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The Door Frame
Dec 5, 2011

I don't know man everytime I go to the gym here there are like two huge dudes with raging high and tights snorting Nitro-tech off of each other's rock hard abs.

Illudere posted:

I dug a cold frame for winter maple storage. If you dig below the frost line they shouldn't freeze all winter long. In this photo the plywood cover is not yet attached.




Ooo, that seems really helpful, how deep do you have to dig to keep from freezing?

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Illudere
Jan 12, 2005

The Door Frame posted:

Ooo, that seems really helpful, how deep do you have to dig to keep from freezing?

It is about two feet for my area though I think with it being right next to my house that keeps it a little warmer. You want to dig below the frost line though and not just to it.

Finding the frost line is important to plumbers so information should be available. I looked mine up on this chart: http://www.idabo.org/loads.htm

Mr. Soop
Feb 18, 2011

Bonsai Guy
So, I recently visited Muranaka Bonsai Nursery on my yearly Thanksgiving trip. Unfortunately, I left my SD card for my camera at the house I was staying at the day I went, so I didn't manage to get any pictures of the magnificent bonsai there. I can however recommend that anyone in southern California should make a trip to it, as it's a very nice nursery that is more than decently priced.

I also wanted to ask if anyone in the thread with some good bonsai experience might want to write up an article or two on bonsai in cold weather (extended frost/snow) or bonsai on the East coast. And of course any articles on raising bonsai outside of the U.S. are more than welcome as well. Just go ahead and post them and I'll add them to the O.P. :)

jackpot
Aug 31, 2004

First cousin to the Black Rabbit himself. Such was Woundwort's monument...and perhaps it would not have displeased him.<
I've got a willow leaf fig that's dropping leaves (a few dozen; it's still mostly covered), and some are going yellow - is this more likely due to over-watering, or could it be the changing temperatures? I went on vacation for two weeks, and halfway through asked a friend to look in on my plants; I don't know how many times she watered this one (she knows what she's doing, I'd hope she only watered it once, and lightly; I should've given her instructions). I haven't watered it since I got back, and I've moved it from the kitchen windowsill (relatively cold now, compared to most of the year) to a warmer area.

Figures, I spent around 30-something dollars on this one and I'm worried I've killed it. The ficus benjamina that I bought the same day for $3.50 is beautiful and healthy as the day I got it.

Here it is in better days:

jackpot fucked around with this message at 19:18 on Nov 30, 2012

FloorCheese
Jul 17, 2012
I had a similar problem - mine got super stressed out when I brought it home and it dropped leaves for WEEKS, as in, handfuls a day. But at the same time it was (and still is) putting out new shoots, so what gives?

I thought it had been a light issue, so I purchased a plant light at the recommendation of a number of bonsai websites and it did indeed strengthen the plant, but it was still dropping leaves.

In my case I found that I had been overwatering mine. A week of 'neglect' basically fixed it right up. I mist mine daily but watering more than once a week in the fall/winter where I live (Boston) is plenty.

Books On Tape
Dec 26, 2003

Future of the franchise
I posted a while back about how my trident maple hadn't lost its leaves despite being Fall, but it was still early in the season.

Well, now it's December and the leaves are still as bright green as ever and it shows no signs of acknowledging the season at all. Is this a sign of a problem? It seems incredibly healthy otherwise and is alomost 2 feet tall or so by now.

Mr. Soop
Feb 18, 2011

Bonsai Guy
That is rather odd... If it had died or anything though, the leaves would have long since turned brown and fallen off. But because the Bay area (saw this from your profile) is so temperate, it may simply lead to a longer growing season. My big Trident finally started turning red just over Thanksgiving.



Taken just a week ago. You can still see how a few leaves still have yet to change color. My other Trident seedlings are also the same in terms of their colors right now.

The only real danger in it still being green is that it may go dormant in late winter and therefore wake up on late Spring, which isn't the opportune time for growth.

Books On Tape
Dec 26, 2003

Future of the franchise

Mr. Soop posted:

That is rather odd... If it had died or anything though, the leaves would have long since turned brown and fallen off. But because the Bay area (saw this from your profile) is so temperate, it may simply lead to a longer growing season. My big Trident finally started turning red just over Thanksgiving.

