Time for new trees....but what to get?

[SvetSad]

WOOOHOOO!!! I got my tax refund today!!! Time to look into new trees, among other things!!!

I want to get a Brazilian rain tree (for indoors) but I want to improve my set up before I get it. I have come across few posts on the forum that made me want one VERMY MUCH, so when I get it, I want it to have THE BEST setup I can make!

But besides that, I'd like to get some outside trees, Zone 6a. I can provide full sun, or partial shade, or even full shade with maybe some am light.

There are Maples that grow all around here, and I'm actually air layering a branch on one, but it's a small branch. I have 2 pre-bonsai small junipers, that are very happy and starting to have some new growth on it, but I'm not doing anything with them but letting them grow for a while.
I bought a Yew bush at a box store, but I won't be doing anything to it until fall, except of course fertilizing and watering.


I would like a challenge! Also probably a tree that can be wired as opposed to clip and grow. I think I really need to start practicing that!

Any suggestions anyone??

[TomM]

My suggestion - if you can get your hands on one try to get a hornbeam. Good for wiring practice. Very flexible, alternate leaf pattern for directional growth, hardy where you are. Try to find some older stock.

Tax refund well spent!

[kdodds]

Second the hornbeam, Korean or American. Meehan's has some decent size stock (6") for under $20. I'm dying to find some decently priced Crabapple stock. I've planted some harvested seed, but that's years in the making. Dwarf lilac is something a little different. The Home Depots near me just got in skids of fruit trees. Apples, Pears, Plums. You couldn't let the fruit grow, really, but they were bagged and 2" trunks. Easily could be chopped, pruned and potted in 1+ gallon pots. Only $19.99. Another tree I'm dying to get is White Birch. Beech is also something you might look into. Most NA maples aren't really great for bonsai. Are you airlauering someone's Japanese, Amur, or Trident?

[SvetSad]

I will definetly look into getting a Hornbeam. I want so many things, but I know I should pace myself for now . A birch tree is something I would like to try eventually, but from what I've read, they are not easy trees to keep.

Another tree I will be purchasing is another Premna, and then just let it grow in a big pot for few years!

kdodds
The maple I'm air layering is what I believe to be a red dragon japanese maple, it's a dwarf tree with some low hanging branches with leaves just lay on the ground, so they need to go, but it's such a pretty tree, I want it for bonsai I'll take pictures of it tomorrow and post them.
Also, have u looked at www.coldstreamfarm.net ? things they have are far from bonsai, but they are a bit closer than growing from seed

[kdodds]

Thanks for the link, Svet. Seems they have quite a few bonsai-able species available. I may have to place an order.

[lucenda]

I have a Brazilian Raintree; they are not that hard to keep. Still; I recommend to keep it outdoors in the summer. Mine - a pre bonsai- looked much better after a couple of weeks being outdoors.

Also; I have a White Birch -very young pre-bonsai- it survived the winter but it doesn't look good. Got it for my Birthday; hard to keep; I do not know if it survive.

For indoors; summer included; I have a couple of Texas Ebony. Very easy to keep; slow grower; very pretty.

Good luck!!

[SvetSad]

here are a couple of pictures of that maple tree I'm air layering

[img]https://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z375/SvetSad/Random/photobucket-40258-1333828453430.jpg[/img]

it's a small tree, only maybe 4ft tall, I'm 5'1 taller than the tree

and here is a picture of the leaves

[img]https://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z375/SvetSad/Random/photobucket-19409-1333828414673.jpg[/img]

I hope the air layer works out cuz I think it's a really pretty tree

[kdodds]

Good luck with it. It's difficult enough to keep in peak health in the ground in my yard (Zone 4b) that I wouldn't want to try it as a bonsai. We lost an entire main branch about 3 or 4 winters ago. Last year it finally started looking like something again. I don't know how well the leaves will reduce either.

[SvetSad]

Well, I didn't spend a lot of money, but I feel like I got a lot of things....

Some soil: Akadama, lava rock, cork chips, and some ancient forest humus

Almost 2kg wire!

Mission of Transformation by Robert Steven

1lb Ho Yoku Green Dream slow release organic fertilizer (which I actually got for free!)

20x 1 gal nursery pots

A small Ficus Burtt Davy
[img]https://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z375/SvetSad/Ficus/photobucket-2008-1334262396871.jpg[/img]

Small Ficus Green Isle
[img]https://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z375/SvetSad/Ficus/photobucket-49326-1334262520248.jpg[/img]

Korean Hornbeam
[img]https://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z375/SvetSad/Korean%20Hornbeam/photobucket-30781-1334262597199.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z375/SvetSad/Korean%20Hornbeam/photobucket-8002-1334262643659.jpg[/img]

And since I was paying attention to something, my cat decided to check it out. Very slowly he came up and very slowly tried to take a bite, but never actually bit down, so there's no damage.
[img]https://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z375/SvetSad/Korean%20Hornbeam/photobucket-2439-1334175738244.jpg[/img]
And I did put the tree outside, it was just inside when I was taking pictures.

