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I bought three pree-bonsai plants about a month ago, a trident maple, dwarf chinese elm, and a japanese red maple. I placed them all in gallon pots to grow out for a while. The trident maple has really sprouted a lot and seems to be thriving. The elm and the red maple, however seem to not be doing anything at all. They still look very healthy, but there are no new buds anywhere and no real growth. Is it just due to the time of year for those specific plants? Also, will my trident maple lose it's leaves in a month or two despite being only about a foot tall?
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Sep 5, 2012 20:58
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Yes and yes. Japanese Maples and Chinese Elms really begin to slow down during this time of year. You may even see some leaves on those guys beginning to turn their Fall colors. The Trident Maple will do the same as we get into further Fall, but whenever deciduous bonsai lose their leaves it makes for a good chance to really see the growth of the tree. So even if you can't work on it during the Fall and Winter, you can get a good idea of what you want to do with it when it buds out again.
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Sep 5, 2012 22:12
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I don't think I'm going be doing much work on them this season. The trunks need to thicken quite a bit. They are all basically twigs with leaves at this point.
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Sep 6, 2012 03:37
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Hello! This is my beloved little tree Greg. It is a hawaiian umbrella and I bought it from one of those big bonsai stands at a festival, but the guy told me it was a juniper when I first bought it. Turned out it was not a juniper. I've had it for about a year now and things were rough at first. The guy who sold it to me told me to water it twice a week but it seemed like it was dying pretty quickly. Someone with a greener thumb than I babysat him for a while and pruned all the dead leaves off of him so it came back to me quite naked. Well about 6 or 7 months ago I rushed him to a nursery for advice. I ended up repotting him and watering it better, along with misting it regularly. I also add Bonsai Master Grow 7-8-6 (http://www.amazon.com/Eves-Fertilizer-specially-designed-Garden/dp/B005VRKL2O) into the water that I use and mist with. It's pretty humid here so I keep it outside in the sun during the day, but have been taking it in at night lately. Recently a storm tore off the bottom part of two of the aerial roots but I covered them with more dirt, gave regular waterings, kept them moist, and those roots have started growing again! So I am very happy and proud. It is very green and looking a lot better than it used to. It looks like I'm not going to kill it after all, so I'm interested in maybe doing something more with it. It is just in regular soil now, should I replace the dirt with something fancier? I haven't done any shaping or pruning or anything like that, and don't really know how or where to go with it. Are there any suggestions on what you think my tree should look like, and how I should do it? Thanks!  Edit: Also I used to have moss growing on my tree but it turned brown and died. Is there replacement moss I can purchase that would look nice? Tamgerine fucked around with this message at 01:30 on Sep 19, 2012 |
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Sep 18, 2012 23:42
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Interesting background story for Greg there. A juniper though? That's like claiming a Palm Tree is a Douglas Fir or somethin'. No worries however, as Umbrella Plants (Schefflera) are neat little trees. As far as aesthetics go, he's a good looking plant. Glad that you're fertilizing him, and the stuff you're using is A-OK. Watering sounds good as well; if anything the fact that Greg has put out new roots is a good sign that you're doing well by him. Now for the tougher answer; how would you go about shaping Greg? Well, the good news is that Schefflera is that they grow well, fast, and are pretty resilient to pruning. My teacher has a forest planting of these guys, chopped off 95% of their 'umbrella' leaf parts, and 2 weeks later they were growing back as if nothing had happened. (That being said, it was in a temperature controlled greenhouse, a.k.a. optimum conditions, but you get the picture) What this means for you is that you shouldn't be afraid to approach it with a pair of scissors. Now then, GISing for 'Schefflera Bonsai' will yield a good amount of results for what your tree might have the potential to look like. But, if you want my opinion, I would say to cut down the right portion of the tree so that it's on par with the height of the left side. Here's a picture for reference.  This isn't too major of a cut, and it will encourage growth on the lower sections, which will in turn help the skinny trunk to bulk up. The primary reason for making this cut though would be that it will develop a canopy with fine branches as time goes on. Personally speaking, I think it has the potential to be something along the lines of a broom style bonsai. That's just one person's opinion though. So don't be afraid to experiment with making it something else, as I tend to lean towards making 'safe' decisions about tree styles.
