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New to bonsai, have some questions 8 years 2 months ago #18442

  • zinc saucier
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Hello, I've been intrigued by bonsai for a long time and have finally managed to get my hands on some (very)young trees to begin working on. Pics will follow tomorrow.

First up: bhuddist pine
My wife bought me a small sappling and all I've done is repot it(it came in a tiny plastic container) and loosely wire the trunks(2). I want one part to be a raft, the other a formal upright. Nothing significant but I'm hoping that this will make the final shape more attainable later with less stress on the tree. Will this work?

Second: ficus
Acquired this one at Ikea. Nice structure, beautiful root/trunk system, had some major pruning done before sale. It lost a good portion of it's leaves a few weeks after I brought it home but I was expecting this. Have not repotted it yet as it's doing very well and is growing new leaves rapidly. Moved it into a small greenhouse so I could raise the humidity. I want to get some aerial roots!

Third: tam juniper
Bought this in the bonsai section of my local garden centre a week ago. This section is likely new as I don't remember seeing it until quite recently. Its at most 2 years old but probably less. I've repoted it and done minor wiring to place the trunks where I want them and to begin creating it's shape. Trimmed off a few young branches at the base and that's all. After some discussion with the people at the garden centre it's recommended that I keep it indoors for at least a few years. I'd like some input on care for this very young plant.

Fourth: false cyprus
Also acquired from Ikea. I've had this one for a few months and it was the first tree I bought to practice wiring and use as a learning aid. I'm guessing it's maybe 2 years old. After pruning and wiring it was doing well(for over a month) still in its original pot (small plastic container) but it's roots were beginning to come out the bottom. I transplanted it into a new pot with well draining soil(found a great pdf that explained how to create bonsai soils based on what's available locally, can post if wanted) and it did Ok for a little while but the leaves began drying out. After some more discussion with the people at the garden centre I decided to adjust my soil to be slightly more water retentive and repotted it into a larger container. This last repotting was done today. What should I do to save it?

I also picked up some grow bulbs to give my trees a boost as lighting in my house and where I live in general is very poor, especially this time of year.

I would really appreciate some tips on how I can best care for these trees. I've read the basic care guidelines for these species and if anyone could comment on any of the specifics I've mentioned that would be great, science is encouraged. I'd love to save my cyprus and use it to experiment more if possible.

Thanks

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Last edit: Post by zinc saucier.

New to bonsai, have some questions 8 years 2 months ago #18443

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except for the ficus, move them all outside. Only (sub)tropical species can suirvive indoors. The rest will eventually die, unless you are willing to invest heaps in coldrooms, ventilation and artificial lighting.

Without seeing pictures there is not a lot we can say. Although, by your words, they sound as all being too young to start doing any bonsai work on them. They will probably need to grow first.

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New to bonsai, have some questions 8 years 2 months ago #18456

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Hello, I've been intrigued by bonsai for a long time and have finally managed to get my hands on some (very)young trees to begin working on. Pics will follow tomorrow.


Do not continue reading if you are easily offended.

The above lines are a blueprint for lots and lots of topics on this forum. They are always the same:

- You have been interested in bonsai for a long time
- You have acquired / received as a gift a couple of some young trees / seeds / seedlings
- You don't really know what to do next, so you are asking for advice - but you forgot to ask advice BEFORE acquiring the plants, or even before repotting / wiring them


Now, as the story is the same, I would like to find out if the outcome will be the same as well.

I predict:
- Within 3 weeks, the ficus will loose lots of its leaves. It'll live though
- Within 5-6 weeks, you will notice the leaves of the juniper are brittle and branches break off easily. You did not notice it, but the juniper died some time ago
- Within 4 weeks, the cypres will turn yellow and die

I may be totally wrong. Keep us updated.