What's funny about this is that my condo is literally surrounded by fully grown tridents all of which have lost their leaves.

It's like they're looking shamefully over me as I try to grow this seemingly retarded tree.

jackpot
Aug 31, 2004

First cousin to the Black Rabbit himself. Such was Woundwort's monument...and perhaps it would not have displeased him.<
Damnit, this thing looks like poo poo. That top picture? It's lost a third of those leaves since I took the picture earlier today. A few minutes ago I gave it a shake and 20 leaves came down. I haven't watered it in two weeks, and it's such a small pot (about 6" at the longest point) I don't see how there's any water left in it at all. Any advice?





Mr. Soop
Feb 18, 2011

Bonsai Guy
@jerkstore:Aww... :smith:

Honestly though, I wouldn't worry too much about. Sure, it's a bit late to the party, but it probably isn't going to be a huge setback or anything. :pseudo:

@jackpot: Yeah, give the guy some water, for sure. Maybe also check to see if it might be under an air vent or anything that might cause the temperature to fluctuate for it a lot. The ficus on the left is doing well though, so that probably isn't a problem. More than likely it's just thirsty right now. Try watering it every 3 days or so, as too much water could kill it if it's in shock from overwatering to drought.

Mr. Soop fucked around with this message at 06:18 on Dec 5, 2012

SniperWoreConverse
Mar 20, 2010



Gun Saliva
What's the biggest bonsai? Can any size tree be a bonsai if it's cultivated correctly and has the aesthetic?

Bees on Wheat
Jul 18, 2007

I've never been happy



QUAIL DIVISION
Buglord

jerkstore77 posted:

What's funny about this is that my condo is literally surrounded by fully grown tridents all of which have lost their leaves.

It's like they're looking shamefully over me as I try to grow this seemingly retarded tree.

Aww, it's okay. :downs: The Bay Area just has weird weather sometimes. The other day I realized it's December already, and most of the deciduous trees still have leaves, or they're just now starting to lose them.

Then again, we have pretty retarded choices in plants around here. Just glancing around the neighborhood we have maples, oaks, redwoods, pines, assorted fruit trees, and palms. I even have some manner of banana tree in my backyard that was planted by a previous tenant. :psyduck:

Crocoduck
Sep 25, 2012

SniperWoreConverse posted:

What's the biggest bonsai? Can any size tree be a bonsai if it's cultivated correctly and has the aesthetic?



This is my biggest on his road trip from NYC to TX. Pretty much any size tree could be cultivated, but it can be seriously difficult to work with larger trees on your own, or to find pots that can fit them that don't cost an arm and a leg. Even super large bonsai tend to top out around this size. When this bonsai is more finished, I will likely have to commission an artist to build a custom pot. I will say though, it's an absolute joy to find birds roosting in its branches or anoles hunting amongst its leaves.



This is the biggest I've ever seen photos of.

jackpot
Aug 31, 2004

First cousin to the Black Rabbit himself. Such was Woundwort's monument...and perhaps it would not have displeased him.<

Crocoduck posted:



This is the biggest I've ever seen photos of.
Jesus, it's like something out of the Shire. It doesn't even look real, it looks like someone's idealized conception of what the perfect storybook tree should look like.

Chilly
Apr 12, 2006
OK, I just got a bonsai as a present and I have no idea what kind it is or anything about it. The first thing I need to do is identify it. I have skimmed the thread and it looked very similar to one on the first page. Would I be right in thinking this is a variegated Serissa?

Sorry in advance for how atrocious the pictures are by the way;

The whole thing - http://i.imgur.com/BLthE.jpg

Close-up of leaves - http://i.imgur.com/MzJ8k.jpg

platedlizard
Aug 31, 2012

I like plates and lizards.
Oh goodness, this thread makes me remember a project I intended to start last year and never got around to, making a "bonchi", a bonsai chili!



Here's a really good link on how to do it. The advantages are that chillies are easy to grow inside, provided you have enough light, and you can get a mature-looking bonsai in less than two years. Chili plants are fairly hardy and take well to being heavily pruned and shaped. Also, chillies!

