|
yayyy a bonsai thread. I'm just making my second try at having a bonsai. This time I read before starting so I got something that was doable for me in an appartment and would also be enjoyable since I could keep it indoors most of the year (I'll put the thing outside during the summer once it's in a new pot). Here's my Ficus Nerifolia    So I need to repot it since it's a home depot type of tree (glued rocks and and the under-pot is also glued!). I bought a fairly large terra cotta pot (7 inch diameter and 4-5 inches deep or so) so I can use it to let it grow in the coming years and slowly form it. I'm thinking of using 100% diatomite (diatomaceous earth) as soil. Did anyone ever try something similar? There's nothing I can buy fast except for that or may be cat litter (but that seems to be very hit or miss). Also, can I use regular 20-20-20 chemical fertilizer? If so, I should use it every two week or so right? I have literally 0 idea about what I should do as far as styling goes with this thing in the future.
|
#
¿
Jul 7, 2012 21:01
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 4, 2024 16:40 |
|
|
Great, thanks for the info. Repotting went well and after a week or so I didn't notice any loss of leaf or anything so that's great. The new soil has great drainage and will do for at least the next year. I'll try to find a better mix before I repot it next spring. I bought some slow release 4-4-4 organic fertilizer so I won't have to deal with it too much (I'm very good at forgetting stuff like that!) and my plants will hopefully be happy. I was going for a broom style originally, but I find it kind of boring so I'll probably try to aim toward one of these three style that I find look awesome with ficus: super large canopy with or without aerial roots like this (but obviously much less awesome):  Keep it as a broom style, but use it in a penjing project because I think I might find those even more awesome than bonsai, especially with smaller/less awesome trees. Or make it a root over rock thing on a tall rock I'll start by seeing how well it grows anyway!! Quick question about pinching. I think you're supposed to pinch back to 2 or 3 leaves from the last internode right? But how often do you do it. You let the tree grow a shoot of 10 leaves or so and then you pinch it back? It seems so simple that most things I've read on bonsai don't cover that but will let me have complete and precise informations on much more complicated thing.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 14, 2012 13:45
|
|
|
The Snoo posted:I killed my bonsai.  next time put it in a better soil mix if possible. That's the mistake I made the first time around and my bonsai died quick too . good soil with ridiculously good drainage is key
|
|
#
¿
Jul 15, 2012 00:45
|
|
|
The Snoo posted:I forgot to water it for a few days... then again, I forgot to water my three other plants, as well. Stuff like diatomaceous earth (Nappa autoparts sells some as oil absorbants) will drain really, really well but retain a lot of water at the same time (think of it as little pieces of sponge). But yeah, watering is key in bonsai and well most pants really! You have to check the soil every day and water when necessary if you want to keep it growing. This is true of most plants though
|
|
#
¿
Jul 15, 2012 01:00
|
|
|
FloorCheese posted:This is a fascinating thread - I do ikebana but have been wanting to try my hand at bonsai for a while. 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
|
|
#
¿
Jul 17, 2012 23:25
|
|
|
Korwen posted:What would be best process be to go about finding a Trident Maple suitable for Bonsai, and taking care of it and cutting it to be planted in a pot? Actually, unless it already has the trunk, roots and basic shape that you want, you should keep your tree in a regular pot and not a bonsai pot. Once put in a bonsai pot, your tree will grow only very slowly. it's 200% ok to put it in a big pot for a year or so until you can repot it next spring (or whenever repoting is supposed to be done for a trident maple)
|
|
#
¿
Jul 23, 2012 19:18
|
|
|
Korwen posted:If you keep a tree in a big pot would it still be worthwhile to put it in a bonsai soil mix, or would a more "regular" soil be necessary? from what I've read you're better off putting it in some bonsai soil mix anyway. I have a pretty big lemon tree in regular soil that seems to be doing fine though so you're probably ok with regular soil too. If it's not the right time to repot when you buy the tree, keep the soil it came in and don't disturb the roots. Just add more soil around it so it fits in your pot.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 23, 2012 19:42