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Sep 19, 2012 04:38
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Great! Thank you so much! Is there any specific style of cut that I should use? Is a straight cut fine? I saw the cut diagram posted earlier, but I'm not sure if one is better than the other in this situation.
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Sep 19, 2012 17:11
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The cuts on the diagram I posted are more for dealing with collecting cuttings than anything else. However, I would say to cut the part you won't be wanting off at right above the node or branch that you do want to keep. Here's an MSPaint example I did. The black is what will be cut off, the red is the cut itself, and the green is what you'll be keeping. Hope this helps a little bit. (I'm terrible at art and it's hard giving bonsai directions with diagrams sometimes.)
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Sep 20, 2012 04:42
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After studying bonsai for a couple years I'm still very green and don't have an impressive collection but I did have the privilege of attending the Pacific Northwest Bonsai convention last weekend. It's pricy but auctions and workshops at bonsai club meetings and conventions like this are a great way to get material. I'm finding that if you want more than a tiny juniper for your window ledge dropping $100-200 each on great pre-bonsai material is a lot less frustrating than scrounging landscaping nurseries. That said, I didn't even really have hundreds of dollars to spend but I learned a lot. Here are the trees that were being exhibited: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALwd3w80uLo
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Sep 23, 2012 07:49
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KingColliwog posted:I don't know much about Ginko's so I can't help, but could you post some pics of your ikebana? That always intrigued me Took me a while to deliver on this one - apologies for the delay. My ikebana classes were on hiatus for the summer and I just had my first fall class on Saturday. This is one of the arrangements I did:  Basic slanting style nageire 基本傾真型 - 投入 (1-10) I have some more pics of arrangements I've done in class in the Flickr set. I don't want to derail this thread after all  Back to bonsai! I'm reading this thread with great interest, haven't taken the plunge in getting my own tree just yet but I'm thinking about it for this coming winter. Only point of concern is that the main window in my apartment (one of those floor-to-ceiling window-walls) is on top of a floor-level heating duct. Living in Boston, that window in the winter gets alternate cold drafts and dry heat. My houseplants have all done fine in this location, but I'm of the impression that bonsai trees are much more fickle, even the evergreens. Is this the case or is it just a matter of what kind of bonsai tree you have?
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Sep 24, 2012 15:50
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Somehow my reply got deleted. I really like the one you posted and the azalea and carnation one. It's amazing how beautiful these things are, especially considering how "simple" (probably deceivingly so) they are. To me they are a lot more beautiful than your average western bouquet with 10000 flowers and greenery. How long can something like that survive? Do you do anything special to the tree branches in terms of cutting/feeding? Are things just pushed through foam or something similar to get the "bouquet" to keep the shape you intended it to? Is there earth in the pots or just water? KingColliwog fucked around with this message at 16:05 on Sep 24, 2012 |
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Sep 24, 2012 16:02
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KingColliwog posted:Somehow my reply got deleted. Thank you very much! In theory these arrangements can last up to 2 weeks, though they will look quite droopy by then. Most of mine will last about 5 days, but I'm not always working with the freshest material. I do not add anything to the water, I just keep it fresh and top it up. Of course, freshening the water means I have to completely re-do the arrangement... so if I'm feeling lazy I just add more water. When we cut for ikebana, there are special methods used in the cutting to help keep the flowers and branches healthier longer. The main technique is cutting the stems underwater, otherwise it's basically about how you cut and split branches or For moribana arrangements (like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/varmazis/8012781845/in/set-721576315970932500), you use a pin frog (called a kenzan) to hold the flowers and branches in place. Part of the goal of how you arrange your materials is to hide the kenzan. Ikebana does not traditionally use wire or florist foam, though when you get into freestyle work (especially in Sogetsu school), it's really anything-goes. Nageire arrangements (the tall kind that I posted a picture of earlier) uses no kenzan. Instead, you basically cantilever branches off each other and the interior of the container. In a way, this means your arrangement is like flower-jenga. It takes a lot of practice to learn how to cut and arrange your materials for nageire without having everything fall as you're working on it. (My teacher makes it look so easy... whereas any small adjustment I make it all falls down :P) So in essence for the tall arrangments, it's just gravity and friction holding it all together.
