I am fairly new to Dave's Garden, and I have been watching many forums, as I love all types of plants. Currently, I am limited to indoor and container gardening, as I live in an apartment. I do have a nice 6x12 balcony though. I have been watching, reading, and learning from several different sources online regarding bonsai.
Presently, I have purchased a bonsai from Wal-Mart (quipped "mall-sai" by some)... it was identified as a Fujian or Fukian Tea (i've seen both names online, so which is correct?) It is in need of trimming as it has leafed out quite a bit since purchase. Now, all of a sudden, it is blooming! Covered in small white flowers! Very pretty, but surprised me! A few leaves have dropped during this process... is that normal? When should I trim, and should I repot right away?
I also purchased a Wisteria that I would like to work into bonsai. It is simply a rooted young plant like you get in the spring from Lowe's, HD, or Wal-Mart... sold in the area where the clematis, vines, etc. are. It is healthy and leafing out. I am aware that it will not bloom for possibly several years. What I need to know is how long do I let it grow out before I start "working" it. I would like to do it in one of the leaning forms (not exactly up on my bonsai terms yet) Should I put it in a small bonsai style pot this year, or wait a while?
Next, I have Ginkgo seedlings (my favorite tree!) I have two that I have already pinned over, since last summer... they are leafing out nicely so far. I started one from a cutting... I was so very proud of myself! It came from a 130 year old tree. It did not survive the winter though. I plan to try again this summer. I have access to an almost limitless number of seedlings, so I also want to do a forest form. I have ordered a grafted variegated ginkgo that should be at the P.O. now, even as I write this. I don't know if I want to work it in to bonsai or just keep it as a container tree.
Lastly, I have seeds that I want to start this summer, for future bonsai work. I purchased Brazilian Rain Tree seeds (I have seen a mature bonsai of this at my local nursery, and it is gorgeous!) I have southern Catalpa seeds, and some sort of unidentified pine or spruce (got to get the tree book out!) I also have Kentucky Coffee tree seeds, Wisteria seeds, and limitless access to Ginkgo seeds. From whatever seeds I successfully germinate, how long will I have to raise the seedlings before working them into bonsai?
Thanks for letting me ramble! Nice to meet y'all, and thanks for whatever input you can offer!
Karen
Also "new" to bonsai... now what???
Karen-
Nice to meet you :-) You sound like you've been bitten by the bonsai bug- what would a world without gardening be like??
I don't have any technical advice for you- but there are some very knowledgable folk here. Like you I to live in an aparmtent. I have about a 10x12 roof deck which is where I garden. It looked a bit like a jungle last summer- quite a commodity here in the city!
I have two three bonsai that I started from seedlings- a white ash that is about a year old and already has a nice thick trunk and some nice branching, a ginkgo from last summer, and an unknown that I found in my Dad's front yard about a month ago- chances are it is either a tulip poplar, an ash or a catalpa- not sure, as it still looks pretty much like a stick LOL.
I'm about to prune the roots and repot my bonsai for the first time- just waiting on the pots in the mail.
Glad you found us-
Samantha
Thanks... just waiting on more replies to come in! Don't you love making a jungle paradise out of a small balcony? I really miss have a big yard and lots of space to garden in, but I really like my "little piece of paradise" too!
Love the jungle paradise :-) Just potted up my tomato plants today- and in about a week I'm going to put them outside for the summer. They're enjoying the sun on the deck in their little containers today though-
I am hoping to move at the end of the summer or in the fall, and room to garden is on my list of must haves. At least a large deck. Hopefully you'll get some technical responses soon- at times on Daves I've had to wait a few days- but ultimately someone comes to the rescue.
Samantha
Well, you are doing better than I am. I don't know what pinning over means :)
Suzi
I figured this thread had been forgotten! "Pinning over" is probably not a correct bonsai term... it is my term for taking the seedling and gently bending it down and "pinning" it over at a 90 degree angle with some type of stake (I used a piece of coat hanger that I stuck down in the soil. I have two Ginkgo seedlings that I did that to last fall, and they are still "pinned over" now, with the new growth growing straight up from the bent part. May not be technical, but it has worked so far.
Just harvested about two dozen Ginkgo seedlings from a grove nearby. My Mom wants a couple, and I have plans for a few myself.
Thanks for writing!
Karen
Ok, so if it's a tiny little tree, like the ones I see in pictures that are 5 inches tall, how do they manipulate those branches? I know I'll need to read some kind of books if I'm going to get interested for real.
Does anyone on here work with the Desert Rose tree?
Suzi
Oh I know this thread is way old, but I too would be interested in knowing about training wisteria into a bonsai. So I'm activating this one again.
How did your Fujian tea tree go after flowering, Karen? And also your Ginkos?
Sue
Wow! I had forgotten all about this thread.
Let's see... the Fujian Tea is fine... it had grown so much by mid-summer, I decided to try and prune it myself for the first time. I think I did OK. Unfortunately, I do not have internet access at home right now... I have to out to the library once a day to check my mail and get my DG fis (LOL!)... so I can't post any photos until I'm back on-line at home.
I have two little ginkgos still wired over... doing fine. I also bought a variegated ginkgo duting the summer... I'm just letting it grow up a bit, before I start working it.
Suzi... I have two adeniums... I have not tried to train them for bonsai, but they sort of stay small like that anyway... at least the two I have do.
I'll try to post photos as soon as I can.
Take care all...
Karen
Hi! I work with youth ages 13-18, and run a greenhouse. Now I have become a garden junkie!
I would like to start planting Bonsai Trees, and let the kids take them home for Christmas.
I have researched the art of Bonsai, and will be going to local nurserys to see about getting plants.
My question is, how to begin? Do you just cut the root ball down to fit in container and start wiring? Or do you wait to wire?
Just need to know basic steps to begin!
Any info will help!
Princess;
For us newbies; a good book on Bonsai to start out with is a wonderful Idea. I've a book that Santa brought me last Christmas. It's a wonderful book.
Karen, are you trying the Wisteria? Which kind? I've 3 pots of Chinese Wisteria that I've this spring (one of them maybe Japanese though - I'll find out soon enough, hoping to "train" them as well. This morning, I noticed, I did an "oooopsie": the traning wire is cut into my wisteria branches! And yes, I'm trying to have it in a cascade form. So let's get together, bump heads, maybe we can walk one another on this fun adventure. All those interested say "yay". lol
Kim
Yeah, (or Yay!) I'm interested...
But mine is just starting... I just bought the plant this past spring.
I haven't even begun to start training it yet.
Karen
You're doing it just right. It is said that you need to plant your future bonsai until it is established, and really healthy, then the training, pruning of the branches and roots comes next. Any pruning got to be gradual. I'll take picture on mine. Fortunately my potted wisteria although small, they apparently are cuttings from blooming-age parent vine. They did have some scattered bloom this spring, and I've got those from HD, or Lowes I can't recall which.
Kim
I'd love to have a go, but have just grown my wisteria from seed and they are only up to 6 leaves so far. MMmmmmm, might be awhile! LOL
I've a seven+ year old Chinese Wisteria in a big pot, which bloomed for the 1st time this spring. :-)
WW; try to take cuttings from an established vine, you'll get flowers out of those much faster without the wait. An average time it takes for the mentioned vine to bloom from seedling is 5-7 years.
Kim
