repotted G I F

[dolicus]

I repotted one of the green islands today.
To get it to sit nicely I had to take a lot of the roots off.
The plant has a long trailing branch that sits lower than the pot base.
We are having hot and very dry conditions so I will have to keep an eye on it.
I have used a little perlite in the mix to try and keep it from drying out to fast.
Would anyone know of a better product that I could use?

[taffyman]

How deep is the pot Dolicus? It's been pretty hot up here over the last week or so, but I've only been watering every two days, and my pots haven't dried out much in between. I don't put anything extra in for moisture retention, but you could use some chopped up Sphagnum moss or as a last resort a few water crystals. Personally I'm not keen on water crystals and it seems 'school is still out' on whether the water they retain is readily available to the plants but it'd be worth a try if your pots are drying out too quick. Don't put too many in though or you'll end up with a real gluggy mess that won't drain.

[dolicus]

Thanks for your reply.
The pot is a oval shape about 2.5 cm deep x 30cm in length.
The plant seems to be going ok with no signs of stress.
Its one of the GIF with the pointy leaf.
I have some in the ground which I have been shaping and plan to lift them next year.
I need to find some nice pots.
I really love the ones with the more rounded leaf.
I have a few small plants that I have just put in the ground with the view to use them as parent plants.
So much to do.

[Joanna]

Please! What is G I F and green islands? Curiosity has the better of me! BTW- when I can -I give my pots a deep drink occasionally by immersing the whole pot in a bucket of water; avoids that compacting at the bottom.

[dolicus]

Sorry GIF short for Green Island Fig. They are one of my favourite plants.

[Sam]

Please! What is G I F and green islands? Curiosity has the better of me! BTW- when I can -I give my pots a deep drink occasionally by immersing the whole pot in a bucket of water; avoids that compacting at the bottom.

You get used to the bonsai 'speak'...eventually...

[taffyman]

You do??????

[Sam]

sort of...