A human heart
Oct 10, 2012

jackpot posted:

Jesus, it's like something out of the Shire. It doesn't even look real, it looks like someone's idealized conception of what the perfect storybook tree should look like.

Well that's sort of the point of bonsai, they're idealized representations of trees. Though there is a lot of variation, some artists like to create very naturalistic looking trees whereas at the opposite end of the spectrum you've got really stylized sculptural stuff like some of Masahiko Kimura's junipers.

Mr. Soop
Feb 18, 2011

Bonsai Guy
@Chilly: That does indeed look like a variegated Serissa. It'll bloom out a bunch of white flowers at some point, so that should be pretty cool!

I've never seen a chili be bonsai'd before, but it looks pretty darn cool! Goes to show how just about anything can be a bonsai if you work hard enough at it.

Oh, funny story I heard about Masahiko Kimura through the grapevine. This happened probably 20 some odd years ago, if not more. Apparently the best bonsai club in the U.K. had managed to get him out of Japan and onto British shores after years of coaxing. So all their best club members show up with all their best, oldest plants (25 to 50 years of age) to be appraised by Mr. Kimura, who had asked that only the best specimens be provided for him to observe.

When Kimura shows up, he walks into the room the seminar is being held in, looks at the trees, and walks out. After he doesn't come back for a couple of minutes, the organizer of the event goes out and finds him in the hallway, smoking a cigarette and looking rather distraught. Wondering what the problem is, the organizer asks him what's going on. Kimura grumpily responds, asking why they brought such young trees! He can do nothing with them, and the whole trip has been a waste of his time!

The organizer apologizes to Kimura, and manages to convince him that at least one or two of the trees might be worth looking at. Kimura comes back into the room, looks at the first tree on the table before him, and then goes back out into the hallway. Once again, the organizer goes back out into the hall. Kimura has lit up another cigarette, and is furiously rubbing his temple while saying unsavory things in his native Japanese tongue and pacing up and down the hall angrily. The organizer presses him for info again, wondering what could be so bad that it has offended Kimura-san not once, but twice now.

Kimura responds that the trees are ruined, as they have been wired using copper-coated aluminum wire rather than with the traditional Japanese method of using solid copper wire. And upon telling him this, he declares that the trip has been a complete waste, and leaves in a huff off to his hotel room for the duration of his stay.

So, the moral of this story is... Well, there isn't exactly one. But it does go to show just how serious and/or crazy some of these Japanese bonsai masters are.

A human heart
Oct 10, 2012

There's a blog by a guy doing a bonsai apprenticeship in Japan here if anyone's interested. The Japanese do seem to have quite a formal way of doing bonsai as well as how they teach it.

platedlizard
Aug 31, 2012

I like plates and lizards.
I just bought a cluster-planted Norfork Pine to be a live Christmas tree. Would it be worth it to turn it into a bonsai after Christmas? I found one thread about it and it seems like it might be an interesting project. Do you have any thoughts about it?

Mr. Soop
Feb 18, 2011

Bonsai Guy
That blog is pretty awesome! I'm thinking about applying for an apprenticeship now. (Once I get out of school at least...)

As for Norfolk Pines as bonsai, this a great example of the 'anything is possible' aspect of bonsai. Norfolks are kind of...eh when it comes to being bonsai. They have only one growth pattern, and as such don't lend themselves well to the art. That doesn't mean that you can't try of course, as it could be good practice with trying to shape a plant. Use your own discretion, I say! :eng101:

platedlizard
Aug 31, 2012

I like plates and lizards.
We'll have to see what happens when I pull the clump apart then :D I love primitive pines, but so many of them don't bonsai well. Maybe some kind of air layer thing, or a palm-tree look. I'm thinking about doing it in spring when it's warm enough to take the tree outside (so, late February around here). If I do it I'll take pictures and report back.

