Page 33 - BSAM 2015 Q1

The Wonderboom style plant- ing featured in this article was constructed at the 3rd African Convention in Durban 2011
Top left; A number of smaller saplings that will become future shorter trunks
Top right; Preparing the indi- vidual trees by cleaning and pruning roots and bending branches into “elbows.”
Middle; The larger trees are tied together to form the main trunk.
Bottom; Done for now, the planting in 2011.
They are also robust, vigorous and their leaves have the ability to reduce in size considerably.
This particular planting was created with Ficus natalensis, but some of the other indigenous varieties like Ficus craterostoma or any of the thonningii group would also be suitable.
Most species with similar characteristics would be acceptable candidates to create a Wonderboom style. It is also preferable to use cuttings from the same mother plant as even small intra-species variations can spoil the uniform appearance of the end result.
The best time to create this planting is during the growing season. Select ten to fifteen, two- to five-year- old saplings ranging from 10 to 25 mm in diameter. Defoliate all the trees. Identify the areas where "elbow" bends must be made and split or notch the branch if it is not pliable enough to create a relatively sharp 90- to 120-degree bend. Apply raffia to these areas and wire the trees. Carefully bend the branch to create natural looking "elbows" using clamps and tie-wires where necessary.
Select three to five trees that will fuse over time to form the main trunk.
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