projectracerabbit
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 2:55 am
Location: Tampa Florida

New to bonsai, multiple species

I was given a juniper bonsai as a get well gift. That's how it all started. I had never even thought of bonsai before that. Being the type of person that I am, I did some research on bonsai and took it a bit far (according to my wife who happens to be alergic to just about everything outside) So when I get the bonsai, it is planted in a glazed white pot with a tiny one growing beside it. I left it in there for a little while, then figured I did not like it and gently ripped it out and put it in its own little temporary container with some of the same "soil" from the original pot. From there I got interested and the commisary (base grocery store) had gotten some "bonsai" trees in that did not sell and they reduced the price on them. I picked up two norfolk island pines this way, the first in a really cool brown pot for 4.99 and the other in a large white glaze pot for 1.99 a week later. I also got one of those small live "Christmas trees" from walmart on sale after Christmas for 4.50. I moved the norfolk island pines together in the brown pot and grouped them tightly together. (the soil that came in it was glued down gravel and hardly any actual soil.) I used mostly small riverrock gravel and a few handfuls of garden soil with a about a handful of perlite all mixed up for the new soil. I then transplanted the Christmas tree into the large white pot and did pretty much the same thing as the pines. I thinned out the limbs and decorated it with polished river rocks and left over moss. After a week or so of being in its new home I used some wire to spread out the limbs.
I also have an infant apple tree that sprouted from a seed that I threw in the original bonsai pot, I have since taken it out and put it in its own container. (it was doing very well about 2.5 inches tall with healthy looking leaves until some unknown bug decided to use it for dinner) It currently has a bag over it to keep out the pests. All of my little trees are located on a table on the balcony on the east side of my condo in South Tampa. There is a big oak tree that filters and breaks up the direct sunlight. I recently found a little bonsai garden shop EVESGARDEN that I picked up some 7-8-6 fertilizer from. Right now temperatures are 60-85 degrees. I leave them all outside due to the wifes allergies. I also have one lone norfolk island pine in an all gravel makeshift container at work, I found a nice sunny place outside by the smokers pit for it. I water it daily.

obviously I have not spent a small fortune on these like I have seen some for online. I will post pictures later.
I have a few questions that I will end up asking later after more reading, the main one is what kind of tree is the "Christmas tree" my guess is some type of cedar. the tag that was on it just said bonsai tree. It is different than the juniper.
Is there a good website to use to identify specific conifers?

Thanks all.

tomc
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2661
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:52 am
Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

Your 'christmas' tree sounds like it might be an alberta spruce. The two NIP (Norfolk Island Pine) can probably be more easily trained as bonsai than an alberta, but is a tender evergreen. Its too cold (an gonna die) is above 32°. the Alberta is hearty to -30°.

Alberta's limbs don't wire down fer nuthin'.

Well, my usual mantra here is get (or make) the right soil for trees in pots. What you are working with isn't.

You are south enough that mostly your trees can live outdoors. the juniper and alberta preffer cold winters, and you may or may not have enough cold for their good health,

Apples and particularly crab apples are my favorite tree(s).

projectracerabbit
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 2:55 am
Location: Tampa Florida

Thanks for the reply. I don't understand why you say the alberta can not be wired down...

what kind of soil would you recommend? everything I have read says 70/30 mix, fast draining and airey.

tips and ideas are appreciated

tomc
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2661
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:52 am
Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

projectracerabbit wrote:Thanks for the reply. I don't understand why you say the alberta can not be wired down...
After wireing alberta spruce limbs down repeatedly over more than a decade. Or weighting them. Or tieing them down to the pot, they revert to young (looking) branches. I gave up, YMMV.
what kind of soil would you recommend? everything I have read says 70/30 mix, fast draining and airey.

tips and ideas are appreciated
I've posted on current posts this answer already this year, I expect it is also on a FAQ.

50% crushed granite, 50% sifted pine bark mulch.

What ever will not pass through a 1/2" hardware cloth screen in too big (discard) To driveway.

What ever will not pass through a 1/16" window screen is too small. (discard). To garden.

Everything in the middle will work as bonsai soil.

Loess or peat based soil will smother your trees, their roots will rot.

projectracerabbit
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 2:55 am
Location: Tampa Florida

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