A human heart
Oct 10, 2012

platedlizard posted:

We'll have to see what happens when I pull the clump apart then :D I love primitive pines, but so many of them don't bonsai well. Maybe some kind of air layer thing, or a palm-tree look. I'm thinking about doing it in spring when it's warm enough to take the tree outside (so, late February around here). If I do it I'll take pictures and report back.
Keep in mind that Norfolk pines aren't actually pines at all, they're Araucarias, part of the Araucariaceae, which are quite different from pines in both growth form and in the conditions that they grow in.

Crocoduck
Sep 25, 2012


Worked on the forest some, I'm quite pleased with it. I think the lush foliage covers up some of the technical flaws, and I'll likely have to do some serious pruning to address those. I'm excited to start reducing the root base as well, and get it in a shallower pot. I don't like the two wounds on the main trunks - they look like puckered anuses on my trees. No idea how to fix that though.

Speaking of, Soop, you ever repot a ficus in midwinter? My DNA tree, the nice ficus, looks like it's rootbound in the pot. I'm contemplating just buying a larger pot and plunking it in there for the season, then trim back its roots next summer. My thought is that as long as I don't trim the roots it should be a better situation for the tree. Thoughts?

Crocoduck fucked around with this message at 00:08 on Dec 17, 2012

Mr. Soop
Feb 18, 2011

Bonsai Guy
Good question. I've heard that indoor bonsai are more tolerant of repotting due to the typically non-changing environment of the house, but from my experience they are prone to pick up on seasonal changes anyway.

That being said, under normal circumstances, while you CAN repot now, it might be best just to wait until late February to do it. However since you aren't going to be doing any root pruning, I'd say it's probably fine to repot. Growth might be stunted for a little bit, but fertilizer should supplement that just fine.

Gotta' say that you probably already knew all that though based on the cool stuff you've shown. :3:

EagerSleeper
Feb 3, 2010

by R. Guyovich
I love the look of bonsai trees, but I'm afraid to own since I'm pretty bad at pruning my plants as is. I'm currently trying to make an artificial bonsai tree on my spare time, but I don't like the pot I have it in. The pot that I am currently working on my artificial Japanese maple in is a strange style, kinda like a regular rectangular pot stacked on top of an old blocky phone handset, all glazed bright green. It was only 50 cents, so I won't much more. :v:

Does anybody have any advice for finding nice looking bonsai pots that are under $30? Are there certain guidelines for styles that would suit a bonsai tree?

edit: Where do you guys go to buy your bonsai pots?

EagerSleeper fucked around with this message at 22:08 on Dec 22, 2012

Crocoduck
Sep 25, 2012

Mr. Soop posted:

Good question. I've heard that indoor bonsai are more tolerant of repotting due to the typically non-changing environment of the house, but from my experience they are prone to pick up on seasonal changes anyway.

That being said, under normal circumstances, while you CAN repot now, it might be best just to wait until late February to do it. However since you aren't going to be doing any root pruning, I'd say it's probably fine to repot. Growth might be stunted for a little bit, but fertilizer should supplement that just fine.

Gotta' say that you probably already knew all that though based on the cool stuff you've shown. :3:

Ha, I guess I should know all of this stuff, but I still feel pretty insecure with my technique. I find myself delaying work on the trees and spending a month or so thinking before I make a cut. I guess part of the reason I'm nervous about this repot is that I want to change out the soil media that my friend had been using. He uses a much greater amount of organic particles in his soil - I'm more comfortable using inorganic gritty mixtures, even with ficus. Would there be any reason to worry about bare rooting the tree?

EagerSleeper, I sympathize with your quest for pots. I'm currently looking for containers for my japanese maple and trident maple. There are many guidelines for how to pair a tree and a pot. If it is a strong, masculine tree, you would use a rectangular container. Feminine trees are planted in round containers. In general, deciduous trees are placed in glazed pots, conifers in unglazed pots. Many glazes are only slight hints of color - the brightest splashes are reserved for mame, flowering or fruiting bonsai. The style of a bonsai pot also depends on the style of a tree. Cascade bonsais are grown in pots that are much taller than they are wide, literati bonsai can be grown in drum style pots, round pots or primitive pots, which mimic stone landscape. Forest bonsai are planted in long shallow containers, sometimes rectangular or rounded, but also sometimes irregularly shaped or simply a slab of rock. The measurements of the pot depend on the tree - in general I just kind of eyeball it, but there are quite a few rules for how to appropriately size a tree for its pot. This is not just a matter of aesthetics, it's also crucial for the health of the tree, as over or underpotting a tree can weaken it in time. Whoof, that's a lot of words about pots. One thing to keep in mind though, just as folks have started to play with the rules of bonsai, you can find some very interesting and creative examples of bonsai pot these days.