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Sep 24, 2012 22:25
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I love bonsai! Here are some of mine, that I've been working on for the last couple of years.  A ficus that I've been working on, it began as a shrub. Currently in a sorry state, it has sphagnum wrapped around it to preserve an approach graft. One of my favorite trees, it bounces back from everything. Also, something I purchased in a truly raw state.  Comparatively, this ficus is almost finished, and needs only 3-5 years of growth to finish its canopy. This tree has had quite a lot of trouble growing indoors, and I don't recommend large ficus for indoor growth, even with extensive indoor lighting.  Handsome juniper I won in an auction for quite cheap. The entire trunk was rotted through, and actually home to a group of ants. Although nontraditional, I quite like it. Plus, gently caress tradition. I have had very little to do with the development of this bonsai, although I did clean out the hollow trunk. This fall it will be wired and transplanted. I'm very excited for what comes about.  Beautiful ficus developed by a friend of mine. This is perhaps the oldest of my bonsai, it is some 50-60 years old. All that remains to be done is an increased ramification of the branches and a reduction of the apex.  The first of my forests. Developed from scratch over two years. Forests can look very beautiful very quickly!  The second of my forests.  A trident maple in the raw, developed from seed for bonsai. Already very nice and soon ready for a pot! I prefer to work with trees from this point, rather than suffering through the tedious development of the trunk.  Japanese maple likewise developed from seed for bonsai. Weak rootbase, which can be improved over a matter of years. Japanese maple bonsai are normally not quite so thick trunked, but I believe it will be a very naturalistic bonsai over some 4-6 years. Edit: apologies for table breaking images, and for the monster post. Crocoduck fucked around with this message at 20:16 on Sep 25, 2012 |
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Sep 25, 2012 05:32
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All those small trees are cool.
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Sep 27, 2012 20:55
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Really loving cool.
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Sep 28, 2012 02:00
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Aye, that Ficus done by your friend and that Trident Maple are really something else. (The Jurassic Park bit also really got me.) Well done work on that Juniper as well. I wouldn't say it's non-traditional even; it's actually very much in tune with the more stylized Chinese version of bonsai. Those ikebana are also quite fantastic as well. It always surprises me to see the different styles of ornamental horticulture that have come out of Japan. They really seem to have gotten the beauty and elegance factors down.
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Sep 28, 2012 06:19
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a real rear end nigga posted:All those small trees are cool. RizieN posted:Really loving cool. Mr. Soop posted:Aye, that Ficus done by your friend and that Trident Maple are really something else. (The Jurassic Park bit also really got me.) Well done work on that Juniper as well. I wouldn't say it's non-traditional even; it's actually very much in tune with the more stylized Chinese version of bonsai. Thanks! The ficus and maple are definitely two of my favorites - I've already named the ficus the DNA tree because it looks like a double helix. From what I know of ficuses, it should only be two or three more years before it is 'done.' I'm interested in seeing what the branching is like in the maple with the leaves off, but I suspect there may be a lot of work to do. Non-traditional might be stretching it with the juniper - I've just never seen a hollow trunk literati before. Crocoduck fucked around with this message at 11:10 on Sep 28, 2012 |
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Sep 28, 2012 08:49
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Some of the leaves on my little trident maple seem to be turning brown/drying out. Is this from too much sun? It only gets around 4-5 hours of sun a day on my balcony.
