Bonsai's topics - tribe.net

new bonsai owner!

Eridun — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:10:42 GMT

Hello!

I was really into bonsai about 10 years ago when I was in high school and haven't had the time to get back into it. Well, as a housewarming gift my mother just gave me a Satsuki Azalea bonsai! I'm very excited but nevous also as this is quite different from the creeping junipers that I tended in high school.

Any advice? Since it's winter right now I'm thinking that I should be keeping this in the sunny window in the garage so that it doesn't get to warm and keep it watered. It's too windy to put this outside and honestly, I don't have anything to put it on outside yet - at least not where it'd be protected and get sun. It has no shape to speak of, really it's just a bush in an bonsai pot right now, but I have high hopes for training this into something asymmetrical in time.

Thanks and I'm glad that I found this group.

Erika

posted in Bonsai - 6 replies

Anyone who achieved previous "education" 'bout Yamadori?!

Sadhakabrother — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:34:19 GMT

Jatta aun Ganesha whirl,
pranam me dear microforestwardtwin. Previous Sunday, a course found incarnating in almost westernst german hillside above Cologne. One pretty precious tip entered me new nearby 7|52 rythm. Observing tha "organic used" boxes @ cemetery. This is in me perception an act of near ahimsa plain goodness, meaning strictly nonviolence. Don't know if yo feel someside as sceptic as me about the tree godfathergodmother linear. ... though this is even a hint of an ambulancefirstaid comrade; the ethnia you find you put attention to partnering into further buding and developing still flourishing. The 've been named hairroots, them dry out from nonfiltred sunrays in three blinks of one eye, that's cause why, yo gonne scann the underground"tubularsystem" wheneither yo partner eth. Bring a bag guess its propper even two, one weaved one, it yo can soak in H2o at the cemetery.

Yamadori shrinks the span getting one developed tiny grownupone, when yo find one, don't cut the woodenroot that harsh that it fitts direct in one ceramicforestship, bring it to the ground. The ground you can mix of grinded Bubbleclay, grinded slate, grinded lava ore similar not much basic not much acidly rockeli fessel with sphagnum ore icelandmoss ore noncrumped moss variety which is closs to lichen. Yo sense which ethniae me point to? Thoth whoth a little longer in the limb, yo can pull eth into smaller "parts" ore as Forestinthebowl shishbrother coursemaker shish Mircea shishyabrother verbalised; steer it into the chaff-cutter, ... anyway get the moss chopped smaller not tiny. And a almost third of clone ore seedlingssubstrate. Don't choose direct sun and first 7,9,11 weeks arrange one windshelter don't put fertilizer to the ground. Yo can if yo agree put your days urine on the leafs, not the morning'ts. In three Years, when every afterfrostspan yo get eth of the ground and shorten the woodfullroot, yo gonne get a twinkleable widetrunk tree to colonize in yo choosen bowl. "Microforestinthebowlward" shish mircea shishbrother, him even cultivates his sattlements mostly without bowl, on kind of claytile 40cm*40cm probably 50cm to 50cm but me wasn't outsleeped and long long no plainbluesmoke, relation and relativirration leaded this a bit througheachother.

The upperearthmiming you devote fully after this three years of undergroundwebconcentrated...if sparked your sense write me ore webb around for Treecupgodfather Mircea Rosian westernhillsidegermany's. He probably is a bit pilotli in italians maybe french and origined languspored in romanian.

with withlove
Sadhakabrother Oghaper Aranyanaadnatha whirl

posted in Bonsai - 2 replies

Bonsai Repotting Workshop @ US National Arboretum

LaDaryl — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:41:39 GMT

Bonsai Repotting Workshop
March 14, 1:00pm-4:00pm
National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Is it time to repot your bonsai? Learn how to do this important procedure correctly and get expert guidance. The bonsai museum curator will teach repotting concepts and skills, and give individual attention to each tree that the student brings in. Limit of one large or two small bonsai per student. All materials and tools provided.

Fee: $29 ($24 FONA/NBF) Registration required.

Note: Many bonsai will be repotted into the same container. For questions, call 202-245-5898.

