Moreton Bay Fig use

DBElanora

We own a large property with a wonderful 25 year old Moreton Bay Fig tree on it. We want to use the space under the tree for setting up a flat area where we can put a large table and chairs for long family lunches etc.

There is a lot of Singapore Daisy on the property and some of it has spread under the fig foliage - we are solarizing under black plastic a lot of the daisy that is out in the open on the rest of the property but is it safe or viable to do the same under the fig tree when the roots of the tree and the soil around it might be affected (that is if solarization will work under the fig's canopy).

Once we have solved that we will then want to prune the lower part of the canopy to make it viable to sit under it (some of the branches reach down to only about 5 feet off the ground). Can we prune these lower branches and if so what is the best way to go about it.

We will also need to flatten out the area under the tree - are there any concerns with moving soil into this area that will then cover the roots of the fig. Is there anything we need to consider in this process ?

Brent Ferris

If you don't want the daisies under the tree - just pull them out. Since daisies usually grow in full sun, I would wonder how many could be under the crown. Pics would help.
Adding soil will be detrimental to the tree's health, and will likely kill it.
Some branches can be trimmed, but a professional could do it faster and likely better, with less long term injury to the tree, Call in one or more local arborists, and ask what they would do and how they would do it?

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Eric Frei

Hey Brent, singapore daisy is a vine like weed here.

I would not recommend using the black plastic near the tree.

I have got rid of large areas of Singapore daisy with round-up, secret is mix strong and use a surfactant or a few drops of dish-washing liquid. Mix the round-up stronger and be prepared for a two spray attempt a week later.

Once the stuff is pretty much dead I used to slash it down with a brush cutter and mulch over the top..... but you could rake it up and dump it too.

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S.O.P

Consider a floating decking platform, rather than bringing soil and compacting an area. I'm assuming that you wouldn't truck soil around the entire tree? A small pad would only be slightly detrimental to the tree, but still detrimental. Even foot traffic is detrimental, if you want to be pedantic.

How large are the branches you want to prune? Might it not ruin the natural shape removing them?

Back to the platform. Very careful potholing of the footings using shovels, rather than machinery with the option of moving the entire platform if any hole encounters any significant roots, nice hardwood decking with an oil or one of the longer-life acrylics and I would hazard a guess you would have a nice outdoor area that wouldn't affect the tree too much. Parked under a nice Moreton Bay fig would be lovely.

As for Singapore daisy, it's a bad weed with a nice flower. This fact sheet has controls, but Roundup isn't mentioned on it but I would attempt Eric's idea first. 2 hits of roundup, even 3, in weekly hits has removed weeds for myself that Roundup/Glyphosphate wouldn't kill on the first.

Got any pictures of the tree? Is the understory mulched? That's your best weed control and the tree will love it. Partner that with a floating deck and it should all work out.

Brent Ferris

Sorry about the daisy, our daisies are much more contained,. You definitely want to be careful about roundup hitting the fig foliage,.

THe only problem I can see with the deck, is how much of the ground surface are you going to cover, and how wide are the spaces between the planking -- small widths mean no penetration of rain, -- another problem.

__________________
My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports
If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too !
We do great jobs, even in small yards.

Free Estimates Oakville to Oshawa - North to Bradford (Will travel further if cost of travelling covered)

Eric Frei

Here's another weed I have managed to kill off with a few hits of round-up then slashed down and mulched over.

Fishbone fern.

If any pops it's head through the mulch you hit them again but it's very few and easily controlled.

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Davo The Terrible

Another tried and true method for knocking out Singapore Daisy (Sphagneticola trilobata) is Brushoff (metasulfuron methyl) mixed at 1.5g per 10 litres of water, plus an optional addition of 1:100 glyphosate (helpful in winter or cooler weather).

DBElanora

Thanks to you all for your ideas and comments. The slightly raised platform idea had come through from some other conversations and time spent on the property - I will look further into that and care will be taking with the posts ! I can also see how that would mean no pruning of the tree was required.

I have also had conversations with permaculturalists and they recommended turning the weed over (carefully around the tree) and then putting a cover crop on the exposed areas.

I have uploaded two photos of the tree to this post - the first is of the tree itself - 90% of the greenery around the tree is singapore daisy. The second shows the bottom the tree with some daisy reaching in !

Lots of ideas - we are taking our time and ascertaining the correct approach before proceeding...

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S.O.P

I was thinking it may be larger than that.

Beautiful tree and I can see at least 5 cuts I'd make to lift it from one photo. You would be best of employing an arborist (not a tree lopper) for any advice if you aren't sure on which cuts to make. It's quite a low-branching specimen, probably having a lot of sun (rather than competing for it).

Permaculturalists will always advocate anything but glyphosphate and that's fine if it's important to you. I would mulch out (thin mulch) beyond that drip line and weed or chip out anything that doesn't belong. I'm not sure on what cover crop would out-compete Singapore daisy as it quite happily will run through couch and enjoy being mowed. I've seen black plastic advocated by perma's but I would hazard a guess that it will negatively affect any of the feeder roots from the fig, 10-15m from the drip line (and sometimes even further). Maybe reducing the tree's vigour is, in this case, an advantage, rather than a disadvantage?

What's wrong with picnic'ing on a slight incline? I'd think the tree could handle a small pad cut out if something needed to be flat, on the correct side for winter/summer sun aspect. I'd build a path (stepping stones or something less damaging) to it to reduce foot traffic but the roots (including buttress), and canopy, are going to reach out a lot further over the years.

Plenty of photos of Moreton Bay's online to check out. For example:



A lot of these trees are surviving having roots mown over, heavy foot traffic, but obviously, it's not ideal in the long term.

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Davo The Terrible

It looks like it is not actually a Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla) at all, but maybe a Ficus obliqua? At least this means it's buttress roots won't get as large as they would if it were a F. macrophylla.

S.O.P

I didn't want to guess, based on the resolution of the photo. I don't see any of the colouring of the leaves but without seeing more detail...but the newly formed leaves from DBElanora look large for an obliqua. Too hard to tell.

That said, the photo I linked below actually has a large obliqua beside it (not behind it) and the buttress aren't as large, but are still significant.

This photo has an obliqua to the rear left.



Still, if we are protecting root zones, everything is still relevant, buttress or not. Personally, I would sit on the edge of a canopy, anything well under would be moss/lichen-covered, wet and dirty all year round.

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