about seven leaves and then prune back to 2 leaves. This is a vital exercise to build up a fine network of small branchlets (ramification).
POTTING	It is best to wait until next month for potting evergreens but some deciduous trees which are not yet in leaf may be judiciously potted.
REMARKS	An exciting time of the year for bonsai enthusiasts as new growth appears. It’s a good time to spring clean and tidy up. Do not be discouraged by the odd storm which causes a mess, look upon the clean-up as a relaxing and therapeutic exercise. Remove spent blossoms on winter flowering bonsai such as azaleas. The production of seed takes a lot out of a small bonsai.

Winter is a busy time for Bonsai enthusiasts

2011-08-15T09:00:00.002+02:00

The winter solstice was on the 21^st June and was the shortest day of the year, after this the days get longer and sap slowly starts to rise in many trees in preparation for spring.

DECIDUOUS TREES are the ones that lose their leaves in winter. These include Swamp Cypress (Taxodium), Chinese Hackberry and White Stinkwood (Celtis), Maples (Acer), Elms (Ulmus), Indigenous thorns (Acacia), Coral tree (Erythryna), Wild Tamarind Alibzia. Winter pruning has been done and it is the correct time to pot all the above trees in the next few weeks. You will need to have on hand; soil, pots, mesh to cover holes in pots, rocks if you want to try a “root over rock”, saikei or penjing. Moss and gravel as ground cover is essential for well dressed bonsai. We have a wide range of starters both young and mature collected material.

LOOK WITH THE EYES AND SEE WITH THE HEART

An important aspect of bonsai is in the “doing”. Designing, shaping, wiring and working on a tree is constructive and relaxing even if only one branch is finished at a time. Although the tree is never complete enjoy the journey towards achieving a beautiful tree. The nurturing of bonsai is in itself a satisfying and creative activity.

Join our Facebook page; Bonsai at Bishopsford

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bonsai-at-Bishopsford-South-Africa/187905357936327

Happy “potting” of the bonsai variety!

Beginner's Bonsai Courses

2011-08-14T17:05:00.002+02:00

We are pleased to announce the dates for the new season's One Day Beginners Bonsai Course to be held at Bishopsford Bonsai Nursery:

Saturday 15 October 2011
Saturday 26 November 2011
Saturday 28 January 2012
Saturday 25 February 2012

These are intensive courses and they start promptly at 9am. It is advisable to arrive early. They should finish at about 4pm.

The best way to learn this art form is to create a bonsai for yourself and included in the cost of the course is:

A manual valued at R100
One years membership to the Cape Bonsai Kai valued at R195
A small tree and pot that you will turn into a bonsai, with our help

The programme includes three aspects of bonsai, namely;
Horticultural, Technical and Artistic

You need to bring:

A chair
A cup or mug
Lunch and liquid refreshments
Secateurs/Trimming Scissors (available at the nursery)
Paper and pen/pencil

Bonsai things to do in Cape Town - August

2011-08-01T08:00:00.006+02:00

AUGUST

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel. Humidity %	Daily Sunshine Hrs	Temp. Max Celcius	Temp. Min Celcius
August	73,7	79	6,7	17,8	7,4

POSITION	Still wet, cold, windy and dark but beneath the gloom sap is rising and potting is hectic. Finish potting deciduous trees this month and add acacias to the list.
WATERING	Little watering required but be wary of consecutive dry days. Check drainage holes in pots and if trees are not draining properly lift them up and place coarse gravel under them.
FERTILISING	It is still very early to apply feeds but growth stimulants such as Superthrive may be used. Once growth commences fertilisers may be used.
DISEASE CONTROL	Pests are waking up and whilst humans are still reluctant to go outdoors pests may be damaging little trees. Take the necessary precautions.
PRUNING	Pruning may now be carried out freely, stimulating growth by pruning on both deciduous and evergreens are useful.
POTTING	Deciduous trees may still be potted but take care with evergreens it is still too cold for them. Only pot when the onset of growth is obvious.
REMARKS	August days are longer but temperatures are still lower than in June. This area is still in winter, so take care not to do things best left to spring.

SUISEKI AND PENJING

The weather is conducive to collecting rocks as SUISEKI or for creating PENJING. It is also very healthy both physically and mentally to get outdoors and to enjoy a special closeness with nature.