|
|
|
jerkstore77 posted:I know this is probably plant specific, but how crucial is "full sun"? I live in a condo complex where my "yard" is a balcony that is shaded half the day. The temps aren't extreme here either. Highs of about 80-85 in the summer and lows about 40-50. I think this is very tree specific. All my plants are on my balcony too and they seem to do well. I always grow plenty of things (green onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and whatever we feel like planting that year) and I live in the great white north (quebec, canada). Some trees will grow much better in "half-shade" spots while others will grow much more rapidly in full sun. If you type the latin name of the tree you want on google you'll probably find a bunch of bonsai info on that tree. I know there's a lot of ressources in french and there's probably a lot more in english.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 23, 2012 23:47
|
|
|
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 |
|
#
¿
Sep 24, 2012 16:02
|
|
|
Anything that someone like me living up north can have other than ficus? Stuff has to go inside in the winter there is just no way around it if you don't have a yard. I have a citrus tree that I planted from a seed that is probably 7-8 years old and doing ok, but it's not really suited to be a bonsai.
|
|
#
¿
May 6, 2015 00:06
|
|
|
Crocoduck posted:How far north are you? What do you have available for you to grow in? Quebec city - Canada. Well I have pots! haha I'm not sure what you're asking. I put my plants/trees outside during the summer (may or june) and get them back in when it's starting to get cold (september usually)
|
|
#
¿
May 8, 2015 13:44
|
|
|
Crocoduck posted:I mean, do you have a garage you could put more cold tolerant trees in? I only have access to a small shed that has little to no insulation. It would stop the wind, but that's pretty much it.
|
|
#
¿
May 10, 2015 15:12
|
|
|
Crocoduck posted:That's fine, wind is the main killer in winter. Lotsa pine, spruce, juniper, etc. you can keep. Gets to be -30F in the areas where RMJ grow. Protect them from the wind, they should be fine. You won't be able to develop real trees where you are, with tropicals. They wind up just being a distraction during the long winters. Fine. Grow some real trees though. Protect them in the shed. Maybe stay away from maples and such, but they are so drat pretty. Cool I'll try that. Any suggestion for something easy that can look nice in time? I'll try to make something survive the winter. Do you think I should put the base in a styrofoam box or something to give them extra protection/simulate snow coverage? PS that tree is ridiculous. How big is that thing? KingColliwog fucked around with this message at 18:41 on May 18, 2015 |
|
#
¿
May 18, 2015 18:28
|
|
|
kedo posted:I'm curious about wintering again because I'm pretty sure my maple is either in the process of slowly dying, or is just super unhappy in general. I had three perennials out on my balcony over the winter (the maple, a grape vine and a blueberry plant), and none of them are doing very well. The maple is in a small bonsai pot that I put in an old wine crate and buried in mulch over the winter. The trunk and branches were still in the open air, however, which is concerning to me considering point 2 above. If you can get styrofoam panels then you can make your own with tape. Some are also sold to keep beer cold but that's probably expensive. My plan is to make my own and then fill it with packing peanuts or something. Now I just need to find myself a nice juniper! Any species of juniper I should go for? I'm gonna buy there so you can see what they have : http://www.gerardbourbeau.com/pepiniere/pepiniere.php?cat=6 KingColliwog fucked around with this message at 14:06 on May 20, 2015 |
|
#
¿
May 20, 2015 13:15
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 4, 2024 16:40 |
|
|
Crocoduck posted:I like San Jose a lot myself, easy to work with, durable little suckers, but their needles are prickly and after working on them for a while I'll sometimes have a rash. Cool thanks. Would a chinese elm do ok if it's inside during the winters? I think they look awesome and they seem pretty easy. I'm thorn between then and a juniper
|
|
#
¿
May 29, 2015 02:38
|
|