For online registration, go to http://www.usna.usda.gov/Education/events.html#March

posted in Bonsai - 0 replies

help?

gypsyofthecaravan — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 08:19:41 GMT

i have a port jackson fig, which is doing quite well despite a bit of scale parasite-which are easily gotten rid of by pulling them off and squishing them. it reacts really bady to white oil though. my question is: is there another pesticide i can use on it that won't kill the plant?

posted in Bonsai - 2 replies

Something to consider when buying your next tree

Noah — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:20:43 GMT

I thought this was an interesting gallery piece. Walter Pall is a famous European bonsai artist. He shows a picture progression of a Japanese maple that is one of his early trees from when he bought it in 1984 to this winter, 23 years. He's a world class artist and it's a very nice tree after 23 years of development but what's interesting is he shows this not as a success but as an example of what not to do.

Basically now that he knows what to look for when he buys a tree he could go to a nursery, look a little harder and spend more money but make a nicer tree in probably 4 or 5 years than he did with this one in over 20! Probably the reason he still has this tree considering he has so many that are better is all the mistakes he made working on this tree makes the others he gets all the better. I dunno I would still take it any day.

http://walter-pall.de/maplesjapanese_maple_nr__3.jpg.dir/index.html

posted in Bonsai - 4 replies

by walking, no by rolling to me momentary adress just realized dark vibe, bought bonsaiboats

Sadhakabrother — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:14:03 GMT

Jatta aum shiv Mahanidhi yaif,
where a price is labelt in sacred cupboardgroup, me wanne ask yo: do you guess it manipulates the quotient sacred embodiement its giving ?
In a different current me percept full agreemint. Donationbase polite chasitygrace, even one auction ... but fixprice .. patta nej, just don't know.

Please write down yo percepting, and lets start one seedbrooker for nothing than stamps.

with withlove
yo one Ganganathi Oghanathabrother still in gurumayaservice
Aranyanadnath whirl

<^> me loving with yo !°^

posted in Bonsai - 0 replies

Angle?

Soul-Survivor — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:48:44 GMT

This may well have been brought up before. I got my bonsai tree (a yew, I think) about a year ago, direct from the growers. It's a beautiful little tree, with lots of interesring angles to the branches. When I got it, the trunk also angled nicely, not too much, to one side. Over the year, it seems to be losing its angle and becoming straighter. So, here's my question: what is the best way to encourage my bonsai to lean more? Right now I have a piece of wood under the side I want the tree to lean toward. Is that right? What is best for me to do?

posted in Bonsai - 1 reply

any bald cypress tips

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:14:03 GMT

I bought this last year as a tribute to a loved one that has passed on.
The frost killed off its (fir)? ....but I could tell by the pliability of the trunk it was still alive.
I just saw a green tip on it with great delight. I trimmed the roots a tiny and repotted it in a small pot
with fresh bonsai soil and love. Will its fir come back and have branches again?
I need to get a proper bonsai container for it. Should it be shallow, say 1 inch or deeper??

I saw a few book titles on a different subject and will check out amazon for a book. thanks for the title selections.
I love bonsai.
~drr

posted in Bonsai - 0 replies

fruit tree's

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:37:25 GMT

is it possible to make them or would it collapse from the weight of the fruit?

posted in Bonsai - 5 replies

Tips on growing Frankincense

discerning_images — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 01:03:02 GMT

has anyone ever grown Boswellia sacra? any tips or suggestions?

posted in Bonsai - 1 reply

Annual Bonsai Show in Hayward, CA Oct. 20-21 - Yamato Bonsai Kai

Noah — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 23:36:25 GMT

It's time again for the Yamato Bonsai Kai Annual Bonsai Exhibition. In the past we have had artists like Masahiko Kimura and Shinji Suzuki put on demonstrations, and this year it will be Johnny Uchida, Tony Hayworth, and Mike Baker. It's a great show with lots of great trees and vendors to see and $5 admission includes a free chance to win the demonstration tree.

