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Ok Comboomer posted:The rabbits Walter Pall’ed a bunch of my Satsuki prebonsai this past week during the deep freeze and I don’t know whether to be angry or not. I thought the "prune after flowering" advice was mostly focused on maximizing flower buts for the next year. In general I *think* azalea can tolerate a heavy defoliation, though you are right the timing isn't ideal. I've gone 2 for 2 losing Satsuki so far though so take my advice with a grain of salt. Third one's the charm!
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Jan 20, 2022 15:01
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Hubis posted:I thought the "prune after flowering" advice was mostly focused on maximizing flower buts for the next year. In general I *think* azalea can tolerate a heavy defoliation, though you are right the timing isn't ideal. yeah I’m p sure they’ll be fine in the long run. I just hope they don’t end up looking too lovely or disproportioned or having their growth hosed up. The bites are all surgical and the overall shape is decent, but they’re hardly ideally placed. I don’t want a bunch of weirdly stunted branch segments and I’m not thrilled about cutting everything back and setting back their growth even further (what I’ll probably have to do) by a few years. I really wasn’t planning on making all of these trees into shohin—I wanted to grow them up for a couple of years, with some selective branch pruning/removal, before really tearing into them. Feels like the rabbits are really forcing my hand here. I think I may have lost 1 out of ~11 (depending on how I can separate them in spring) prebonsai to root rot/dryness this summer, but honestly azaleas and junipers are surprisingly resilient. I’ve resisted throwing out a few plants, only to be pleasantly surprised a season later. I have some American azalea hybrids (which make fantastic bonsai, btw, don’t think you only need satsuki) that I got super cheap because they were tumbleweed-status, only to fully revive after a couple weeks of shade and water. trilobite terror fucked around with this message at 16:37 on Jan 20, 2022 |
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Jan 20, 2022 16:35
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This is really aesthetically pleasing
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Jan 20, 2022 20:12
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Ok Comboomer posted:
I've only got one full year of bonsai under my belt that that has been primarily learning how to care for plants in general. I have ripped out languishing landscape azaleas only to have them explode with growth like yours. Another large clump came out of a friend's planter bed and sat in a ditch for a month or so before I got it into a box and it's going wild and loving life. Another I pulled out of a cold damage pile at a local nursery after the snowstorm that hit the southeast US about a year ago. All American landscaping varieties. They truly are tough as nails and beautiful to boot.
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Jan 20, 2022 21:14
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Can anyone offer some advice on Schefflera arbicola varieties? I have a nora that I've been unsuccessfully trying to get a cutting / airlayer from to start a bonsai, but I've seen a luseasna in a nearby shop that looks like it has an overall smaller appearance that might make a much better base to work from. I can't find anything online about variety difference, so I'm hesitating on biting the bullet.
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Feb 17, 2022 20:44
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Bonsais are cute and I am excited to try growing a lil buddy
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Feb 21, 2022 12:31
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Ornery and Hornery posted:Bonsais are cute and I am excited to try growing a lil buddy Get this sick filth off of my screen. Jk What are you growing?
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Feb 22, 2022 06:13
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https://youtu.be/S0MHx0rSu-U
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Mar 11, 2022 16:21
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Video of a replanting of John Naka's Goshin III, in 2019.
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Mar 11, 2022 16:28
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Bug Squash posted:Video of a replanting of John Naka's Goshin III, in 2019. yes, I know
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Mar 11, 2022 16:29
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Ok Comboomer posted:yes, I know Saving the good folks a click if they just want to find out what the video is about.
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Mar 11, 2022 16:35
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My mulberry has woken up And it's flowering and looking amazing after a sketchy winter  Edit: ANOTHER ONE  
Jestery fucked around with this message at 09:12 on Mar 21, 2022 |
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Mar 20, 2022 05:50
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I....RESUSCITATE THIS THREAD https://youtu.be/-FYxDZCoipE I love tiny Mame. Been following Bonsaify’s content the last few months https://youtu.be/ORSUocjpH4g  http://achewood.com/index.php?date=10142003
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Apr 16, 2022 16:13
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I mean, I bought an Incense Cedar to play with, but it's April and it's not doing a lot of growing. I don't expect much for another two years.