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Sep 28, 2012 16:15
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Decided to get in to this. Did a little reading and picked out a ficus orientalis (benjamina) that was already trained to see if I could keep it alive. The little guy arrived today and I placed it on a box by a good east-facing window. It lost a couple leaves in shipping, but overall looks okay. They sent me a "humidity tray" too, with instructions to fill it with gravel and water to increase the humidity around the plant. I'll pick up some gravel toward this end tomorrow. Some of the leaves are lighter green, and they're all curled... I think it needs a drink. Will post some pictures when I get all set up. Oh, it has very light green fuzz at a couple places on its trunk... looks like moss or lichen or something. I think this is a stress sign, right? What should I do to clear it up?
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Sep 28, 2012 23:17
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Belloq posted:Decided to get in to this. Did a little reading and picked out a ficus orientalis (benjamina) that was already trained to see if I could keep it alive. Nice choice! Ficus are pretty much immune to pruning, but they can be vulnerable to pests and are difficult to wire. Still, great little trees and perfect for learning, also they got that cool rainforest vibe. Your ficus might drop its leaves due to stress, but don't worry, they'll grow back. Humidity trays don't do that much in my experience- what really help them out is a nice terrarium and a humidifier. In that environment you'll also get significant aerial root formation, which can look badass and be used to address flaws in the branch or trunk(s).  Supplemental lighting is also really a great thing to have with indoor ficus. It will speed up growing time, help keep your leaves small and basically make you have a lot more fun with your bonsai. Here is the difference in leaf size between a bonsai I was growing indoors that I moved outdoors - may not be as extreme as the results you can get with a fluorescent light bulb, but still, you can see how bright light makes things easier.  Finally, nah the green fuzz on the trunk is probably just moss or a lichen and won't harm your tree. You can remove it with a wirebrush or just leave it on. http://www.bonsaihunk.us/ficusforum/FicusForum.html This guy knows ficus bonsai and is really awesome.
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Sep 28, 2012 23:54
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Are bonsai fruit trees a thing? Do they actually grow crops?
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Sep 29, 2012 00:22
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Crocoduck posted:Nice choice! Ficus are pretty much immune to pruning, but they can be vulnerable to pests and are difficult to wire. Still, great little trees and perfect for learning, also they got that cool rainforest vibe. Your ficus might drop its leaves due to stress, but don't worry, they'll grow back. Humidity trays don't do that much in my experience- what really help them out is a nice terrarium and a humidifier. In that environment you'll also get significant aerial root formation, which can look badass and be used to address flaws in the branch or trunk(s). Would you please explain to me more about the terrarium and humidifier? Do you just...turn it upside down on top of it and put the humidifier in? It doesn't prevent the tree from getting enough oxygen, or do you only do it on and off? I'm going to be moving into a barracks room soon and won't be able to keep my tree outdoors as much as I'd like. I purchased an indoor growing light for it, but do you think I should get a terrarium and a humidifier as well? I have a dwarf schefflera.
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Sep 29, 2012 03:19
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Tamgerine posted:Would you please explain to me more about the terrarium and humidifier? Do you just...turn it upside down on top of it and put the humidifier in? It doesn't prevent the tree from getting enough oxygen, or do you only do it on and off? No, just put it in the terrarium and cover a portion (say 80%) with saran wrap. put the light over the top and you have a great place to grow ficus or schlefflera, with or without a humidifier. I wouldn't worry about it, if it's going to be a hassle - it mostly serves to encourage the growth of aerial roots, so if you're a fan of those you can also get the same result by wrapping the trunk with sphagnum moss and saran wrap. Crocoduck fucked around with this message at 22:48 on Sep 29, 2012 |
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Sep 29, 2012 22:44
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Any grow light recommendations? Do the incandescents work as well as the fluorescents?
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Sep 30, 2012 02:39
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Belloq posted:Any grow light recommendations? Do the incandescents work as well as the fluorescents? Ideally use a metal halide lamp. These are basically the best thing next to real sunlight, but are expensive and noisy as all get out. In most cases you can just use fluorescent lightbulbs. I wouldn't recommend using incandescents, but a compact fluorescent in an incandescent socket might work.