36th Annual Yamato Bonsai Kai Annual Bonsai Exhibition
Location: Centennial Hall-Hayward, CA
Date: Sat. Oct. 20 - 10am-5pm
Sun Oct. 21 - 10am-4pm
Admission: $5 including one raffle ticket for the demonstration tree
Demonstrations at 1:30pm by Johnny Uchida, Tony Hayworth, and Mike Baker

More info on the Yamato Bonsai Kai Web site: http://www.yamatobonsaikai.org/04_annual.html

posted in Bonsai - 2 replies

Help me save my bonsai!

showingOn — Tue, 08 May 2007 20:06:43 GMT

Hello everyone,

I'm new to this tribe and new to bonsai care. I've had this for about 5 months now, and it's all dried and sorry looking. What should I do? Not even sure what kind of bonsai it is (it was a gift). I've been watering it weekly, but the last few, about twice a week, as well as misting the leaves. But alas, to no avail. Leaves snap right off if I just touch it. Can it be salvaged? Here's a picture of it (it's actually alot more yellow than the picture lets on).
http://www.showingon.com/images/bonsai.jpg

Thanks so much!
-Showing

posted in Bonsai - 12 replies

Setsuki

barrym — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:47:23 GMT

I need to feed my setsuki bonsai, but I want to use an organic food. Any suggestions?

posted in Bonsai - 0 replies

bonsai pots in san diego?

thegardener — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 06:08:02 GMT

greetings. does anyone know of a good source for reasonably priced bonsai pots in san diego? i hesitate buying online because i like to physically see what i am getting (color, texture, etc). spring is coming and i have 4 trees in need of a new pot. any feedback would be appreciated.

posted in Bonsai - 4 replies

Silk Bonsai

tomanderson — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 04:48:40 GMT

I just moved to northern california. I didn't see the silk tree's blossom but I've started a bonzai from one, harvesting the pod, of course, now 1 1/8".
While looking for examples I found a 2004 REBS repository:

http://www.rebsbonsai.org/2004_gallery/pages/Silk%20tree%20-%2016%20yrs.html

posted in Bonsai - 1 reply

"Jurassic" tree

Tue, 10 May 2005 22:38:18 GMT

I want to get a few.

The Wollemi Pine official site - http://www.wollemipine.com
(thought to have been extinct for 200 million years)

Sir David Attenborough planes one in a London Park 5/10/2005 - http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050510/wl_uk_afp/britainenvironmenttree

posted in Bonsai - 4 replies

Wooly aphid infestation... HELP!

bb — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 22:04:42 GMT

The little bastards are everywhere. How do I get rid of them w/o harming the tree?

posted in Bonsai - 12 replies

Which tree has your favorite fall colors?

Noah — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 00:47:49 GMT

We just had the Yamato Bonsai Kai annual show and there was one Trident Maple on exhibit by our sensei that had amazing deep red color and just barely held on to its leaves for the show so it looked really incredible. What about everyone else, which of your trees has your favorite fall colors?

posted in Bonsai - 3 replies

35th Annual Yamato Bonsai Kai Exhibition-Don't forget!

Noah — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 20:18:06 GMT

Don't forget, if you're a bonsai enthusiast in the San Francisco bay area that this weekend October 21-22 is the 35th Annual Yamato Bonsai Kai Exhibition in Hayward, CA. This year's theme is "Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow" and will feature demonstrations by Sensei Johnny Uchida, and future Senseis Michael Baker and Tony Hayworth.

The past exhibitions I have attended with masters like Masahiko Kimura and Shinji Suzuki working on some killer California Junipers have been spectacular and this one should be no different. In addition to the show trees there will also be a ton of bonsai vendors, plant sales and auctions. Admission to the show is $3 and it's $5 to get in to the demonstrations and there's always prizes like trees, pots, and tools to be had. If you've been there in the past you know they raffle the demonstration tree from each day as well so for a few dollars everyone can have the chance to win a truly world-class bonsai.