Most of my bonsai are relatively undeveloped, so I usually use Korean mica pots from bonsai-mart.com. They're pretty cheap, relatively inoffensive and sufficiently 'bonsai' looking. They're also a lot lighter weight than most real pots. I've also bought a couple of pots off ebay, when I'm looking for something a bit nicer. If you're going for an artificial tree, I'd just go with one of those. I know there are quite a few folks selling their bonsai pottery by commission as well.

Edit: Whoa, just found this- http://www.bonsaiempire.com/advanced/bonsai-potters-america
I kind of really want some Sara Rayner pots now!

Crocoduck fucked around with this message at 11:26 on Dec 27, 2012

Mr. Soop
Feb 18, 2011

Bonsai Guy
Those are some very nice pieces of pottery! A friend of mine in Northern California does some pottery, and we've been working on potentially getting her to make bonsai pots. In terms of buying everyday bonsai pots though, I myself am at a loss. You can get them online for sure, but I buy local or at big bonsai sales. So I don't have much to offer in the way of suggestions for those. :(

What I CAN offer though is this chart I scanned off of one of my many books, which helps match up bonsai styles to pots. It's more of a general thing as it doesn't take pot color into account, but it's definitely helpful to simply knowing what kind of pot you need for your tree.

Crocoduck
Sep 25, 2012
That's a drat fine chart! I think the position of the tree in the rectangle is misleading though - a formal upright might look better in the center of the pot. Do you have any pictures of your friend's pots? I started thinking about making my own after looking at some of Nick Lenz' stuff, so I'd love to hear how she got started in all that.



Mr. Soop
Feb 18, 2011

Bonsai Guy
Those Nick Lenz pots are pretty boss, and they're a great example of non-traditional bonsai pots that are becoming popular little by little.

As for my friend, she's made a a couple bonsai pots for me and my ex, but she lives out of town 200+ miles away from me, so I haven't gotten to see them yet. And, as I just found out from her not an hour ago, she dislocated a rib a month or two back and it's very painful for her to throw pots on a wheel right now. :smith:

Crocoduck
Sep 25, 2012

Mr. Soop posted:

Those Nick Lenz pots are pretty boss, and they're a great example of non-traditional bonsai pots that are becoming popular little by little.

Yeah, I love his pottery - sometimes I think that they cover up for weaker trees though.



quote:

As for my friend, she's made a a couple bonsai pots for me and my ex, but she lives out of town 200+ miles away from me, so I haven't gotten to see them yet. And, as I just found out from her not an hour ago, she dislocated a rib a month or two back and it's very painful for her to throw pots on a wheel right now. :smith:

Sorry to hear that, I hope that your friend makes a speedy recovery.

RizieN
May 15, 2004

and it was still hot.
I'm about to take advantage of my wife's last year in Ceramics and throw some bonsai pots, I'm sure if someone wanted to pay her she could throw some for you guys, maybe... depends on her class work load.

neurotech
Apr 22, 2004

Deep in my dreams and I still hear her callin'
If you're alone, I'll come home.

I have what looks like a Baby Jade (?) in my rented apartment's front yard.





I'm super new to bonsai. Should I attempt to take a cutting or two and plant them?

Dzurlord
Nov 5, 2011
I tripped over this thread and was reminded of how much I wanted to try and raise a tree or two.

It looks like Bonsai West is having a free lecture/demo in a couple weeks; I think I'll swing up there for that, and take a look at all the awesome.

They have some beginner classes soon, and you get a tree out of them, and they're not expensive, so I suspect that I'll end up doing this. More information can't hurt!