Bonsai things to do in Cape Town - July

2011-07-21T12:25:00.003+02:00

JULY

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel. Humidity %	Daily Sunshine Hrs	Temp. Max Celcius	Temp. Min Celcius
July	96,9	81	6,2	17,4	7,1

POSITION	The shortest day has passed and days are getting longer but only marginally. The daily sunshine hours are still short and trees may have to be moved to sunnier spots. In some cases shade cloth should be removed to allow for more light. It may be necessary to tie some trees down because of the strong north-west winds which blow now.
WATERING	The water table is high and frequent rains and dull days often mean wet conditions but, take care! A few dry days and bonsai could suffer. The winds are strong and frequent, shelter delicate trees and pots! Ensure that pots drain correctly.
FERTILISING	No point in fertilising this month - temperatures are too low.
DISEASE CONTROL	Snails and slugs are busy, use appropriate bait. Fungus spores may be active during wet humid conditions. It is never cold enough in our area to kill spores of fungus effectively. Spray with fungicides if necessary.
PRUNING	Winter prune and design prune deciduous trees.
POTTING	This is a really busy potting month for most deciduous trees such as celtis, ulmus, acer, taxodium, betula, carpinus, wisteria and malus. Visit a nursery for soil and pot supplies. It is always preferable to take a tree for which a pot is to be chosen to the pot supplier for direct selection.
REMARKS	A month when enthusiasm is sometimes at a low ebb but soon sap will be rising. Enjoy exchanging views with like minded people and reading books and maybe even surfing the web on Bonsai and related topics.

Join us on Facebook page

2011-07-20T20:26:00.000+02:00

We have started a Bonsai at Bishopsford Facebook page, if you would like to join us there.

The Magical Mystical Azalea

2010-05-14T10:17:00.013+02:00

HISTORY

Gentle, serene, tranquil, lovely, stunning, gorgeous, charming, delightful, exquisite are some adjectives used to describe azaleas - therefore, it is hard to imagine that azaleas made their debut into history by causing the demise of two armies. The story goes that around 400 BC a Greek army camped along the Black Sea became dangerously ill after eating honey made from the Pontic azalea growing in the area – 300 years later a Roman army was massacred at the same location after becoming stupefied from eating honey from the same source.

Azaleas can be deciduous or evergreen. Evergreens originate from China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan.

The deciduous ones are found in Southern Europe, Japan and China. Over half hail from the Eastern USA and Canada. In the sixteen hundreds azalea culture boomed in Japan and by the nineteen hundreds was firmly established in the West but thanks, mainly due to the Japanese there are now many thousands of hybrids.

AZALEAS AND BONSAI

Satsuki, Kurume and some garden varieties lend themselves particularly well to bonsai culture and with planning you could have bonsai in flower for most of the year. There are thousands of hybrids in the most astonishing range of vibrant colours and shapes. There is a huge following, in Japan and elsewhere of azalea enthusiasts resulting in exhibitions and magazines solely devoted to Azaleas.

GROWING CONDITIONS FOR AZALEA BONSAI

They like good light, preferably morning sun and dappled shade. They do not like fierce direct sun and strong drying winds.
They love water but need a soil that drains well, is moisture retentive, acidic and rich in organic matter (our mix of 60% compost and 40% coarse gravel with acid peat added works well). They are unforgiving if allowed to dry out totally and they love their foliage misted.
They like a pH of between 4,5 and 6,5.
They are shallow rooted with a dense mat of fibrous roots containing mycellia. Mycorrizal association describes root fungi (mycellia) and live in or on the roots of plants in a symbiotic relationship called mycorrizal association. The plants provide carbohydrates for the infecting fungus and the fungus enhances the plant assimilation of essential nutrients. In the case of azaleas a mycelium is internally situated in the roots of the plants. They have “lazy” roots which have difficulty penetrating from one medium to another, for this reason they are often initially unstable and definitely need to be wired into their pots.They shoot from hard wood
They are basely dominant and apically weak.
They have extremely thin bark which marks easily.
There are very brittle.
A well planned feeding and pruning programme will give you a good display of flowers but first concentrate on creating a good bonsai. The flowers are an added bonus – we are growing bonsai not potted azaleas.

TRAINING

They are highly suitable for most styles. For more details see; John Naka’s Bonsai Techniques for Satsuki – 1979.