More information about the exhibition and past exhibitions is here: http://www.yamatobonsaiclub.org/04_annual.html
Yamato Bonsai Kai Web page is here: http://www.yamatobonsaiclub.org/

posted in Bonsai - 0 replies

pot depth

jaimefrances — Sun, 25 Dec 2005 23:28:29 GMT

i would like to transfer my bonsai to a new pot after i trim its roots...would it be a problem that the new pot is much deeper? thank you

posted in Bonsai - 9 replies

juniper trees

michelle — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 18:15:45 GMT

Hi everyone, I recently got my first juniper bonsai tree. It has been doing good up until the last week and a half. It has started to dry out and get very brittle, I read all of the information people have submitted and am now aware that this particular tree is an outdoor one. So my question now is, I live in Sacramento, California and it has been 110 for the last week, will my plant survive outside in such hot conditions? Also do Junipers need any type of plant food? Oh and finally, can someone suggest a book for a newbie to the art of bonsai, something like bonsai for dummies? Thank you very much.

posted in Bonsai - 4 replies

olive trees!!

Jorge — Fri, 06 Aug 2004 05:03:07 GMT

have you ever tryed olive tree as a bnsai??

posted in Bonsai - 9 replies

Soil Recipes for Bay Area Climate

Noah — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 20:41:39 GMT

It took a few years but I am now absolutely convinced. Make your own bonsai soil, sift it yourself and leave out anything that looks like regular potting soil.

It took a while to get used to potting with soil that looks like you took some stuff off the forest floor and put it in a blender. But after repotting this year I noticed how happy the roots were on the trees that I repotted in my own mixture and I may have lost my nicest tree I obtained last year - a satsuki azalea- to root rot. The azalea was still in the original nursery soil (a bonsai soil but still very fine), and with all the rain this year the roots couldn't take it and I've lost probably 60-70% after cutting off all the ones that rotted. A lot of the roots just plain fell off as I was taking it out which is a bummer to see.

So here's what I use right now for a basic mix - 50/50 organic to inorganic ingrediants (all ingrediants sifted to remove the fine dust and overly large particles.

Organic: about 2/3 fine orchid bark, about 1/3 sifted cactus potting mix. For the cactus mix all the fine soil based stuff falls out when I sift and I can reuse in the yard or for potted plants, basically I use it because you end up with mostly bark and some composted material but it is usually a little better composted than just plain bark.

Inorganic: about half and half horticultural pumice and fine red lava. If I'm potting maples I will usually add akadama equalling about 1/4 to 1/3 the total mix (I'm still playing with this).

I don't trust myself to pot anything in 100% inorganics (akadama or aka/pumice mixes) with the summer heat. But this year I was convinced to repot my azalea in 100% kanuma (make sure you sift this stuff good).

I'm curious to see what people in the SF Bay Area are using and what their experience has been with various ingredients.

posted in Bonsai - 0 replies

Rosemary bushes

jorga — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 09:44:34 GMT

I've seena picture or two of this done, and I've certainly seen some naturally gnarled bonsai-ish rosemary bushes. Anyone tried this? Opinions?

posted in Bonsai - 1 reply

wild specimens

Wed, 28 Dec 2005 03:22:16 GMT

Do any of you collect trees from the wild?
I used to enjoy collecting live oaks.

One of my favorite places was a Christmas tree farm in the Oakland Hills. The owners for many years had "chopped off" the oak trees to keep them from competing with the Christmas trees. It was really fun searching out the oak trees...many of which were only a foot or two tall.

I left the U.S. and travelled for a few years....and gave away all the trees in my collection. I currently have two oak trees and a trident maple. ...and look forward to adding a few more friends.

I also have enjoyed digging up baby japanese maple trees from under their parents outstretched branches.

Mind you....I ask permission when I'm on private property.

I've also found nice trees at nursery dump stations....where they stash trees that missed watering and the top died back. Sometimes those trees have a few lower branches and make nice Bonsai.

I'd be interested in hearing where people obtain their trees....and what kind of trees are their favorites?

posted in Bonsai - 15 replies

Tree photos....

Fri, 30 Dec 2005 03:21:11 GMT

Do you ever see amazing trees out in the wild that you wish you could pot and bring home?
Some of the sentinal trees still making a living in fields just off the freeways make superb models.

Maybe it's an ancient oak tree with knarled branches.
(There's an often photographed oak tree growing next to a huge boulder on the Point Reyes/Petaluma Rd.)

I took the photo on my profile while on a trip to Lake Tahoe.