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New to bonsai, have some questions 8 years 2 months ago #18459

  • zinc saucier
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@Auk, I understand your position and I'm not offended. I've been a senior member on forums with lots of experience with the topic at hand and handling the newbies can be frustrating. That being said predictions as to what horrors await my plants in a month's time without any suggestions as to how I might turn that around are not why I'm here. I'm new and inexperienced not ignorant. I've watched videos on the YouTube channel, I've completed the online course for beginners offered by bonsai empire on udemy and I've tried to scrounge up as much information as I can from as many reputable sources as I can find. I also have plenty of experience gardening and don't usually have this kind of difficulty keeping house plants, or any plants, alive. The tutorials are great but because I live in a difficult growing region I need all the advice I can get.

Unfortunately I'm having problems posting picture, I'll try again later with them. For now, updates on the trees.

Based on your assessment of what will happen to the Juniper, this tree is probably already dead. It's drier today than it was yesterday. I changed the position of my light to be less direct and wattered it thoroughly. Is there anything I can do to save it or do I dump it and put the pot to other use?


The juniper is still supple and appears to be ok. The current outside temp is mild, -3 degrees Celsius tonight, -9 tomorrow before going into the negative double digits for the next week. What protections does it need for me to place it outside? My yard faces east and gets Sun until about 11 am. More so in the warmer months.


The bhuddist pine is still just a sappling. It has a few small branches beginning on the horizontal trunk and only leaves on the vertical trunk. It's been doing quite well indoors for the last 6 months in a well draining soil. I repotted it only last week but it has responded well to the change in lighting. Its soil is mostly the same but a little more water retentive as it's new pot is slightly smaller.


The ficus is doing well, it is growing new leaves slowly and stopped losing leaves about 2 weeks ago. I bought a greenhouse to raise the humidity after doing some reading about aerial roots. It is small but the ficus fits nicely inside with space to spread out. If anyone has some suggestions how I can better accomplish this please share.

I'm not opposed to putting my plants outside although I was hoping to have indoor bonsai. Are there any tropical species with similar features to a juniper that will do well indoors? I have limited space in my yard, it's only slightly larger than a postage stamp. One problem that I've run into with my potted plants outside is spider mites. I know how to get rid of the once on a plant but is there a good method to keep them from infesting my trees in the first place?

Thanks

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New to bonsai, have some questions 8 years 2 months ago #18462

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I'm not opposed to putting my plants outside although I was hoping to have indoor bonsai. Are there any tropical species with similar features to a juniper that will do well indoors?


Greetings,

Junipers are not a tropical species and keeping them indoors is an eventual death sentence. Please, put it outdoors. Junipers can endure very low temperatures without much ado. As for the other part of your doubt regarding trees that might be kept indoors, you can try Carmona (Fukien Tree), Elm (this can be an outdoors species as well), Zelkova or Jade Tree, if you are able to laid your hands in any of these species.

Alain

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New to bonsai, have some questions 8 years 2 months ago #18469

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That being said predictions as to what horrors await my plants in a month's time without any suggestions as to how I might turn that around are not why I'm here.


I could have given you suggestions BEFORE you started. You have already done things you shouldn't have and that cannot be undone.

I'm new and inexperienced not ignorant.


I wouldn't dare call you ignorant. However, you do the same as almost all new bonsai enthousiasts do. I'm not predicting the future of your plants to proof I'm an expert (which I'm not), but just to show how often this story repeats itself.
You 've done a lot of research. If you have read bonsai forums, you'll agree that lots and lots of posts are the same - someone bought a tree, repotted, wired, pruned it, and the tree dies. There are countless topics with subject "help, my tree is dying" or something similar.

I wrote your ficus will drop leaves, but it will live, and that your juniper will die. Seems I wasn't wrong.

I've watched videos on the YouTube channel, I've completed the online course for beginners offered by bonsai empire on udemy and I've tried to scrounge up as much information as I can from as many reputable sources as I can find. I also have plenty of experience gardening


And yet you are trying to grow a juniper indoors...

and don't usually have this kind of difficulty keeping house plants, or any plants, alive.


There's a big difference between keeping house plants or bonsai. For bonsai, you will need to learn techniques for wiring, repotting, pruning, watering, and you'll need to understand why we use certain soil mixes.