Styling can either be by pruning or wiring or both.
Bark should be protected with raffia when wiring and too thinner strand of wire are preferred to on thick strand.
Pruning is done at different times of the year to accomplish different purposes.
Bud thinning can be utilised if you want an even, stylistically arranged distribution of flowers which all bloom at the same time.

PESTS DISEASES AND PROBLEMS

Generally azaleas seem to be rather pest free but can be attacked by; mites, white fly, scale and various chewing insects.

Treatment – Garden Ripcord or Koinor

Diseases - Various fugal infections

Treatment - Rosecare

PROBLEMS

The biggest problem I have encountered is chlorosis which can be either lime induced or can be inherent in the plant’s cell sap. If it is a problem of the pH of the soil the pH may be lowered by using magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts or ammonium sulphate). If it is an internal plant problem there does not seem to be much that can be done.

PROPAGATION

Cuttings
I have had most success with hard and semi-hardwood cutting in spring to late autumn using rooting hormone and equal quantities of vermiculite and perlite as the growing medium.
B. Air-layering – spring
C. Ground layering – spring to late autumn

MY PROGRAMME FOR SATSUKI AND KURUME AZALEAS

April / May / June / July / August

1. Flowering – dead head
2. Plant is dormant
3. Period of flowering depends on aims and method
4. Pruning – only the odd rogue shoot
- don’t upset the balance of the tree

Fertilising – again don’t upset the balance
- Fertilising may blemish the blooms
- light application of Seagro, or Nitrosol

August / September

Pruning
New trees – hard design pruning
Developed Trees – new growth at the ends of each tip one to six shoots. If you need length and breadth leave one or two shoots. In addition twigs can all be cut back.

Potting and re-potting

Azaleas are re-potted after flowering when they start their new growth period.

Azaleas must always be secured into the pot because although they usually have a dense mat of fibrous root this is slow to penetrate into the new mix making the tree unstable in the wind
I use the wedge method which seems to suit the fine roots better and ensures that with root pruning you don’t keep cutting the root tips off with the mycelium.
provide there is enough fibrous root hard roots can be totally removed
Soil must drain well, be water retentive and acidic – gravel, compost and peat
Frequency of re-potting – only when roots reach the reach the limits of the pot – 2 to 3 years

FERTILISING

High nitrogen to promote lots of new growth needed to promote good floral display. Examples; Nitrosol, Seagro, Hortisol, Phostrogen, Bloodmeal, ammonium sulphate. Weak solution and frequently. Watering should be carefully monitored.

OCTOBER

Nip and prune to shape
High nitrogen feed
Pest control
Arrival of south-easter – diligent watering

JANUARY / FEBRUARY / MARCH

Stop nipping and pruning – growth should now be balanced and buds are developing
Protect from south Easter and fierce sun
Water diligently
Fertiliser – feed for flowering – 3:1:5

APRIL

From now on you can sit back and enjoy the blooms that you worked so hard to encourage

RECOMMENDED READING

Floral Treasures of Japan by Alexander Kennedy
Satsuki Azaleas by Robert Callaham
Azaleas, Rhododendrons and Camellias – Sunset Book
Bonsai Techniques for Satsuki by John Y Naka, Richard K Ota, Kenko Rokkaku.

The Wonderful World of Figs

2009-11-29T11:18:00.009+02:00

The figs are possibly the very best species of tree to cultivate as bonsai in warmer areas. They are chiefly from frost free climes and there are several hundred species, mostly from Asia, with 23 from South Africa. In the milder climates of the world figs are extremely popular and wonderful specimens can be seen in Florida, California, Hawaii and all over the Far East. They are extensively and successfully grown as indoor bonsai all over the world.

The leaves of most fig trees miniaturise obligingly if frequently nipped and pruned. The first leaves on new branchlets are smaller getting bigger as the branchlets extend and the inter-nodal distances become longer. Always nip in front of a small leaf and new ones come out still smaller.

These trees are often grown in upright and slanting trunk styles but they may also be grown as semi-cascade or even cascade styles. There are some very interesting group and clump styles. They all develope wonderful roots and exposed root, root-over rock and even aerial roots can make stunning features on well designed trees. Surface roots are frequently outstanding focal points much appreciated by lovers of bonsai. Roots exposed to light thicken, a feature that can be creatively exploited.

As the wood is soft jins are not an option, but shari can be incorporated into designs although the tendency will be for them to heal over.