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Apr 16, 2022 16:44
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Just a wee bit pot bound. Apologies for the terrible bonsai quality, this one was literally my second ever attempt and I cannot bring myself to throw a tree away no matter how crap they are.
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Apr 18, 2022 20:19
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Well, I got 13 little oak trees growing from acorns that I gathered last fall. Gonna try some of this bonsai stuff
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May 19, 2022 16:05
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I was worried about shocking my ficus after elevating it up to accentuate the root over rock(brick) It's been hot , humid raining constantly I think it will.be ooookkkay  
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May 21, 2022 23:53
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Ok Comboomer posted:just spent an hour and a half wrangling a rental truck on Interstate 93 to get this 12’ 250lb beauty home:
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Jun 10, 2022 18:42
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When do people start shaping and repotting? I’m making an attempt with an Incense Cedar and when I received the tree it was tiny and skinnier than a pencil. It’s now putting on a good amount of foliage and the main trunk is probably about the size of a pencil now. It’s very healthy and happy, but my instincts are telling me to start while it’s still young and pliable. The goal is to start with a more formal leaning shape, and try to find some rocks for it to grow around (or not, I’m not sure this part will be successful for this tree). I just don’t know when to start with the shaping while I’m still studying how it pushes out the foliage.
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Jul 4, 2022 20:24
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Jhet posted:When do people start shaping and repotting? I’m making an attempt with an Incense Cedar and when I received the tree it was tiny and skinnier than a pencil. It’s now putting on a good amount of foliage and the main trunk is probably about the size of a pencil now. It’s very healthy and happy, but my instincts are telling me to start while it’s still young and pliable. The goal is to start with a more formal leaning shape, and try to find some rocks for it to grow around (or not, I’m not sure this part will be successful for this tree). I just don’t know when to start with the shaping while I’m still studying how it pushes out the foliage. Don’t repot it unless you have an explicit reason to—are you thickening the trunk? Building a nebari? Training the tree to go into a show pot? All of those are different stages of development and require different shapes and sizes of pot. Think about what your current phase of development is and then pick the most appropriate pot and look for the best time of the year to do it. If you’ve got heatwave in your area like me I’d probably avoid doing anything super stressful to the tree right now and maybe wait until later in the season. The transitional period between summer and fall when it’s still nice out is a good time to repot a conifer if all you’re doing is slip-potting it (honestly any time is a good time for slip potting. If your tree emergently needs a bigger pot it’s almost always better off being in that bigger pot than not) You can absolutely wire the trunk and branches into shape now though, and is arguably a better practice than taking an already-thick tree and forcibly bending it to your will. Be mindful that when the tree is putting on a lot of mass quickly you will have to adjust, remove, and replace the wire with regularity in order to prevent it from biting. trilobite terror fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Aug 6, 2022 |
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Aug 6, 2022 23:15
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anyone here try Mirai Live and have any thoughts about it?
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Aug 6, 2022 23:19
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Ok Comboomer posted:Don’t repot it unless you have an explicit reason to—are you thickening the trunk? Building a nebari? Training the tree to go into a show pot? All of those are different stages of development and require different shapes and sizes of pot. Thanks, it’s still relatively small, but I’ve already started bending the trunk on it towards the shape I want. It came in a 4” pot, and it’s only 9” tall now. The branches are going to be interesting, because it didn’t really have any and I’m only just seeing which part is forming the branches. It’s PNW so I’ll do most of the stuff in the other parts of the year. Right now it just gets watered. This year the goal was to just keep it alive and get it to a reasonable size.