Also, most importantly, you'll need to learn patience. You did the same as most beginners:
Get a tree, wire, prune and repot it soon after you get it. While I'm not a beginner, I have managed to kill trees this way - even an established one - by doing too much too soon at the wrong time.

First learn to keep your trees alive. Then carefully start to EITHER repot, OR prune, OR wire the tree - provided it's ready for it (so... also learn when they are). Doing everything at the same time, using the wrong techniques, is almost always a death verdict.

Unfortunately I'm having problems posting picture


I think I can predict what your trees look like too :)

Based on your assessment of what will happen to the Juniper, this tree is probably already dead.
Is there anything I can do to save it or do I dump it and put the pot to other use?


Depends on its current state... I can't tell.

The juniper is still supple and appears to be ok.


Seems something went wrong there. Are you talking about the cypress, not the juniper??

I'm not opposed to putting my plants outside although I was hoping to have indoor bonsai. Are there any tropical species with similar features to a juniper that will do well indoors?


This too is a subject that comes up very often - and almost always it concerns beginners:
Trees naturally don't grow indoors (well... actually no plant does, except a specific type of cellar fungus).
House plants do survive indoors, not as well as they would in their natural environment, but they'll usually manage.
Trees are much harder too keep indoors. Actually, practically all posts about dying trees do concern 'indoor' trees like carmona, serissa, sageretia... I have no experience with indoor bonsai, I cannot recommend any.

spider mites. I know how to get rid of the once on a plant but is there a good method to keep them from infesting my trees in the first place?


I don't think you can really prevent it. Best thing is to keep your plants very healthy. I've not had problems with scale bugs only once on a tree that was neglected for a long time and that wasn't doing well.

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New to bonsai, have some questions 8 years 2 months ago #18477

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@Alain, thank you for the species suggestions, I'll likely go hunt down an elm in the spring. I'm moving the Juniper outside this morning after it spent the night near an open window.

@Auk, I had made the post with pictures in it but when it wouldn't work I removed them. I guess I forgot to clarify in a few spots which tree I was talking about. Yes it is the cyprus that I believe is dead.

Ok, juniper outside, cyprus relegated to ornamental stick, ficus seemingly healthy.

One last question; will loose wires on my bhuddist pine help it grow into the shape I want or should I simply grow it upright until it's ready for shaping? I'll try to add a picture this afternoon but the wiring I've added is only at the base of the trunks. The trunks are the diameter of a small straw and I wound the wire around a chopstick before corkscrewing it into the tree.

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New to bonsai, have some questions 8 years 2 months ago #18479

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One last question; will loose wires on my bhuddist pine help it grow into the shape I want or should I simply grow it upright until it's ready for shaping? I'll try to add a picture this afternoon but the wiring I've added is only at the base of the trunks. The trunks are the diameter of a small straw and I wound the wire around a chopstick before corkscrewing it into the tree.


A 'trunk' the size of a small straw should NOT be wired. Changes are too high that you'll damage it and reduce the sap flow - if you don't kill it.

Wiring should be done when the trunk is strong enough, but before it becomes too rigid.

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New to bonsai, have some questions 8 years 2 months ago #18489

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The juniper is still supple and appears to be ok. The current outside temp is mild, -3 degrees Celsius tonight, -9 tomorrow before going into the negative double digits for the next week. What protections does it need for me to place it outside? My yard faces east and gets Sun until about 11 am. More so in the warmer months.

@Alain, thank you for the species suggestions, I'll likely go hunt down an elm in the spring. I'm moving the Juniper outside this morning after it spent the night near an open window.


Plants that have been grown indoors are not ready to go into freezing conditions, let alone double digits cold weather. It needs to get used & be prepped before winter otherwise the cold will kill it. Better find a cold location but not frozen unless you know where it was growing before you got it (Inside? Outside?)

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New to bonsai, have some questions 8 years 2 months ago #18492

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It was insiders when I bought it and conditions have been mild. Should I keep it by a cold window? What kind of location will allow it to acclimatize?

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