The Ficus Tree – A warning to all!
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Three days ago I started the daunting task of digging out the trunk and root system of two Ficus trees I unknowingly planted. It’s not that I didn’t know they were Ficus’s, I did but they had lived in pots for ten plus years and never really grown much bigger so I figured the same would happen in the ground.
I was very very wrong!
Research First
Don’t do as I did and randomly plant trees in your yard, do some research first. They had been in the ground just over two years and had already managed to crack our driveway and lift the pavers in the backyard. Both warning sign’s I didn’t attribute it to the trees that were flourishing in my garden beds until my boss mentioned how much damage they could do.
Only then did I leap to google to confirm his cautionary words.
Save Yourself
Google could have saved me the pain and tears of having to cut them down. Yes, I cried! They are living things, I was so torn at having to cut them down that I made my husband do it. It could have also saved me the aches and pains of having to dig the root systems out and the linked worry that the roots may have already invaded the pipes.
Stump number one!
Not to mention the time. I had assumed a few hours at the most and given it was a long weekend I could spare that for some gardening. It started off well with stump number one coming out in just under an hour of digging, you can see my adventure with him here: Good Friday, The Good, The Bad & The Ficus!.
Stump number two, plus surprise roots as big as the trunk!
So I assumed that stump number two albeit it slightly bigger would give me similar grief. Again I was wrong, Ficus number two was still not yielding after two hours of solid digging. The main stump had been removed but the roots attached to that were just as big as the original stump and there were four of them protruding deep into the earth.
A least I found something fun!
Called it a day
Didn't realise it was bleeding until after I wiped dirt in it!
I called it a day as the sun had cut through the clouds and the UV rating in Western Australia is very high even on a cloudy day. That and I was starting to get careless in my frustration, which in my case often leads to injury. This one only minor but annoying all the same. I did find some bounty prior to throwing in the towel, three mini bottles about a meter down but I will tell you more about them below.
Enter day three
Yes, my few hours had dragged out for the entire long weekend. Lucky for me, today my hubby @shai-hulud was up early and on the case. I think he may have had something to prove as he had told me that it was impossible to get the roots out and after my day one’s success and day’s two attempts he decided it may not be impossible just hard.
Husband jumps to it! Success of a sorts
Soon into it, he hit a pipe and fears crept in. Staying positive I moved onto the mowing and weeding as while the hole was deep, it was only wide enough for one person to work. He traced the roots around the pipes digging deeper as he went, once we were sure they had not pierced the pipes we cut them off low to avoid any interaction with future growth.
Roots removed, lawned mowed, we did more but I hadn't taken a final photo and was too lazy to put clothes on venture outside to take one. #sorrynotsorry
Don’t forget to poison the roots
The lawn was mowed by this time and the sun was out beating its beautiful rays against our backs, so we retreated to the house. Tomorrow morning we will drill holes into the remaining root stumps and pour kerosene into them to poison them. They are known for their regrowth abilities and I would hate to run into problems in the future if I sprung a Ficus.
Even if you chop it down, those slithering roots may continue to invade for years.
Fun facts about Ficus’s
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- There are about 850 species ranging from trees to vines.
- They are often collectively called Fig trees
- While distinguishing between species can be hard collectively they are known for their aerial root systems.
- They are very popular indoor houseplants but are rainforest giants in their natural habitat.
- If you were to take that house plant and put it in the garden it could easily grow in excess of 15m (50′) tall x 12-15m (40-50′) wide.
- They have been known to break free of their pots and take root into the ground if left unattended.
- For this reason, you should always stand your potted fig tree on something to separate it from the pavers or cement.
All evergreen Ficus, or figs, have vigorous, invasive root systems and grow into large trees, making them unsuitable to plant in residential gardens. ... Even in pots, they're remarkable escape artists; unless the pot is elevated, the roots can grow out of the drainage holes and find the soil.
Lessons learnt
- Do some research before you add trees to your garden.
- Not all trees from pots need or should go into the garden.
- Nothing is impossible albeit may take more time and effort than you would like to give.
- Stay sun smart & look after you, if it takes you three days to do it then take three days, no use killing yourself in one if you can’t enjoy the days after.
Booty found!
Yes I almost forgot, we found three mini bottles about a meter down, surprisingly only one was chipped and the other two were in pristine condition, although in need of a good wash. One of the three bottles has markings on the bottom and after some research, we found that it was made by a company called Potter & Moore, they started in 1749 making lavender oil, moving into perfumes and smelling salts. They were purchased by Creightons in 1954 and still sell health and beauty products today.
I was unable to find information on the other bottles but do love the long thin one. Does anyone have any ideas as to what it could have been used for? The last one is slightly broken, which is sad as it is actually quite beautifully made. It was much harder to clean and I am guessing it was used as some sort of an ink pot as it died my hands and sink as I started cleaning it. I will let it soak for the next few days and add a succulent to it before adding it to my new garden bed.
A work in progress now we have dealt with the errors of times past. I am excited at the possibilities and look forward to keeping you updated with my gardening ventures. Just kidding, I hate gardening and I kill most of what I touch so I am not so much excited as pensive but only time will tell.
Thanks for reading.
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