FloorCheese
Jul 17, 2012

Dzurlord posted:

I tripped over this thread and was reminded of how much I wanted to try and raise a tree or two.

It looks like Bonsai West is having a free lecture/demo in a couple weeks; I think I'll swing up there for that, and take a look at all the awesome.

They have some beginner classes soon, and you get a tree out of them, and they're not expensive, so I suspect that I'll end up doing this. More information can't hurt!

Bonsai West is fantastic - I might see you there at the class. I bought some trees from them in the fall and have been keeping them alive since then, but I could use some help on pruning and care.

Crocoduck
Sep 25, 2012

neurotech posted:

I have what looks like a Baby Jade (?) in my rented apartment's front yard.





I'm super new to bonsai. Should I attempt to take a cutting or two and plant them?

Why not dig up the whole thing?

Edit: I am an idiot and should read more closely. Totally take a cutting, OR air layer a bit that looks like a tree.

http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATLayering.html

Crocoduck fucked around with this message at 01:38 on Jan 8, 2013

platedlizard
Aug 31, 2012

I like plates and lizards.

neurotech posted:

I have what looks like a Baby Jade (?) in my rented apartment's front yard.





I'm super new to bonsai. Should I attempt to take a cutting or two and plant them?

Admittedly I probably have about as much experience as you do, but I would give it a shot. Baby jades apparently adapt well to cuttings, so you probably can't really hurt it.

neurotech
Apr 22, 2004

Deep in my dreams and I still hear her callin'
If you're alone, I'll come home.

Thanks guys.

I will get into it after today. It's currently 41°C (106°F) here and going outside for more than five minutes is too much.

EagerSleeper
Feb 3, 2010

by R. Guyovich

neurotech posted:

Thanks guys.

I will get into it after today. It's currently 41°C (106°F) here and going outside for more than five minutes is too much.

Random question, but do you live in the southern hemisphere? It's currently 1°C where I live, and it'd be nice to be somewhere where it's warmer. :)

Also that's a great specimen of a baby jade. It doesn't look like it's been ever pruned so it's grown wild, but I've never seen bigger than 4 inches. Yeah, everyone's already said it, but getting a cutting of those things to root is totally easy. Let the side heal and become dry to the touch, where you broke it off the main plant, and then stick it in some soil. After over a week or so, when you move the cutting gently, you should notice that it doesn't move so freely anymore, because it now has roots to anchor it in place. Then you can congratulate yourself and have a bonsai party. You can even take individual leaves from a jade plant and grow new plants that way. :3:

Sorry if I :spergin:, I love succulent plants and propagating, and am always happy to help if anyone wants.

Everyone who helped me out with pottery posted:

Cool bonsai pot information.

Thanks for the links, I've been interested in trying to get the style-side of bonsai down, and this already give me lot more of an idea than what I started off with!

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neurotech
Apr 22, 2004

Deep in my dreams and I still hear her callin'
If you're alone, I'll come home.

EagerSleeper posted:

Random question, but do you live in the southern hemisphere? It's currently 1°C where I live, and it'd be nice to be somewhere where it's warmer. :)

Also that's a great specimen of a baby jade. It doesn't look like it's been ever pruned so it's grown wild, but I've never seen bigger than 4 inches. Yeah, everyone's already said it, but getting a cutting of those things to root is totally easy. Let the side heal and become dry to the touch, where you broke it off the main plant, and then stick it in some soil. After over a week or so, when you move the cutting gently, you should notice that it doesn't move so freely anymore, because it now has roots to anchor it in place. Then you can congratulate yourself and have a bonsai party. You can even take individual leaves from a jade plant and grow new plants that way. :3:

Sorry if I :spergin:, I love succulent plants and propagating, and am always happy to help if anyone wants.

Yeah. Sydney, Australia - it's summer at the moment. Yesterday was horrid but today it's a nice 20~°C, perfect for green thumbing it up.

Between looking at the Baby Jade closely and finding a hidden stash of perfectly-sized pots in my backyard, I'm keen to get started.

I'll take some cuttings today and let them dry for about one week. Should that be enough for the cut to dry?

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