Best option to grow BRT in Ohio

Vietcu

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7638F73D-8F8F-4C63-B5ED-0F4700BAF0DD.jpegAgainst my better judgement, I ordered a BRT. Looks like I am going to have to grow this little guy out for a few years before doing anything to it. I live in Ohio, so my question would be. What are my best option to grow it bigger? I’m thinking of putting it in a 10” planting pit and let it grow without messing with it for a few years. No greenhouse, but do have a south facing window for winters. Any suggestions? Thanks
 

Carol 83

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planting pit
Pot? I got a little one for $5 on ebay, coming up on three years ago. I put it in an 8" pot. It's not very impressive, but the trunk has thickened up. I keep mine in a south facing window, with additional lights in the winter. It sheds some leaves at first, when brought inside, but bounces back pretty quickly.
 

Vietcu

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Pot? I got a little one for $5 on ebay, coming up on three years ago. I put it in an 8" pot. It's not very impressive, but the trunk has thickened up. I keep mine in a south facing window, with additional lights in the winter. It sheds some leaves at first, when brought inside, but bounces back pretty quickly.
What do you do for it in summer if anything? Would you be willing to share a pic of your tree? And I meant pot not pit.
 

MHBonsai

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I'd wait until it is growing hard in the spring and do root work. You'll have to sort it out eventually, might as well correct any problems sooner than later. You will know when it is growing well, they explode with new branching when they are happy.

Flatten the root ball and put it in a somewhat over-sized flat tray of some kind, maybe a wood box and get working on a good root system. Something < 3" deep. That's what I'd do.

Winter time I keep mine in a heated/controlled grow tent that I keep at 75% humidity and 80 degrees. It pushes hard through most of the winter, and then outside once it warms to 50 - 60 degree at night.
 

Carol 83

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I put it out on the south facing patio, full sun. Give it lots of water and plenty of fertilizer, it grows like a weed all summer. I'm at work, I'll take a picture when I get home. Check out @LanceMac10 and @c54fun they have MUCH nicer ones.
 

WesB

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You can use artificial lighting to supplement the window light. It makes a big difference. Also with window growing make sure the temperature is stable. It may need some plastic on the outside or other insulation. House windows have the habit of extreme temperature fluxes. 99° when the sun is shining directly in at 3pm and then 27° by 2 o’clock in the morning. Any little themoter placed by, on or in the soil can give you an idea of what the tree is experiencing.
 

WNC Bonsai

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I am getting the urge myself and have been looking for the best source. Did yours come from Brussels?
 

mrt1

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Ok I’ll ask. What’s a BRT?
 

Carol 83

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I am getting the urge myself and have been looking for the best source. Did yours come from Brussels?
I got one from Brussel's, and it was actually very nice. But I neglected to repot out of their soil (very water retentive) and I about lost it. It's still alive, but looks like hell. They sell them on Amazon and are on sale right now, free shipping if you have Prime. Wigert's also has them from $25 to $$$$.
 

Vietcu

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How is your BRT doing @Vietcu ?
590438F5-3C92-4E11-8F62-E51289E1B1F7.jpeg
She’s alive I hope. After a few days of getting the plant, I lost %20 of the leaves. Dropped within a day or 2, I’m assuming from shock and new environment. I think it is doing alright now, not really thriving but not dying either. Continuing to grow new leaves slowly. But I’m also losing leaves at the bottom. Keeps yellowing and falling off, one at a time not at once. I would lose one set every few days or so. Weather is almost getting warm, so hopefully I get to put her outside soon. Got it from Hirts garden, didn’t even know they are located in my state. Was not happy with the price and size they sent, but it’s alive.
 

JudyB

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I had one for many years here in Ohio (just now saw this thread) I didn't have any trouble keeping it happy and growing vigorously all year round. I didn't have much of a light setup for it either, just a florescent shop type fixture and a sunny south window. And outside in the summer. They are pretty easy trees.
Here's a link to my thread on mine.
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/brt.13796/
 

nrgizerrod

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I picked up a BRT from a local nursery at the start of December. It promptly dropped all of its leaves but started to grow after a few weeks. it's a bushy little thing now. I'm looking forward to getting it outside when weather permits. I hope it's not too dry a climate here for it!

@JudyB Thats a neat looking tree, I love the color variation of the bark. Do you still have it?
 

Vietcu

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I picked up a BRT from a local nursery at the start of December. It promptly dropped all of its leaves but started to grow after a few weeks. it's a bushy little thing now. I'm looking forward to getting it outside when weather permits. I hope it's not too dry a climate here for it!

@JudyB Thats a neat looking tree, I love the color variation of the bark. Do you still have it?
How are you watering or fertilizing for it to be growing and be bushy? Mine is growing but, don’t know how one would classify vigorous. New leaves would get big maybe 2 mm a day? Not getting any new budding, leaves are growing at end of young new branch. I think I’m watering every 4 days or so?
 

JudyB

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I picked up a BRT from a local nursery at the start of December. It promptly dropped all of its leaves but started to grow after a few weeks. it's a bushy little thing now. I'm looking forward to getting it outside when weather permits. I hope it's not too dry a climate here for it!

@JudyB Thats a neat looking tree, I love the color variation of the bark. Do you still have it?
No, I got to the point of not wanting to keep trops, so wound up selling it and all my others. Then LOL, I picked up a Sea Hibiscus... now I'm looking to sell that! I never had any trouble with any of them, but I'm so busy in the winter, that I just don't have time to do anything with them. And I spend what time I have working on my trees in the cold greenhouse wiring during winter..
 

JudyB

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How are you watering or fertilizing for it to be growing and be bushy? Mine is growing but, don’t know how one would classify vigorous. New leaves would get big maybe 2 mm a day? Not getting any new budding, leaves are growing at end of young new branch. I think I’m watering every 4 days or so?
Don't know what kind of soil you're in but BRT love water. I watered mine every single day, no hesitation. They also are pretty heavy feeders...
 

Carol 83

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Once it's warm enough to get it outside, you'll be amazed at how quickly it will grow.
 

Vietcu

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Don't know what kind of soil you're in but BRT love water. I watered mine every single day, no hesitation. They also are pretty heavy feeders...
I have it in its own soil from the nursery, looks like pine bark and some moss maybe. I’ve since added it to a slightly bigger pot with typical potting soil. I wanted to grow it out this summer so I’m going to put it into a much bigger pot with regular pot soil and not bonsai soil. I’m guessing I’m just going to let it grow for 2-5 yrs, the tree is small. Might not look like it in picture but the trunk is a little bigger than a pencil.
 
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