Bonsai trees.
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craig.a.c
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It is amazing how much time and effort people put into 1 tree. Just looking at some Bonsai trees gives you a feeling of relaxation.
craig.a.c
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All Bonsai trees start out as normal shoots. Just keep them in a small, normal pot until it starts to grow and become established by growing more leaves and a few small branches. Then just do search on the plant you are growing to be a bonsai and you should find plenty of info on when and how to prune it to encourage new growth. After 12mths or so, repot it into a small terracotta pot that it will stay in for 2-3 years before it needs to be repoted.
I am a newby to it all, so don't take all my advice. What I have just said is what I have been reading in books and on the net.
best way to relax, my oldest bonsai is a port jackson fig i got out of a bus stop gutter at rose bay in sydney over 25 yrs ago, it must have been at least 10 yrs old already then and it's still going real strong now,2ft tall,been in the same pot for 20yrs now,rewired evry 2yrs, gets root s trimmed every 5 yrs,. ive been offered $2500 for her..i use to have quite a collection but gave most to friends.
like anything as a beginner first buy a decent book, start with easy plants like junipers if you want the dramatic cascade look, or most natives figs are hardy and take well to the root over rock style. and always remember you can only really trim roots or transplant in early spring or early autumn.
like anything as a beginner first buy a decent book, start with easy plants like junipers if you want the dramatic cascade look, or most natives figs are hardy and take well to the root over rock style. and always remember you can only really trim roots or transplant in early spring or early autumn.
you can take a large tree and make a bonsai out of it, ive dug a 10foot maple out of the ground before and chopped in down to 2ft in winter when it was dormant and just waited for new shoots to come out in the spring, chose,kept and wired the ones i liked and after 2 yrs i had a 2 ft bonsai that looked exactly like the original 10 ft one.
craig.a.c
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I would love to see some pics of it if thats ok, along with your Pork Jackson Fig?
Mine is a Port Jackson, very small at the moment, long way to go yet.
ill take some soon and pm them to you, if you want your PJ fig to get bigger quickly then put in a normal much larger pot with just some normal potting mix and fertilize regularly especially whilst its warm. it will grow much,much faster. leave it there for a year or two and you can practice wiring and trimming whilst its growing. read up on how to trim and wire the roots and in a few yrs when your ready, transplant it back into a bonsai pot with proper bonsai soil.
remember bonsais require a lot of regular fertilizing as the bonsai potting mixes tend to be mostly small rocks and pebbles and cant hold too much nutrients.
craig.a.c
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Thanks heaps for the tip. Will it be ok to put into a larger pot in the middle of summer? Wouldn't it shock the plant?
Look forward to seeing the pics.
Figs are pretty hardy but maybe wait another month, its the intensity of summers heats thats your biggest enemy. not sure where you live but if you live anywhere were large figs trees occur naturally (mainly coastal) then you can take cuttings as fig cuttings take root really easily. or look for naturally occuring bonsais amongst sandstone rock walls and crevices for seedlings (might be illegal to take from the wild tho...) i know when i use to live at nth sydney i use to collect plants from freeway rockwalls.
and hey you can do the same to your maple..
fishboy
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ooh i might see if i can get a bonsai tree, the look cool. i think i have some sort a bonsai tree in my yard this tree has been here for like 4 years, hasn't grew much lol, it looks a bit dead at the moment because we haven't watered the from yard in a while lol. maybe i could pot it? what you guys think? and i gave it a water after the photo lol. and i am not sure what type of plant it is.
craig.a.c
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If you take it out of the ground and put it into a pot, prune all dead leaves/branches off, give it some fertilizer it should encourage some new growth.
craig.a.c
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When re potting bonsai trees the general rule is to trim 1/3 2/3 of the roots back. In the books I have read it says that how much you prune of the top must be done with the roots also.
naledge
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Decided on a Sargent Juniper.
Are tools (leaf cutters, trunk benders, trimmers etc.) essential?
Are tools (leaf cutters, trunk benders, trimmers etc.) essential?
craig.a.c
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Small leaf cutters (anything small and sharp enough to prune unwanted leafs and branches) are essential.
Junipers are very nice. Don't worry about the copper wire to bend branches and trunks unless you really want to change their shape. I'm not going to bend or train the branches on mine until I have enough confidence in just growing them.
Good luck, and post pics when you get it.
naledge
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Ah okay, thanks for the tips.
I bought it for my girlfriend, but now I want one for myself xD I'll buy myself one in a couple of weeks.
The young ones are only around $40 on eBay.
Also, how long do you think until it will mature a little, it'd 25cm and very flimsy/young looking now.
nightowl
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I started Bonsai back in about 1988 and was the carer for the bonsais in the Cowra Japanese Gardens during the 90's. I was given a tree from Megumi Bennett while she was at the Japanese Gardens doing a clinic and also had some great comments from her regarding the bonsai trees I was looking after.
I used to have about 60 bonsai trees until I went away and left my ex mother in law to look after them. Middle of summer and she didn't water them for 10 days..... they all died, including a 20 year old Japanese Black Pine from Megumi, a 50 year old Gardenia, 40 year old Port Jackson Fig and many other old trees.
The pots dry out VERY quick in hot weather and I should have left my sprinkler system on but I was assured the bitch would water them....
I still have all the tools and pots etc but haven't worked on trees for well over 10 years. I may even sell the tools if anyone is interested...
I used to have about 60 bonsai trees until I went away and left my ex mother in law to look after them. Middle of summer and she didn't water them for 10 days..... they all died, including a 20 year old Japanese Black Pine from Megumi, a 50 year old Gardenia, 40 year old Port Jackson Fig and many other old trees.
The pots dry out VERY quick in hot weather and I should have left my sprinkler system on but I was assured the bitch would water them....I still have all the tools and pots etc but haven't worked on trees for well over 10 years. I may even sell the tools if anyone is interested...
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