Old bonsai newbie

[NitaM39]

I'm sure the subject makes no sense, but I tried to grow bonsai at least 10 or more years ago, but once we went on the road (RVing), decided lugging bonsai pots around was a little much, so the plants I still had, I put into the ground (juniper and Hanoki cypress). Of course, I managed to kill many along the way. I still have all the pots and once we settle down somewhere, I plan on filling them all again.

So after not having any bonsai for all these years, on April 7, 2008, I succumbed. Went with friends to Epcot in Orlando and found a cute little (pre) bonsai - a Grewia Caffra (Lavender Star Flower) and brought it home. Does anybody know anything about these guys? I did some searching and found it's in the same family as Basswood trees (tiliaceae). I've had it home now for a little over a week. Since I live in Ocala, FL for the winter, the vendor said I could leave it outside. However, I am keeping it on a south facing (but no direct sun) window. I've had it a little over a week. It had several buds and one blossom open when I got it. And since then, several more buds have opened. I did not water it for several days because it appeared quite wet. Now it is dropping leaves, they turn just slightly yellowish and fall off. A couple of the buds have blasted. I then watered it thoroughly untill water drained out the bottom. Anyone have any suggestions on care? Does it need to go outside? Can it take these (all of a sudden) cold temps at night?

Thanks for allowing me to join your forum. I am just so fascinated with bonsai and am hoping to be able to keep some growing. We still do RVing, but am hoping that I can manage to take along at least one bonsai - along with 9 orchids. Why do I do this to myself!! Guess I'm a masochist at heart.

Nita M - now in Ocala, soon to be in northern Illinois for the summer

[Gnome]

NitaM39,

Hello and welcome. I too have come to bonsai again after several abortive attempts when I was younger. I can't help much with this particular species. I would say that if the vendor suggested you keep it outside I would tend to follow their advice. If you feel it must come in for the night OK, but back out in the morning.

Can you post a picture of the tree? Perhaps someone else has some experience with them.

If you read the sticky threads at the top of the forum there is some basic information, you may not need it but there are also some good links scattered throughout.

Norm

[kdodds]

I have one training in a semi-cascade. It's in a south facing greenhouse window also open on the sides to the west and east, as well as on the top. I haven't had it flower (yet), but I'm keeping it nipped pretty close. I have noticed that if it is not kept evenly moist that it will start to droop. Since this window also stays fairly cool in the winter, and it was growing well in the mid to high 60s where other tropicals were more or less slowed, I'm guessing they don't like a whole lot of heat, and definitely not direct sun. All south facing windows aren't the same. I'm in NY, and our home is well surrounded by large, old-growth trees that partially shade the window. On mine, there's a lot of back-budding, which I'm encouraging as best I can to "fill in" the foliage where there are branches. I'm not sure if that back budding is a happy accident, something typical of the species that I do not know about, or if what I am doing with all of the nipping is actually encouraging it. At first, I was not watering enough and the older, larger leaves were getting a bit dry at the edges, browning and curling, though, not yellowing and dropping. I water twice per week (keep in mind it's in a taller pot, being semi-cascade) and mist twice daily. Every other week I use Superthrive (1-3 drops in the 1 liter mister) and 1-2 times per month I use a 10-9-7 fertilizer at half the recommended dosage.

[Kenshin14435]

I did the same thing.
I went to epcot during spring-break and bought myself one in Japan(in epcot)
I don't know if you can buy them in china or not.
I think if I'm not mistaken, that you bought it from one of the vendors in the one of the stands.
There right to the left as you enter world showcase.
Personally i didnt like the ones in those stands at the time but i was there a week before you.
I thought it was a good purchase for an 'ol bonsai noob.
Now me....well....im a noob all by itself
I bought a japanese juniper and its doing well....only if i had more info on how to prune it...
Anyway, i just wrote this cuz i was bored and we had something in common

[NitaM39]

I'm not sure how to post a separate reply to each of you who posted to me - Kenshin, kdodds, Gnome - Anyhoo, thanks for your replies. Loved yours Kenshin - you were bored LOL. I saw the ones in Japan, decided too expensive. Didn't find any in China. And yes, this was probably the same vendor you saw - he had just little bitty ones - I just happened to like the flowers on this one.

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?

Gnome - when I figure out how to post a picture, I will.

Nita

[Gnome]

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.

I'm not sure how to post a separate reply to each of you who posted to me

You can then reply to that text.


Norm

[kdodds]

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?

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.

On the misting, I don't know that it's absolutely necessary, or whether some individuals will adapt to differing conditions. I can say that I mist twice daily and that I do this because when I got the plants (many different species) months ago, they were already showing signs of a needed rise in humidity/moisture after only a week (bearing in mind I was still watering and this was December/January). So, I started misting daily, particularly the Grewia, which seems to like even more misting than the rest. As growing season (spring) approached, the demand became greater and I'm misting twice daily, about 10 squirts for small plants, 15-20 for larger plants like the Grewia. If mine were not cascaded, it would probably stand about 12" high. 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.

[NitaM39]

OK. am trying to quote - hope it works............

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.

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.

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.

OK, now I have to figure out how to post pictures. Think I saw directions somewhere.

Thanks for your info.

[NitaM39]

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

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.

Thanks Norm.

[Gnome]

NitaM39,

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.

Either way is cool, I often make multiple quotes and got used to doing it manually.

To post pictures you need to use a third party hosting service and link the picture back here. Look here for instructions for two different hosting services.

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... php?t=3724

Norm

[kdodds]

I've got some crossing growth - came that way - maybe I'll get brave and clip it off.

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.

And perhaps will try some misting. I am assuming that you're misting with just plain water and not a weak solution of fertilizer.

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.

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.

Have you tried Amazon and eBay?

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.

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]

I hear you. A lot of the mas market "bonsai" are nothing more than clipped shrubs in a pot. .......... 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.

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.

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.

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.


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.

Oh, buds on the trunk sounds wonderful. I'll take anything I can get.

My little tree seems to be happier now. I'm thinking it was the shock of being transported and acclimating to a different home that it started dropping its leaves and buds. I just set it outside under our south roof overhang (and won't get direct sun). We'll see how it likes it out there. Weather is going to turn very warm in the next few days and stay that way, so am not afraid to leave it outside.

When I read the directions Norm sent, I'll try to send some pictures of my little baby - both before leaves and buds started falling off and after.

Thanks for all your help. It's much appreciated.

[NitaM39]

To post pictures you need to use a third party hosting service and link the picture back here. Look here for instructions for two different hosting services.


Norm

Norm, I have pix in WebShots - can I somehow post a link to my albums there?

[Gnome]

Nita,

Norm, I have pix in WebShots - can I somehow post a link to my albums there?

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

[Kenshin14435]

LOL... yeah, i was pretty bored at that time.
I decide not to go with a flowering and/or broad leaved bonsai because (a)i think the spruce was a good choice for a noob(especially for a 14 yr old)
and (b) i didnt much like the flowering ones they had(*sigh*......if only they had had a red japanese maple) and as i said, im only 14 so with the limited time I have at home(school, girls, sports, working-out, etc.) so i thought that a tree that didnt have to be watered constantly and needed to be cared for constantly was a good choice.
The only regret I have from buying it from disney is that(A) the people in japan hardly spoke english and when i asked them for advice they just showed me the books they had about bonsai(this was very frustrating!)
and (B) i think i shouldve consaulted a bonsai grower near me and looked at their selection of bonsai(the had a red japanese maple come into stock right after i got back home!!!!....lets just i wasnt very happy.
anyway....glad to be entertaining!
thnx




K5