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Aug 6, 2022 23:27
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Jhet posted:Thanks, it’s still relatively small, but I’ve already started bending the trunk on it towards the shape I want. It came in a 4” pot, and it’s only 9” tall now. The branches are going to be interesting, because it didn’t really have any and I’m only just seeing which part is forming the branches. It’s PNW so I’ll do most of the stuff in the other parts of the year. Right now it just gets watered. This year the goal was to just keep it alive and get it to a reasonable size. Post pics Also mid-late summer is a good time to work on a lot of conifers so don’t be afraid to put some work into it if it’s appropriate
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Aug 6, 2022 23:33
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I have a nice bonsai tree I've been working on the past 2 - 3 years I recently took cuttings of a Sakura tree and Japanese maples, as well as acquired 3 ponderosa pine saplings. They need to get a little establashed but they should be fun to bonsai
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Sep 10, 2022 04:05
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I've bought pre-made bonsai in the past, giving one away when I moved to the west coast and then killing another when I moved back. I'm trying to get into bonsai again and I'm running into some troubles because while I have a couple books on bonsai, they don't have much about getting a plant into bonsai territory and focus on how to maintain a bonsai. Last weekend I was wandering around a nursery and decided to bought some cheap sapling and see what I can do.  For these three, I'm guessing they're a year or two away from being ready to do much with so I was thinking of finding an out of the way corner of my yard to plant these into the ground to help thicken up the trunks. Is there anything else I should do with them next year? I live in WI so I figure the only thing I can do with them this year is get them in the ground and try to keep them alive. While looking for a juniper at another nursery I instead found this dogwood. I *think* I can do some structural pruning to it this fall. I think I'll try to make use of that strong branch low on the right to do something like a double trunk. Can/should I try to do anything with the roots this year? When should I start trying to prune the roots? 
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Sep 16, 2022 04:35
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PokeJoe posted:I have a nice bonsai tree I've been working on the past 2 - 3 years I love them. Do you have pictures of them as a baby?
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Sep 16, 2022 06:16
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I got a few ponderosa pines to give a go, what I heard works for them is to fertilize them well and try to grow them pretty big and strong for a few years then severely trim the roots and put them in a small pot to force them to bonsai. It seems like that general idea works for most trees, my lemon tree is about 8 years old now and its the perfect size to bonsai if I wanted to do thatOrnery and Hornery posted:I love them. Do you have pictures of them as a baby? Here he is about 2 years ago with the original moss and rock arrangement I did. I wired the curve in over a few different sessions 
PokeJoe fucked around with this message at 06:22 on Sep 16, 2022 |
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Sep 16, 2022 06:16
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  It’s not that much of a change for the incense cedar I have here, but I found what the plant thinks will be it’s main stem and it made some decisions easier. I think I’m going for a leaned over look, but I honestly don’t know what to do with the lowest branch on the left yet. Maybe I’ll grow it out into a smallish bunch on it’s own. I feel like I’m going to come back in a few months and think I missed a bunch that will be harder to fix, but it’s my first attempt. I’m going to do a couple peppers for fun in a month or so over winter where they can live in the window sill.
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Sep 19, 2022 18:52
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My bonsai mulberry is fruiting again
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Sep 20, 2022 11:36
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Ooo nice. If we're gonna post bigger ones my lemon is having a fantastic year. I grew it from a grocery store produce lemon seed and it lives outside in Seattle so it gets plenty of natural abuse. I repotted it a week or two ago as it was getting a bit rootbound
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Sep 20, 2022 17:27
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I have that exact same pot. That's a really nice looking lemon, I worry about keeping those things outside and away from a little warmth here in Seattle still. We'll see how my bay laurel and variegated myrtle do this winter. I had my wintering peppers wiped out two winters ago when we had a week or so of snow and freeze, but I should be able to protect things a little better now. The incense cedar has gotten about 3x bigger from when I received it in April, so I have hope that it'll turn out okay in a couple more years. It hasn't cared about the squirrels that keep trying to bury peanuts in its roots at least.