These are most obliging and forgiving trees to work with, if wired, the new positions are fixed quickly. Wired branches have to be watched carefully lest they develope scars from wire biting in. They put on new branches everywhere from dormant nodes. They posses strong apical and terminal dominance so it is necessary to control the ends of branches and the apex so that they do not become too dominant.

These trees can well be used for advanced bonsai techniques such as grafting and several trees can be intertwined or wrapped together for spectacular effects. They fuse quickly and easily and very impressive nibbara can be formed. Wrapped around rocks they grasp the rock in a relatively short time and the composition becomes a cohesive unit. Root over rock is easily managed but be careful to use rocks of sufficient stature and size lest the rock becomes lost in a jungle of roots.

Diseases such as black spot or late blight may be controlled by spraying with Rosecare while aphids, scale, mites and mealybug may be sprayed with Chlorpiriphos or Garden Gun. Caterpillars and snout beetles are controlled by spraying with Garden Ripcord. They are sometimes attacked by a wood boring worm which can have devastating results. If you notice sawdust, look for a hole in a branch or trunk and inject, using a hypodermic syringe, with standard dilution of Metasystox and water which should kill the worm. Sometimes it is useful to probe the hole with a piece of wire and thus remove the pest.

Figs are gross feeders and for best healthy appearance need regular fertilising combined with frequent nipping.

We have had experience with the following varieties;

· Ficus salicifolia (syn. Nerifolia?). A very desirable fig with narrow leaves similar to the willow tree which miniaturise very well. They present excellent growth patterns, develope fine branch ramification and develope good surface roots and trunk taper. The very prominent aerial roots may be incorporated into imaginative and creative designs. Exceptionally good as bonsai.

· F. microcarpa. Really great bonsai specimens may be seen in the warmer Asian countries. These trees develope magnificent broad bases and wonderful canopies of dense foliage with complicated and intricate branch patterns. They have all the attributes needed for good bonsai and amazing results can be attained in a relatively short time.

· F. benjamina. A tropical variety with fairly stiff growth habit. Two suitable horticultural variations are f. benjamina nana and f. benjamina varigata.

· F. religiosa. This is the bodhi or peepul tree with very attractively shaped but rather large leaves. It is a tropical tree and due to the very large leaves not particularly suitable for bonsai cultivation. The leaves miniaturise considerably but even at one twentieth of their natural size are still big. The tree has significance in many Oriental religions, for example it is the tree under which the Buddha sat meditating when he attained enlightenment.

The following are figs indigenous to South Africa which have been tried - botanical names are used throughout as there seems to be some confusion with common names;

· Ficus bizanae (Pondoland fig). These trees have very good surface roots and trunk bases but the leaves are rather large although they do miniaturise. The petioles are long so that the mature leaves hang down.

· F. burt-davyi (Veld fig). There are numerous variations of this tree some with very small leaves and short inter-nodal distances. They make excellent bonsai from shohin sized upwards. The leaves are usually greyish.

· F. craeterastoma (forest Fig). Similar to natalensis and thonningii but the ends of the leaves are usually (but not always) truncated. There are some excellent bonsai specimens. Because of its somewhat stiff growth habit it is not quite as good as natalensis.

· F. ingens (Red-leafed fig). Rather large and longer leaves and "difficult" growth patterns. The writer has never seen an excellent specimen.

· F. natalensis & thonningii (Wild fig)). Because of the ease with which natalensis and thoningii can be confused they are handled together. This is surely one of the best indigenous figs for bonsai cultivation. They have all the horticultural advantages plus very pleasing growth patterns. There is a mutant available with narrow and smaller leaves which looks promising for our practice.

· F. sur. (formerly capensis) (Cape fig). There are some very good bonsai specimens around. The leaves are large but do miniaturise to an extent. Not as good as natalensis.

Undoubtedly the best trees for indoor cultivation, figs come from warmer parts of the globe and naturally do not require big temperature differences and rest periods. They are tolerant to a wide range of humidity levels. In common with all hard wood subject they need high levels of light for photosynthesis to operate ideally so they should be kept in a bright spot or under artificial light.

If you haven't yet tried a fig its time to do so - you will not be disappointed!

Refs.; SA Ficus by Martinus Steyn

Trees of Southern Africa by Keith Coates Palgrove