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Burzumoza
17-03-12, 11:00 PM
Im growing a small bonsai tree in my living room, its about 6 years old, i have no idea what it wants, but im managing to keep it alive with canna knowlege :) have given it some leftovers with grow and bloom nutes every now and then, and it was quite unhappy after the move til i found a spot it liked again....and guess what....its the darn mother daughter lamp my first canna plant fell in love with it. Funny thing how plants love that lamp. Do these thing follow season ? anyone know ? mine got a little few leaves after it was unhappy, it sheded some of them then, but im not sure if it was seasonal sheding. Whats your experiences people, i bet there must be some of you growing a bonsai tree :)

Legendary Fox
17-03-12, 11:13 PM
I once saw a small bonsai tree, it was really small.

Anyhow, I'd suggest you just google it, im sure there's plenty of information out there mate.

trubz
17-03-12, 11:31 PM
bonsai trees are hard to grow mate.

i have killed loads. i have a book by d.g hessayon the evergreen expert, has alot of info on bonsai

Burzumoza
18-03-12, 12:04 PM
mine is 6 years old and still alive and kicking!

TIKTOK
21-03-12, 09:30 AM
I've got a miniature banyan tree about 9" tall, all I've ever given it is tap water and a trim in early spring

this_Is_a_NewEra
21-03-12, 11:05 PM
I had a miniture AK47 plant that Id kept BONZAI! for about 2&1/2 years kept it on 18/6 which was right next to my Lizards viv'

little b*stard was like as thick as some of my bigger plants and a bushy but TINY. I finially put it on 12/12 and smoked about 400g off it!

anyhow, a guy by where I used to live became known as BonsAndi as he could pretty much bonsai anything and.. his name was Andy. Get it? Good.

bonsaiman
22-03-12, 03:36 PM
Ah bonsai, right up my street.

Personnally I don't keep indoor bonsai anymore, not because they are mega difficult, but because I can't give it the right conditions. I've got about 20 outdoor trees though, a couple hitting the 50 yr mark. Bonsai just means "small pot", it is not a species. Most plants/trees can be bonsai'd, but for the artform some are more suitable than others - you want the tree to look like a miniature tree so small leaf species are most suitable. Saying that I have a 10yr old horse chestnut grown from a conker, massive leaves but charming in its own way.

With indoor trees there's a few basic rules:

1. Never keep more than 3ft (1m) from a natural light source (window) east and west are best (I only have north and south facing - north is generally too weak and south too hot in summer, which invites spidermite from miles around, hence why I don't grow indoor trees anymore). At 1m from a window lumens decrease to 10% of that outside. I've never used lights, but the same principle as for vegging canna apply, blue light is better, though full spectrum is best.
2. Water when the top of the soil is dry to touch, don't let the whole pot dry out. Water stood out for a while is best as for canna. As a side point it isn't always neccesary to leave water standing for 24hrs as commonly stated on here. The evapouration of the hard metals/minerals (e.g. chlorides, flourides etc..) is dependant on temperature, surface area and water movement. I fill a 10l watering can and leave it to stand in the sun or by a rad for @ 4hrs, or stick an air stone in for about an hour if I want it quick. Both ways get the water nice and clean. If you use botttles to store water at room temp then 24hrs or more might be required. Boiled water brought back to room temp is the same as stood water, uneconomical but handy to know if you need it quick.
3. Feed with specialist bonsai food (@3.99 for a bottle that will last you @ 1yr with one tree), or half strength plantfood suitable for shrubs/trees (steer clear of hot food like miracle grow and concentrated houseplant food). You want the full NPK rang with N being highest (something like N10P5K5 is about right). Start slowly at the beginning of the growing season. Remember that it is a tree where as canna is a annual plant and therefore requires different food composition. I tried using my bio bizz grow and bloom for a year - I also use other organics (bone and blood meal, worm castings etc..) and growth on my trees was pretty shabby.
4. an indoor tree is a tropical tree in origin and therefore evergreen. Technically you can keep it in growth stage all year round. However, it is a good idea to give it a few months rest every year. If by a window then diminishing light is done for you in winter, just stop feeding it for 3-4 months and it will slow right down and rest. Water as normal though.
5. Indoor trees like humidity. Standing on a tray with moist clayballs is the common method of achieving this and spraying with water twice a day also helps. Don't spray in direct sunlight, as with canna. BTW spider mite love hot dry conditions, if you spray and see webbing between branches you have spidermite. Add a small amount of washing up liquid to you spray to piss them off. Red spider mite were the bain of my life. Once the mites have gone spray the plants with normal water and rub the washing up liquid residue with you fingers (you will see the sheen.)
6. trim new growth to 3-4 leaf pairs. Snipping after a pair gives the same effect as topping (i.e. 2 branches grow), between leaf pairs is similar to fimming ( one branch grows in the direction of the uppermost leaf/bud). If you want to take old growth (woodier stuff) back this is usually ok, depending on species, as the branch will "backbud", i.e. start new branch growth from the cut. If you look at the lower end of branches you can see the dormant buds waiting to be called on. When you trim the tree puts all its energy into the cut areas which can result in a top heavy tree, getting the right ratio is part of the artform though. With a bit of experience yu can shape the future shape of the tree by carefull trimming.
7. Finally the bit everyone fears at first..root trimming. With a tree your age it is probably necessary to trim every year, otherwise it becomes rootbound. It is best done at the end of the dormant cycle before new growth (i.e. just before feeding again). Let the root ball just dry out then take the tree and roots out of the pot. Use something like a chopstick to tap the soil away from the root. spray the roots with water every 2mins or so to stop them drying out. Once youve got got as much soil off - with practice you can get nearly all of it - untangle the roots so that they are hanging down like an old hippys hairdo and then trim about a third off. There is no tap root so don't worry - this is taken off early on, with bonsai you want a good lateral spread of roots. The tips of the roots take the most nutrients so the key point of root trimming is to get as many root tips - it works in the same way as topping (i.e. chop one root tip and it grows 2 back). Put a small layer of new compost in the pot and stand the tree on this, spreading the roots out laterally for even coverage, then cover the roots with soil and dab down with the chopstick, pushing soil under the trunk and between roots, don't overly worry about damaging roots, the tree will recover. Your aim is to compact all the soil in. Once done water in immediatley. The new soil will provide nutrients for upto a month, so don't feed in this time. I us JI2 and perlite at 75-25%, good drainage is necessary. Specialist soils are available but I've never used them.

