Some NZ Native projects

[AJL]

Has anyone tried Hebe species for bonsai-small evergreen leaves, naturally architectural growth habits.......?

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Has anyone tried Hebe species for bonsai-small evergreen leaves, naturally architectural growth habits.......?

Hi,
I am a bit confused with this post. Anything can be grown as a bonsai. The purists say only x, y, and z can be bonsai. Here is my confusion - Hebe is a very short lived shrub, not very woody, but yes some cultivars do have small leaves etc. Yep, sure, grow it as bonsai as they ramify really easily, but why spend time on a five year project that may disappoint from a both aesthetic stick in pot and from a “could be growing better long lived trees”.
My opinion is to grow a tree in a pot that looks like a natural replica, and the ratios of girth to trunk height for realistic outcome.
Charles

 

[AJL]

Hi,
I am a bit confused with this post. Anything can be grown as a bonsai. The purists say only x, y, and z can be bonsai. Here is my confusion - Hebe is a very short lived shrub, not very woody, but yes some cultivars do have small leaves etc. Yep, sure, grow it as bonsai as they ramify really easily, but why spend time on a five year project that may disappoint from a both aesthetic stick in pot and from a “could be growing better long lived trees”.
My opinion is to grow a tree in a pot that looks like a natural replica, and the ratios of girth to trunk height for realistic outcome.
Charles

Some hardy Hebes live a lot longer than 5 years, eg Hebe rakaiensis,subalpina, salicifolia, Midsummer Beauty,parviflora etc etc and are all widely used as landscape plants. easily living over 25 years here in UK . I would think some of these could make interesting Mame/Shohin if you find specimens with a decent girth.Also theyre really easy to propagate from cuttings and probably also air layer easily... Id would love to see how big these grow in their native environment in New Zealand- you guys are really spoilt for choice!!

 

[SpOoNzL]

Went to the old Mitre10 (home depot) again today. Came home with a Corokia Bronze King it already had exposed roots showing and looked like the start of a great nebari so I decided to buy it. Cut a lot off it probley 90% foliage and 70% roots. Unsure how these guys respond to such treatment, guess time will tell. Cant decide on the front either its either picture 8 or 9.

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Went to the old Mitre10 (home depot) again today. Came home with a Corokia Bronze King it already had exposed roots showing and looked like the start of a great nebari so I decided to buy it. Cut a lot off it probley 90% foliage and 70% roots. Unsure how these guys respond to such treatment, guess time will tell. Cant decide on the front either its either picture 8 or 9.

Hi,
I have got no idea how well this will backbud, so I will be watching to see how you go.

My friendly (?) advice is simply a matter of how you did the repot. It always looks weird planting trees on a mound and how well the watering get into the pot. I would repot in a year or two’s time so just the nebari is above the soil line (edge) of the pot. A search here or on google for any established bonsai is for no mound. Great use of the spagnum moss .
Charles

 

[SpOoNzL]

Hi Charles. For me I don't mind a slight mound or hill after a 1st repot, yes it might look abit funny in some case but I think trees have more of a chance of surviving the repot. In this case if I were to have no mound id be taking of more like 80% roots instead of the 70%ish I took off. Once the trees get established and are healthy I can reduce the mound abit. In the trees next reporting it will probley be a lot more even with the lip of the pot. My trees are far from bonsai atm so not really worried about what they should look like if they were going in a show.

 

[Greenman99]

Hi,
Nicely shaped! Better than mine, which is a cotoneaster. Still in a pot for training. Not very happy with those 2 trunks. Doesn't look natural at all. Thinking of cutting them both and let it redevelop. My experience is that they bud back very well. Pics show 2017, 2018 en 2019 development.

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi Charles. For me I don't mind a slight mound or hill after a 1st repot, yes it might look abit funny in some case but I think trees have more of a chance of surviving the repot. In this case if I were to have no mound id be taking of more like 80% roots instead of the 70%ish I took off. Once the trees get established and are healthy I can reduce the mound abit. In the trees next reporting it will probley be a lot more even with the lip of the pot. My trees are far from bonsai atm so not really worried about what they should look like if they were going in a show.

