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The tree I lost was the very big/ugly water jasmine in the pot in the photo. Of course it didn't help the night the guys climbed over the gate and tried to steal it. Trying to wiggle it out of the chain around the base they broke every single root.

I've had this ficus sitting around for a while and the size/movement seemed about right...sooooooo...
I wired and pruned it hard last year ( a few times ) but have sort of let it go. This first pic shows it as it was set in the pot.

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A few pounds of tree later. The tree is back to its original form (windswept) and the old branch structure is seen. It was re-set so the branches need wired all over again to get them in the new direction for this setting. I may even lean it a little more in the future.

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There are also two bad pruning cuts which will need to be ground out after the wiring is done. Yes, branch number 4 goes left then the secondary branches go back to the right. Now there's enough space to fly a 767 through ;))

Bob

I like that fukien pruned like that!!!!! you see what i was talking in our other post...send it to west virginia please.....good job john

John, if you saw the pics when it was ready to display for Tet you will realize that I lost over half of the branches. There really is no character or form to the tree, just a fat stick with some leaves LOL. It will take time to even get close to where it was before and, the first design took over 2 years to get right.

Bob

STILL Like it and it will only get better..the ficus looks good and i bet they grow fast over there john

Bob,
that's a damned rotten bit of luck...
but you're making a lot of progress, and quickly...
I have faith in these trees.

Josh

They will come along pretty fast. I'll do what I did before and post some pics as I work with them, that way the less experienced on here may learn a few things. The weather has been moderating a little more so there may even be some new growth to work with.

Bob

A few of the problem areas on the FT. These were very well hidden by foliage pads before the little disaster screwed it all up. Those branches are now dead, sooooo...

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It's about time for a little die grinder action -- clean things up and create (maybe) a little drama with this tree.

Bob

Changes, a little die-grinder action to create some drama and clean up the areas which were hidden before...

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This is only the beginning, the main areas are hogged-out and now I'll use a smaller bit to do the detail work. I'd give a lot to be able to get my hands on some lime-sulphur but none available.

Bob

Finished grinding and pruning -- for now. It will take some time to re-develop the foliage pads and even get close to where they were before but, I have 6 months until the Tet display.
I'll post a few more pics as the tree progresses in the coming months.
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Bob

This is the third time cutting the tree back since I began to restyle it. The main branches have taken a set and it's just a matter of holding them in place a little longer.
What I'm doing now is working on ramification, each secondary branch is now about an inch longer and has 2 new breaks. I want this to continue until there are 3 pads of foliage; one large one as the crown and two smaller ones framing the trunk from the back.
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Above pic before cutting back...

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After, everything is cut back but about an inch longer than the last time with at least one more branch...ramification continues...

Bob

This is the fourth hard pruning for re-construction, the tree has been dormant off and on for most of the summer due to the heat.

The pics show what has grown in, in the past month and what I did today to chase things back once again.

Bob

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Above are 'before'

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