The above guidelines will keep your tree healthy. Obviously there is much more to it (shaping etc..). Also, every time you move the tree to a new permanent location it is likely to drop its leaves. This is normal. The leaves build up a film on them to defend against the level of UV they are exposed to. When you move the tree the level of UV exposure can be different, even to a new window on the same side of the house. The trees leaves may now have too little or too much protection and the only way it can regain the balance is to shed and grow new leaves suitable for its new location.

If you put a piccy up I'll be able to tell you the species and give you exact requirements.

Hope this helps. BM.

Burzumoza
22-03-12, 06:48 PM
that acutaly helped alot. think my little nugget is a bit mistreated:) NO drainage on the pot even :) il take a pic when i play with my camera soon. Would love to learn the species of it.

Stealthgrower
04-09-12, 02:28 AM
This is the start if my jade plant bonsai protect, my first non canna bonsai. She is 1 year old. It all started from one leaf! I think it's got to be the easiest indoor plant to bonsai.

Here she is, should look good in a few years.
133396

GBK
04-09-12, 08:54 AM
I had a miniture AK47 plant that Id kept BONZAI! for about 2&1/2 years kept it on 18/6 which was right next to my Lizards viv'

little b*stard was like as thick as some of my bigger plants and a bushy but TINY. I finially put it on 12/12 and smoked about 400g off it!

anyhow, a guy by where I used to live became known as BonsAndi as he could pretty much bonsai anything and.. his name was Andy. Get it? Good.

Holey shit, You got 400g of a bonsia Mj plant, That is incredible, That equates to some 33 oz, I cant manage that with a 1000w HPS let alone a bonsia grow, Well done dude, Would love to see a pic, ATO

RastaMouse22
15-09-12, 09:41 PM
any advice on a jap black pine?

bought my 1st bonsai bout a year ago (cant remember the species) and ever since i repoted it in bonsai specific soil (with perlite) all the leaves have died back?.. which dosent help is i put it outside as well around the time.. so could be shedding its leaves?

peace

Ganesha
15-09-12, 11:19 PM
This is the start if my jade plant bonsai protect, my first non canna bonsai. She is 1 year old. It all started from one leaf! I think it's got to be the easiest indoor plant to bonsai.

Here she is, should look good in a few years.
133396

That's a nice idea M8, I might have a go at that myself. I've got loads of jade trees, can't give the bloody things away. I have a big one that I pruned a while back & got loads of cuttings. They're over a year old now so at a good point to start with the bonsai treatment.

Thanks for the inspiration! :)

Stealthgrower
30-09-12, 03:34 AM
That's a nice idea M8, I might have a go at that myself. I've got loads of jade trees, can't give the bloody things away. I have a big one that I pruned a while back & got loads of cuttings. They're over a year old now so at a good point to start with the bonsai treatment.

Thanks for the inspiration! :)

Your welcome, make sure you get pictures up so others are inspired.
Here is whatmine looks like now...
140480

Thats a tulsi/holy basil cutting on the right. That's next on my bonsai master mission.