Anyone have any favorite tree photos...or locations?

posted in Bonsai - 0 replies

azalea bonsai

Wed, 28 Dec 2005 04:33:15 GMT

If anyone likes to train azaleas as bonsai....I would highly recommend the Sonoma Horticultural Nursery. They have a huge selection of satsuki azaleas (and many other varieties). The plants are beautiful specimens at a very reasonable price.

The nursery also has a lovely garden with trails that can take you an hour to wander.

Eventually I plan to build some walls to terrace the hillside where I live, and in the meantime my deck is adorned with azaleas in five gallon pots. I'm trying to find a rational reason to buy more plants in the spring. :-D

Here's the link to the webpage:http://sonomahort.com/index.htm

posted in Bonsai - 0 replies

fertilizing in winter

jaimefrances — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 01:55:42 GMT

are you supposed to fertilize less in winter? i have a juniper that i have been fertilizing once every 2 weeks during the rest of the year, and i think i read somewhere that in the winter you only fertilize once a month? sorry about the very basic question - it's my first tree.

posted in Bonsai - 2 replies

japanese vs chinese styles of bonsai presentation

isabeau — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 22:50:43 GMT

hi --

my photo actually isn't of me...it's of one of my bonsai. i have two medium sized junipers, and two smaller bonsai experiments going.

while i try to honor the japanese aesthetic of 'less is more' and asymmetry, i also am inspired to make a 'story' with my bonsai (though this isn't an overt desire; it just sort of happens as i create the bonsai).

for example:

my bonsai that is the photo of 'me' (hah!) ended up shaped like a flying dragon. i didn't plan that; the dark rock behind it is a piece of laval from the bottom of a waterfall, and it has a countenance that looks like a sleeping dragon; i named the rock 'takagawa' after my friend's japanese acquaintance (my friend got the rock for me). both the hotei (fat buddha) and takagawa are looking in the same direction, as is the dragon in the tree.

my little bonsai had a fisherman with a fish on a pole; so i had a black rock to make a pond. then i realized that a pond without a stream coming into it would n't have fish worth fishing for! so i created a small stream with a couple of quartz crystal points. a little pagoda is on the other side of the pot, and the fisherman is hiding behind a 'shrubbery' of very small labrador violots.

does anyone have any information about the differences between chinese and japanese aesthetics in bonsai, and whether bonsai can be created to 'tell a story'?

thanks!

posted in Bonsai - 0 replies

OTHER BOOKS ON BONSAI

Sun, 28 Aug 2005 03:51:00 GMT

1) The masters' Book of Bonsai
compiled by the Japan Bonsai Association

2) Bonsai with American Trees By Masakuni Kawasumi

3) The Beginner's Guide to American Bonsai By Jerald P. Stowell

4) Bonkei: Tray Landscapes By Jozan Hirota

5) Saikei: Living Lanscapes in Miniature By Toshio Kawamoto

posted in Bonsai - 0 replies

Herbal Bonsai : Practicing the Art with Fast Growing Herbs

Sun, 28 Aug 2005 03:38:53 GMT

Herbal Bonsai : Practicing the Art with Fast Growing Herbs
By Richard W. Bender

Growing Bonsai with Herbs

The art of bonsai as traditionally practiced, calls for training shrubs and trees to mimic-in miniature-the gnarled ancients of forsts and grags.

Those Traditional specimens may need more than 50 years to mature, but by using woody herbs, you can get comparable effects in less than a year

Rosemary, scented geraniums, the thymes, and many other easily grown herbs are ideal for Bonsai.

in the book ," HERBAL BONSAI," horticulturalist Richard W. Bender shares his innovative technique, providing you with advice on choosing the appropriate herbs for the kinds of Bonsai you wish to create.

Practical instructions guide you through every step of the process.

** Training container-grown and field-grown Bonsai

** Shaping, pruning and wiring

** Choose the right pot

** Dressing with rocks and ground covers

** Caring for herbal bonsai

posted in Bonsai - 0 replies

roots

jaimefrances — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 06:08:56 GMT

i have a three year old juniper tree, and have read that periodically, you should remove it from its pot and trim its roots. my tree came with little pebbles glued together to form a shell over the earth in the pot, and i think i would have quite a hard time breaking it apart to get my tree out. is it absolutely necessary to trim the roots? or is there any way that they would just stop growing on their own, seeing as they have no more room? thanks in advance for any advice offered

posted in Bonsai - 2 replies

Trade Bonsai?