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Oct 1, 2012 07:00
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Okay, the ficus has had the weekend to recover. No real damage from the shipment, and new leaves are popping up all over. Actually it looks like it hadn't been trimmed for quite some time, and I was thinking about pinching some of the new growth to keep the leaves at the top compact and facing upward, kind of like an inverted broom. Anyway, pics...    I of course have it in the humidity tray the seller sent, and have been misting it every other day or so. Would packing moss around the base of its trunk encourage more root development, or do the roots form in the tree's canopy?
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Oct 1, 2012 23:36
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Pinching the leaves should be fine. The plant looks pretty healthy and it'll just encourage it to fill out more up top. If anything it's already in the shape of a literati style, so you could always prune it with that in mind too. Probably the best way to develop the roots would be to just cover the base of the plant with more dirt rather than moss, as the moss won't be able to keep the trunk moist and closed off from air as much as soil would. And you CAN get it to develop roots from the canopy (aerial roots would be the technical term) but it's hard to accomplish if it isn't in an ideal, humid and warm environment at all times.
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Oct 2, 2012 00:41
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Man, I don't think SA has ever let me down; I can't believe we've got a bonsai thread.  Mostly I'm just happy to learn that this whole thing is a lot more flexible than I thought it was; I thought that it was a really specific subset of plants that would grow thick roots while staying small (because lets face it, this is what we all dream of growing), I really had no idea you could basically "train" most plants to do that. I've got a couple small jade plants in the windowsill that I can start with, but from what I'm reading they're very "leggy" due (probably) to a lack of light - they're in a north-facing windowsill. But at least I can try to fix the light and figure out where to pinch and where not. This summer I bought a desert rose, in the hopes of turning it into something modest like this, but in the past three months it's added exactly two leaves. That's probably my fault - I kept it inside for fear of rainstorms watering it too much, and so I only watered it about once a month. From what I'm reading that's fine for winter, but probably less than it needs during the warmer months (zone 7A, Virginia). It's too cool to do it now, but next spring: outside all the time, and I'll just make sure it's draining well. Gonna buy a ficus this weekend because seriously, who doesn't like ficuses?
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Oct 3, 2012 00:06
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My local bonsai nursery has a bunch of Shimpakus, which look pretty cool. Are they just junipers?
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Oct 3, 2012 00:34
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Yeah, they're one of the more popular and pristine examples of a 'scale' Juniper. They're referred to that as they don't develop needles over time but instead have a very soft form due to their scales. If you can get one for a decent enough price, I say go for it. They're quite nice to work with and only slightly more temperamental, if temperamental at all in comparison to a needle Juniper.
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Oct 3, 2012 01:33
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I've done some more research, and it looks like it would be possible for me to grow one inside, which would be ideal. I also work out of town a lot, sometimes for a couple weeks at a time. I'll probably wait on buying a bonsai until I can build myself something that will mist a few times a day on a timer, and something that will water it every couple days. I don't even know if that will work, I've never grown a plant before  Nobody answered the dude above about any fruit-bearing bonsai trees. Has this ever been done before? Tried and failed? Never tried?
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Oct 3, 2012 02:57
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ante posted:I've done some more research, and it looks like it would be possible for me to grow one inside, which would be ideal. No juniper will do well inside, there's a lot of misinformation floating around on the web. Even if they look like they're doing well, they're not. Trust me, your best bet is keeping it outside. If you want an indoor tree I'd advise getting a ficus or a jade tree. Yes, some bonsai bear fruit!  This one was done by my bonsai idol, Walter Pall, who's really stirred up a mess over the years. Belloq posted:I of course have it in the humidity tray the seller sent, and have been misting it every other day or so. Would packing moss around the base of its trunk encourage more root development, or do the roots form in the tree's canopy? Cute little ficus! I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'encourage root development.' Do you mean the root development of the nebari (root base) like this monster:  or development of aerial roots coming off the trunk and branches as in here:  Development of the nebari will just take time, but you can encourage the growth of aerial roots by wrapping the trunk in sphagnum moss, and then wrapping that in aluminum foil or cellophane. Some links: http://www.bonsaihunk.us/ficusforum/FicusTechniques/FigTechnique4.html http://www.bonsaihunk.us/ficusforum/FicusTechniques/FigTechnique32.html http://www.bonsaihunk.us/BanyansStranglerEpiphytes.html http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATApproachGraftingRootsProgression.html Crocoduck fucked around with this message at 05:20 on Oct 3, 2012 |
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Oct 3, 2012 04:16
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Crocoduck posted:No juniper will do well inside, there's a lot of misinformation floating around on the web. Even if they look like they're doing well, they're not. Trust me, your best bet is keeping it outside. If you want an indoor tree I'd advise getting a ficus or a jade tree. I'm worried about the frost destroying my juniper's roots in that tiny pot, I'm in Chicago, so it's not like the cold alone will kill it. Will it survive the winter out doors or do I bring it in before first frost?