All for $240 shipping included!

I cut some gallon pots in half re-potted the Ficus, no root work. And since there's no freezing temp for at least next 10 days, I did the same thing with the hornbeam. One downside to the tree is that it has a very ugly apex, but I'm sure it will eventually come off
[img]https://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z375/SvetSad/Korean%20Hornbeam/photobucket-2439-1334270360891.jpg[/img]

[lorax]

For next year, you might like to try a Prunus salcifolia if you can get your hands on one (or ask nicely, and I can send you seeds). I'll try to get a picture for you tomorrow (it's in my other garden) of the one I'm working on right now - they're gorgeous and fast growers, which makes them ideal for wiring.

[kdodds]

Unfortunately, importing seeds is illegal without a phytosanitary certificate. I've heard the fines are fairly steep.

My Hornbeams haven't opened yet. My initial impression is the same as yours, there's too much going on all over the place. I have a feeling you'll probably wind up chopping that one eventually. I'd pot up those Ficus ASAP. The Green Island's leaves are a lot larger than mine. It may have been kept under lower lighting, but the leaves should reduce easily over time. Both Ficus need a couple of years of growth I think, but look really healthy. Where did you get everything from?

[SvetSad]

I got all three trees from Meehan's I bought the 2 ficuses to make my order reach the $25 minimum. I have a nice light setup inside, so I hope they grow quickly also when the temp outside is a bit more steady, I plan on taking all my trees outside.

I'm really exited to work on the hornbeam, it's a nice looking tree, cute small leaves but I'm definetly going to let it sit for a while and recover from shipping and whatnot.

At least I have a nice book to read while all my new plants get used to their new environment.

Oh and when I was putting the hornbeam into better soil, I took a look at the roots, I'm definetly going to have to do something with them in few years, there's an ugly twisted roots on one side of the tree, it could be made interesting with time, but I'll have to figure it out in the years to come But another thing I noticed about the Hornbeam is that it has CRAZY roots, nothing but feeders. Seems like a nice root system to learn from

[kdodds]

They're also, IME, extraordinarily forgiving of repots and root pruning. Meehan's, I think, actually pots their trees up. At least, from my experience with them, that's what it looks like. Most other vendors resell last year's 2" pots as 2" this year. My Meehan's trees this year all looked like repots/pot ups. Several other vendors I've gotten early spring specimens from have all been horribly pot bound and jangled.

[linlaoboo]

Nice choices on the ficuses from Meehan's. Kdodds introduced me to order from that place and I was satisfied by the condition my trees were in when they arrived. I have green islands but not burt davi. ficuses are alot of fun to grow and train, they grow very fast and propagate very easily. Those you got are probably 1 to 2 year cuttings .

[SvetSad]

I was very happy with my entire purchase, Meehan's trees were well packaged and shipped quickly, I received everything by wednesday.
Also I'd like to mention that I was very happy with my soil purchase from RePotBonsai.com they have a gread selection, and good customer service (as well as fast shipping). Also my wire and book were purchased from StoneLantern.com where they have 100g wire for like $2.50 which seems to be the cheapest I've found. They also have good price for larger rolls, but I didn't want to get so much yet. (oh and they sent me the free fertilizer cuz my order was over $100, but that promotion started day after I ordered, but before it was shipped, so they sent it anyway )

Anyways now I just need to wait for my trees to grow....And I may try to wire the hornbeam in a month or 2, after it gets used to it's new home.

[SvetSad]

It's been 2 months since I got the trees (seems like much longer). The hornbeam is growing good, lots of new growth on all branches.

The Burtt Davy Ficus is doing GREAT, with lots of growth all over
[img]https://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z375/SvetSad/Ficus/photobucket-33141-1339987049531.jpg[/img]


I can not say the same for Green Isle.
It's not doing bad, a few new leaves did grow, but mostly I'm getting the "berries". Are they preventing the leaf growth?
[img]https://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z375/SvetSad/Ficus/photobucket-8216-1339987018908.jpg[/img]

It really hasn't grown much compared to the others. but I know it's alive because it keeps making the berries and every week or 2 a new leaf opens up.

all my trees are currently outside, and get bi-weekly fertilizer. Watering schedule varies.