I rescued this poor little Bouganville from a big box store where it was neglected and looked like it was dying. I must have gotten it in time, because it is doing quite well for me now and even blooming.
I am wondering if anyone can tell me if blooming Bonsai plants bloom less often than when they are regular size?
What other plants can be grown as a Bonsai that also bloom?
I also rescued this sweet looking little Ficus Ginseng Bonsai from another big box store. What I paid for it on clearance ($6.50) was a steal considering that the tall Bonsai pot alone was worth more than that! :-)
This message was edited Nov 1, 2009 11:39 AM
And I have a final question. I rescued this Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) a year ago and almost killed it myself, but it has recovered very nicely. My problem is that I also want to make it a Bonsai, but there are THREE tubers, not one.
I posted on the Cactus forum to ask if I could somehow seperate the 3 tubers, but have not received any reply. Does anyone here know if I could safely seperate these 3 Ponytail Palms without killing them. They appear to be growing together at the base and are sharing the same root system.
Maybe I need to just pot this up as ONE plant, rather than try to seperate the 3 tubers?
Here is a better photo so that you can see the 3 tubers and their ponytails.
What do you think? Plant as one or seperate?
"I am wondering if anyone can tell me if blooming Bonsai plants bloom less often than when they are regular size?"
That's a difficult question because so many 'ifs' accompany the answer. If you are able to provide the cultural conditions the plant prefers to bloom well, there should be no difference in the blooming frequency in plants that are stimulated to bloom by photo-period (day length). In some plants, blooms are dependant on a different rhythm, in which case how much stored energy the plant has can affect both when blooming occurs and prolificacy. The state of vitality affects bloom prolicacy in all cases.
You also need to take into account that some plants bloom on new wood and some on old wood. If you're constantly pruning your trees, you will be removing a good % of the blooms that occur on new wood, but that still shouldn't have any affect on the frequency, only prolificacy.
There are thousands of plants that can be grown as bonsai that have conspicuous and attractive blooms (technically, almost all plants bloom, but the blooms are often not conspicuous pr particularly attractive). Apple, cherry, plum, pear, apricot, azalea, quince, pyracantha, serissa, myrtle, jasmine, forsythia, cinquefoil, wisteria, pomegranate, winterberry, cotoneaster, fukien tea, ........ are just a very few.
Generally, a plant needs to have a tree-like form (branches) to be considered a bonsai, but ponytails are attractive in a bonsai pot. I think your plants would be much more appealing to the eye if they were separated so there was only 1/container.
Al
Al,
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I genuinely appreciate it!
I checked my 3 Ponytail Palms today and discovered that I can probably seperate them ... hopefully with little damage. I bought some pots to put them each in. They won't be small as most Bonsai pots, but still much nicer than the bag nursery pot they are in now.
I bet azalea would make a beautiful blooming Bonsai, too! Thanks for that idea!
What kind of fertilizer is generally a good one for Bonsai plants such as the two I am currently growing?
Thanks so much for your help, Al!
~Becky~
Plants tend to "take what they need and leave the rest" (lyrics from a 70s song), so the actual NPK %s aren't exactly critical, but using a fertilizer that supplies nutrients in a ratio very close to what plants actually use, makes the most sense. When you give plants nutrients in the ratio plants use them, it allows you to keep the total amount of nutrients (salts) in the soil lower. The lower the level of salts in the soil, the easier the plant takes up water and the nutrients dissolved in water. High levels of fertilizer salts can actually pull water FROM plants, in exactly the same way salt pulls water from ham and bacon. Your job is to provide enough nutrients to prevent deficiencies, and to still keep the level low enough that plants can still absorb water and the nutrients dissolved in water easily.
The fertilizers most commonly available that comes VERY close to providing nutrients in the RATIO plants use them, are 3:1:2 ratio fertilizers. 24-8-16, 12-4-8, and 9-3-6 are all 3:1:2 RATIO fertilizers. If I had to choose only 1 fertilizer to cover all my trees, I would choose Foliage-Pro 9-3-9 by Dyna-Gro. It has ALL the essential nutrients (including micro-nutrients) in a favorable ratio, and a favorable ratio to each other, which is also important. It also contains Ca and Mg, which MOST soluble fertilizers like MG and Peter's do not contain.
If you need help understanding the difference between ratios and %s, or want more help understanding fertilizers and nutrition, let me know & I'll link you to one of my threads that explains it in greater detail.
Al
Al,
That's exactly the information I needed. Thanks! I will look for Foliage-Pro 9-3-9 by Dyna-Gro for my Bonsai plants. I may have to order online, but that ratio sounds about right for Bonsai. Now since this is also a flowering plant, do I need to supplement with a blooming ratio?
I used Bloom Booster on it when I got it home because I have heard that fertilizer that promotes blooms also promotes root growth. Is that true?
Please do send me your link for more info. I would like to read it. :-)
~Becky~
I'm very sorry, but there was a typo (my fault) It's FP 9-3-6, not 9-3-9.
