Some plants bud new growth almost exclusively from the ends of old growth. Some will bud back along any area of the old growth, no matter how old. Grewia seems more apt to do this even than Ficus. This is a good thing since it allows for easier shaping (and more mistakes) and pruning. It's more forgiving. Although, admittedly, it can be a little disconcerting when the buds appear on the front of the trunk.NitaM39 wrote:kdodds - what do you mean by "back-budding?" Sounds as if you're doing a bit of pruning? Hadn't planned on doing any pruning yet. Want to see if it survives my (what will probably be) haphazard care. I'll just try to keep it moist. Is misting it every day an absolute necessity?
I've got some crossing growth - came that way - maybe I'll get brave and clip it off. And perhaps will try some misting. I am assuming that you're misting with just plain water and not a weak solution of fertilizer. Wouldn't you know, I sold all my bonsai tools to a fellow back home. DUH I kept my bonsai books tho. I'm also trying to get back into orchid growing and cannot find those books anywhere. Drats.kdodds wrote: And yes, I'm pruning quite a bit. Not a lot all at once, mind you, but bits here and there, maybe once or twice per week, removing larger leaves, crossing growth, that kind of thing.
Hmmmm, don't think I did it quite like you said, but I just hit the quote button and your whole message appeared and then I highlighted the part I didn't want to copy (quote) and deleted that. Whatever, it worked.Gnome wrote:NitaM39,
To quote and reply simply "copy and paste" the text you wish to cite into your reply. Then highlight the text and click the quote button, like this.
Norm
Either way is cool, I often make multiple quotes and got used to doing it manually.Hmmmm, don't think I did it quite like you said, but I just hit the quote button and your whole message appeared and then I highlighted the part I didn't want to copy (quote) and deleted that. Whatever, it worked.
I hear you. A lot of the mas market "bonsai" are nothing more than clipped shrubs in a pot. I've a Ficus that was like this, and let to go a little bit too long. So long, in fact, that the only real recourse was to cut back almost all of the tree. Crossing branches, entangled branches, whirling branches, etc. It's never going to win any prizes, that's for sure, but I like where the tree is going now. My advice, you have time to wait, but I'd definitely commit to picking branches that need to go before the end of the growing season. Once they start crossing and overgrowing, and growing out, you're going to start losing your options, and some parts of the tree may start to die back from shading, lack of circulation, whatever. It's better not to extend beyond one growing season, IMO, or else you wind up with something like my Ficus.NitaM39 wrote:I've got some crossing growth - came that way - maybe I'll get brave and clip it off.
Yes, absolutely, just plain water. In fact, I'm thinking of hauling RO water up from the fish tank vats in the basement because of the calcium accumulations. But, if the tree is growing well for you, no need to change anything. Don't fix what ain't broke, IOW.NitaM39 wrote:And perhaps will try some misting. I am assuming that you're misting with just plain water and not a weak solution of fertilizer.
Have you tried Amazon and eBay?NitaM39 wrote:Wouldn't you know, I sold all my bonsai tools to a fellow back home. DUH I kept my bonsai books tho. I'm also trying to get back into orchid growing and cannot find those books anywhere. Drats.
Yup. Watch Grewia carefully. Buds can, quite literally, develop anywhere. I tend to see this as a plus rather than a minus. It means that if you cut something, and are sorry you did, you might get lucky and see som growth nearby that can replace it.NitaM39 wrote:Interesting that you have buds on the TRUNK?? My tree is so tiny, that I think it's great it has buds/flowers on the branches.
Have you tried Amazon and eBay? Ohhhh, Yes, indeed. Just got 3 orchid books in the mail yesterday from Amazon - ordered enough so I didn't have to pay S&H.NitaM39 wrote:Wouldn't you know, I sold all my bonsai tools to a fellow back home. DUH I kept my bonsai books tho. I'm also trying to get back into orchid growing and cannot find those books anywhere. Drats.
I don't use that service so I can't say for certain. Is there an option to get a code for forums or E-mail? If so copy it and come back here and paste it into your next reply. You can use the preview function to ascertain if it is working as you expect.Norm, I have pix in WebShots - can I somehow post a link to my albums there?
Well, I don't have Photobucket, but since you were able to see my pix using my Webshots link, guess that should work OK.kdodds wrote:Thanks for the compliment.
You can always start pruning back just a little, just 2 or 3 leaf pairs back on longer branches.
The big problem is, I don't even know where to start cutting.
As far as bonsai "tools" go, I use mostly the scissors on my Swiss Army knife and my nails.
Ha, your Swiss Army knife and your nails. Well, I've got one of those and I've got some pretty wicked toenail clippers, so I'msure they would work.
Current;y, I'm not putting anything on the wounds, as big as they are in relation to the tree, they're not that big and the wood is still young.
OK, then I won't worry about putting anything on mine.
The pictures I posted are actually hosted on PhotoBucket and only linked to from here using the img button. PhotoBucket actually provides the text that you can cut and paste, too.
Hmmmm, ok, let me try. I'm so glad you're so willing to help old birds!!Gnome wrote:Nita,
You can link to your images too. Click on the one you would like to post. To the right click on "Link to it" Then choose a linking code and copy/paste it here.
This one is "Post in a forum" It gets a thumbnail.
[url=https://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2512067210055516584osNStt][img]https://thumb4.webshots.net/t/52/652/0/67/21/2512067210055516584osNStt_th.jpg[/img][/url]
Norm