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Oct 3, 2012 06:38
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The Door Frame posted:I'm worried about the frost destroying my juniper's roots in that tiny pot, I'm in Chicago, so it's not like the cold alone will kill it. Will it survive the winter out doors or do I bring it in before first frost? Honestly I live out in Texas, so I've never had to deal with frost on my junipers. I'm definitely out of my depth here. From what I've read unless you're talking about unseasonably cold temperatures, evergreens tend to do ok. http://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basics_WinterCare.html This is one of my favorite bonsai sites, have a poke around, lots of good articles.
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Oct 3, 2012 07:36
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Here's my lovely looking jade - the guy's so top-heavy it can't even support itself. Where should I cut? Or should I at all? Dumb question, but when they say you should usually only prune in spring and summer, does that matter for indoor plants? Here's my desert rose - those few leaves at the top are the new ones. If I want to keep growing the base big and fat, should I pinch those top leaves off?  Here's one I'm excited about - my avocado. I'm growin' it old school, the way my third grade teacher taught me. This one is kind of my hero, at 365 years old. Bonus: looks like  
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Oct 3, 2012 22:35
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The Door Frame posted:I'm worried about the frost destroying my juniper's roots in that tiny pot, I'm in Chicago, so it's not like the cold alone will kill it. Will it survive the winter out doors or do I bring it in before first frost? So basically just throw it in my garage and try and keep it above 14 degrees for the winter? Sounds easy enough
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Oct 4, 2012 00:19
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jackpot posted:Here's my lovely looking jade - the guy's so top-heavy it can't even support itself. Where should I cut? Or should I at all? Dumb question, but when they say you should usually only prune in spring and summer, does that matter for indoor plants? Let it grow if you want it to thicken, cut it back if you want it to branch out. I tend to not worry about when to prune with my ficus, as long as it is growing vigorously. I would recommend purchasing a much larger pot, and letting it grow for several years uninterrupted. The Door Frame, I would think that you'd be ok keeping it even outside all year. Did you purchase the juniper from a local nursery? Or was it living in a different climate previously?
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Oct 4, 2012 01:20
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Well, I got it from a local Home Depot, so I have no idea where it came from originally. Does that really matter?
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Oct 4, 2012 02:12
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jackpot posted:Here's one I'm excited about - my avocado. I'm growin' it old school, the way my third grade teacher taught me. This one is kind of my hero, at 365 years old. Bonus: looks like Oh man, I put an avocado stone on to sprout yesterday, but I didn't know you could bonsai them! I really want to do this.
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Oct 4, 2012 19:30
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The Door Frame posted:Well, I got it from a local Home Depot, so I have no idea where it came from originally. Does that really matter? Not particularly, unless for some reason it migrated from one extreme climate to the next in a matter of just a few days. Usually most home and garden stores get Junipers in stock during the Spring and Summer, so I would imagine it's been hanging out in your neck of the woods long enough to have gotten adjusted.
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Oct 5, 2012 02:24
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madlilnerd posted:Oh man, I put an avocado stone on to sprout yesterday, but I didn't know you could bonsai them! I really want to do this. If you can bonsai a kitten, you can bonsai an avocado.
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Oct 6, 2012 05:25
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