There is never a case I can think of where it's necessary to use a "bloom-booster" fertilizer for any kind of container culture unless you have another source supplying N and you supplement K. Because plants use more N than any other element/nutrient, we measure all our other nutrients against and as a fraction of N. Plants use about 6x more N than P (see chart), so it will be very difficult for anyone to build a case for the necessity or efficacy of high-P formulations for any form of container culture that will stand up to scrutiny. The extra P unnecessarily contributes to the EC and TDS (salts level) of the soil and will end up being wasted because it cannot be used by the plant.
What plants use:
I gave Nitrogen, because it's the largest nutrient component, the value of 100. Other nutrients are listed as a weight percentage of N.
N 100
P 13-19 (16) 1/6
K 45-80 (62) 3/5
S 6-9 (8) 1/12
Mg 5-15 (10) 1/10
Ca 5-15 (10) 1/10
Fe 0.7
Mn 0.4
B(oron) 0.2
Zn 0.06
More about high-P fertilizers: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg042303237749.html
More about fertilizing plants in containers: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/783660/
Al
Al - Wow! I am impressed!!! I read all those articles linked above. Very informative information! I am now interested in your soil article. Could you also share that link, please?
What kind of soil blend are you using for Bonsai? Maybe once I read your soil article that will clue me in. I want to do right by my plants and am a novice gardener, so I appreciate all the information you are sharing with me. Thank you!
Edited to add:
Also, what kind of water do you use? I have well water. Should I be using distilled water instead?
This message was edited Nov 2, 2009 10:09 PM
I usually make up a very large batch (55 gallons) of soil each spring, which gets me through the year. It is my basic bonsai soil, and I use it for everything I'm growing on as bonsai, my bonsai, and all my houseplants and long-term plantings. It consists of:
Equal parts by volume of
Fir bark in 1/8-1/4" size (buy in 3 cu ft bags) uncomposted pine bark fine, too
Screened Turface MVP
Crushed granite in grower size or #2 cherrystone
With this mix, I can add to or subtract from the %s of Turface and granite, but I always keep the organic component of the soil (bark) at 1/3 or less. I also add Micromax to the soil when I make it, as well as a little gypsum (a Ca source) When I fertilize, I add a little Epsom salts to the fertilizer solution to keep the Ca:Mg ratio in line.
I'm guessing there is probably info here that you don't understand, so please ask if you need something clarified. I realize there is a lot to digest if you don't have a firm grasp of soils and nutrition, but learning is a good part of the fun and satisfaction that bonsai brings. ;o)
I use tap water on all but a very few plants that I use some form of deionized water on.
Very good info about soils in general. Every container gardener should have a firm understanding of the principles in this thread:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/containers/all/
More info about the soil I just described:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/796311/
Al
Al - Thanks for all the advice. And thanks for the links on soil mix. I am going to have a really hard time finding most of the products for this mix. I called around and no one carries 2 of the 3 main ingredients. :-(
Several nursery didn't even know what Turface was! Of course, neither did I until now. :-) I'm going to have to see what I might be able to get online cheap. I will be ordering that fertilizer you mentioned by internet. :-)
You are right ... a lot to digest. I need to think about all of it and see what I can do to round up these products to use. I am also looking into Floor Dry sold at NAPA. I have been reading that it is often used for soil in Bonsai. Have you ever tried it?
You need to know HOW to look. ;o) I've written quite a bit about calcined DE (diatomaceous earth), which is what NAPA Floor-Dry is. It's physical properties are similar to Turface, but it comes in at a higher pH and it has a little more water retention on a size for size basis. It also has a little better CEC (holds nutrients just a tiny bit better) than Turface. You'll want to use a little less of the floor-dry when compared to Turface because of its greater water retention.
For Turface, try:
Professional Supply
Palm City
(561) 289-4511
or
John Deere Landscapes
2635 Saint Lucie Ave.
Vero Beach (772) 569-9098
The granite will be hard to find in FL, so you might need to substitute silica (quartz) sand in 1/16-3/16" size (no smaller, please). Try roofing companies, masonry supply stores, and places that sell swimming pool filter supplies. You could also look for bonsai clubs in your area and email the contact person and ask them about where they get their soil ingredients. Often the contact person is not the most knowledgeable person in the club, so if you don't think they know their stuff, ask them to refer you to the person they think is most expert on soils in the club./ That person will be more than willing to help you.
Al
Al,
You are the most resourceful gardener I've met in a long time! I live about 20 minutes away from Vero Beach. I am very interested in the Floor Dry because it is so hot and drought like for 4-6 months out of the year. So a product that holds water longer, is better here. :-) I will call around about the silica sand. I am sure someone locally carries it or has a source. Thanks so much for all your help.
Would this same mix be good for the 3 ponytail palms, too?
You are of wonderful service to the Bonsai community worldwide! Thank you.
~Becky~
Yes - very good for the palms - all of your houseplants, succulents, cacti ......
Thanks for the kind words, Becky.
Al
I didn't know the DE had a size. I've got food grade and use it to ward off critters that want a piece of the action. Critters I can't see like root mealies. So Al, it's a fine powder, does that work or are you talking about a more coarse material?
Be careful, we're talking about CALCINED DE. It is baked at a high temp until the fine particles fuse & it becomes stable. The pieces are about like Turface.
Al
Same stuff as the floor-dry (Axis & Play Ball).
Al