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Sep 20, 2022 18:19
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It's been outside all winter long every year of it's life except last year when I brought it in because it was losing too many leaves for my liking. Im building a cold frame I'll put it in this year that should keep it plenty happy. My laurel bay has survived several winters out there too
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Sep 20, 2022 18:25
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PokeJoe posted:Ooo nice. If we're gonna post bigger ones my lemon is having a fantastic year. I grew it from a grocery store produce lemon seed and it lives outside in Seattle so it gets plenty of natural abuse. I repotted it a week or two ago as it was getting a bit rootbound Wow! nice work pruning, all the more impressive that its from seed  it's planted in pine bark fines it looks like? I have one that's a bit overgrown and not nearly as shapely, yours is a nice spur to get things moving 
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Sep 21, 2022 17:12
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Thanks! I originally grew it in a plastic piece of literal trash and it's become one of my favorite plants over the years. It's planted in potting soil with compost and some extra perlite, the pine bark is just mulch on top
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Sep 21, 2022 17:23
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The 2022 World Bonsai Convention starts this weekend! I think this is the first time that it's being hosted by Australia. It was supposed to be hosted IRL in Perth in association with my local bonsai club but they moved it to a virtual event thanks to the 'rona. There's a virtual exhibition, some demonstrations with live Q+A as well as some pre-recorded demonstrations, and you can replay the events later until the end of October, I believe. There's also a marketplace and auction. https://www.worldbonsaiconvention2022.com/
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Oct 8, 2022 02:57
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I was gifted a few Orchid Tree and Persian Silk Tree seeds. How do I plant these indoors? This is my first bonsai plant, and the second house plant overall, so I have little to no experience, but all the questions: - how do I prepare seeds for planting? - what kind of plant pots do I need, and how do I prepare them for planting? I'm thinking of getting several bonsai training pots from Amazon. - what kind of soil do I need? I have a bag of Cactus Mix from Lowe's, a leftover from when I planted my Sansevierias. - how do I care for planted seeds, and later, hopefully, for plants? Sunlight? Watering regime? Fertilizing? Anything specific to this kind of plants? Seeds: 
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Oct 13, 2022 17:34
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It's January but it's pretty warm and rainy here in New England. Can I just do my March work on my conifers now or should I hold off? I know I can work on junipers, right? But what about JBPs? Picea?
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Jan 6, 2023 19:28
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I took a few Sakura cuttings last fall with the intention to bonsai them this year and im happy to report all 3 of them seem to have survived winter  
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Mar 18, 2023 03:48
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Hello! I purchased some Yoshino Cherry Tree Seeds (I couldn't afford a sapling), with the intent of attempting to get at least one to grow to try making a Bonsai tree. I've never done this before, and I'm going to read the items linked in the OP when I can, but I was wondering if there is anything specific to these plants/my situation I should know. I live in Virginia, which I believe is zone 7a, if that means something. The seeds are being stratified according to the instructions on from the nursery: soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, patted dry, and placed in a container in the fridge for 10 weeks. They are coming up on the time to take them out and plant them, so I wanted to make sure I know what I need to have ready for that.
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May 25, 2023 15:21
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Annath posted:
It means everything. It will dictate what trees will thrive in your climate and inform pretty much all your decisions related to the care of your trees. With that said, welcome to the hobby and good luck with those seeds! I started in late 2020 (pandemic hobby) and after a few years I'm starting to see the fruits of my labor. It's a long long long timescale hobby, you know, because trees grow slow.  There are a lot of great resources out there! https://bonsaimirai.com/ Is at the forefront of American Bonsai and has a wealth of knowledge on their website, even in the free section. Lots of videos on YT and the like. https://www.bonsainut.com/ Is a very active forum where you can find a ton of info. There's also a sea of bad info out there so just go slow, take in as much as you're comfortable with, and don't be afraid to make mistakes!
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May 25, 2023 19:31
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