J23 — Mon, 06 Jun 2005 18:08:39 GMT

I have a grove of three Japanese Wax trees that are just coming into bloom after winter. They are in a rectangular blue pot with matching tray. I'm interested in a Maple (single or grove) or anything else interesting...

I'm located in S.F.

posted in Bonsai - 0 replies

Named my bonsai

abby — Mon, 25 Apr 2005 01:15:00 GMT

Does anyone else name their little trees? i only have one, but it's called Mr. Meogi (probably spelled wrong there), after Karate Kid of course.

posted in Bonsai - 1 reply

Some good trees for the beginners

Nicholas — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 18:22:34 GMT

Hey fellow bonsai enthusiasts - just joined this today, hoping to find maybe some good sources for some of the more exotic trees out there.....

Back to the subject - try night blooming jasmine (if you can find it), flowering plum, any of the japanese maples...the cut leaf varities are very nice, schefflera (sp?)....all of these have good staying power - even when neglected a bit - and also have nice bark traits and either leaf and/or flowers that are well proportioned for bonsai.

If your beginning and don't have a yard to keep the bonsai outside...stay away from junipers of any kind. If you like the ever greens and can't stay away, try some of the red woods....I have one red wood that I love...the dawn red wood, I also have two other pines that are doing well...but the junipers just need one or two bad days of one sort of abuse/neglect and poof...they are done...bye bye.

A friend of mine who works at the La Sumida Nursery in Santa Barbara/Goleta - is getting me some small (1-3 ft) pepper trees....they have incredible bark, small willow like branches/leaves....can't wait till they get in....if anyone is interested...let me know and I will see if I can get any extras....

take care and happy bonsai - anyone in the santa barbara area??

posted in Bonsai - 3 replies

man I love spring!

Chili_Bonbons — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 20:03:09 GMT

I just wanted to express my love of my bonsai now --
the Larch is just popping and rocks! Maples -- just starting to go! Hokkaido and Seju Elm are so super cool it is too much to bear! All of my Cryptomerias (Tanzu and others) had the most rockin' colors this winter - and are still holding! All the in-ground 6' cedar bonsai - blue atlas and lebanon - exploding with tons of new growth!

ahhh nature

ok I'm done now.

posted in Bonsai - 0 replies

Greetings and Salutations...

Booger — Tue, 22 Jun 2004 07:37:38 GMT

I am new to bonsai and I am currently starting 4 jacks pine, but I was wanting to play around with something else as well. I went to 3 places today looking for seeds with no luck at all, and I was wondering if anyone knew of a particular type that might work well for a beginner.

posted in Bonsai - 6 replies

Juniper killer

Tue, 20 Apr 2004 22:22:04 GMT

I AM THE JUNIPER KILLER!

My 2nd ever juniper has died. #1 from over watering and #2 from under watering(?) I think...

At least my schefflera arboricola is growing and still healthy... I should probably repot it.

posted in Bonsai - 7 replies

Introductions

Omar — Sat, 17 Apr 2004 20:41:48 GMT

Hello, My name is Omar. I am pleased to have joined this tribe and hope to learn alot about the art of Bonsai. I live in Kenmore Washington, which is about ten min north of seattle. To start out, I planted four maple trees in small container pots. They are about an inch, not even trees yet. I hope to get to know some of you. Talk to you later :)
Omar

posted in Bonsai - 2 replies

new here

Fri, 16 Apr 2004 17:02:55 GMT

Posted some nice photo's fromthe Phia. flower show.

posted in Bonsai - 3 replies

Hello

Nick — Thu, 05 Feb 2004 02:57:29 GMT

Hello i am new in the field of bonsai but i am picking it up fast. I have read books and done hands on training. I was just wondering of anyone knows of better resources or shows that might be helpful.

posted in Bonsai - 5 replies