Hi,
So I qualify this next opinion with “I realise my way is not the only way” -
1. The need to stuff it into a bonsai pot straight away, does this mean you are happy with its development with branches and trunkline (girth)? As you won’t get girth any more as roots can’t grow any.
2. Do you think because you plant it in a bonsai pot that this looks like a bonsai? I don’t think so, maybe I am being harsh, as it is easier to be mean with others material.
3. My way is to grow my purchased and home grown material in boxes or big flat trays/crates to get it more fully developed so after five plus years I put my trees (the ones I am proud of) into bonsai pots to only grow tertiary branches and fine ramification as that is the only growth able as “small pot=little growth”.

At the end of the day, when looking out on your garden if you are happy with your trees then that’s the best option.
I just get too competitive against myself for better trees and better stock to work on. Maybe it will be to my detriment, or maybe after 10yrs the sense of learning and achievement will spur me to do better still.
I am giving you food for thought, as you give me food for thought whenever I post trees or update a thread.
Sorry if this post ruined your day.
Charles

 

[SpOoNzL]

Hi,
So I qualify this next opinion with “I realise my way is not the only way” -
1. The need to stuff it into a bonsai pot straight away, does this mean you are happy with its development with branches and trunkline (girth)? As you won’t get girth any more as roots can’t grow any.
2. Do you think because you plant it in a bonsai pot that this looks like a bonsai? I don’t think so, maybe I am being harsh, as it is easier to be mean with others material.
3. My way is to grow my purchased and home grown material in boxes or big flat trays/crates to get it more fully developed so after five plus years I put my trees (the ones I am proud of) into bonsai pots to only grow tertiary branches and fine ramification as that is the only growth able as “small pot=little growth”.

At the end of the day, when looking out on your garden if you are happy with your trees then that’s the best option.
I just get too competitive against myself for better trees and better stock to work on. Maybe it will be to my detriment, or maybe after 10yrs the sense of learning and achievement will spur me to do better still.
I am giving you food for thought, as you give me food for thought whenever I post trees or update a thread.
Sorry if this post ruined your day.
Charles

1. I don't think they are all stuffed into a pot, I feel I've overpotted a lot of my trees to last 2 maybe even 3 years in some case in the same pot. As I repot I've removed all the chunky useless roots to try get fine feeder roots closer to the trunk. Big chunky roots don't do much more then support the tree into the ground once they are removed there's plenty more room for littler roots to develop and feed the tree. For girth sure it might be slowed down a little then it been in the ground or a massive grow box. As I've said before id prefer to have more room for smaller trees in smaller pots then big grow boxes.
2. No I don't think because my trees are in bonsai pots that they are bonsai. They do however looks a lot better then been in a nursery container of grow box for me.
3. That's your way and go for it you will have bigger trees. As for me I'm more focused on smaller trees in smaller 6-8 inch pots.

And def didn't ruin my day cheers.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@SpOoNzL
Nice trees, nice starts.

For what it is worth, the difference between removing 70% of the roots, and leaving the tree on a mound in the pot, vs 80% of the roots and getting the tree level in the pot, the difference in survival is minimal. The removal of the first 50% of the roots did most of the damage. Either it lives, or it don't.

The problem with mounding bonsai is you will never be able to get a flat, radial root system. You will end up with a permanent volcano of roots making up the nebari. Occasionally this is attractive, but it is not in line with many "forest images" or "tree in open field" images. As the nebari ages, it becomes more and more difficult to correct. So planting a bonsai on a mound in the pot essentially perpetuates a problem that is difficult to correct.

As I said, the "volcano mound" of roots is occasionally attractive, and if that is the look you want, go for it. But generally the only way to get a flat, radial root system is to work toward that from the very first repotting.

Second, when trying to create a flat nebari - the nebari needs to be buried, at least 0.5 cm deep. This allows roots to develop along the surface of the soil, near perpendicular to the trunk. Then over time the roots that dive down at an angle can be eliminated and a flat radial "spokes of a wheel" root arrangement can be created. You only expose the nebari during the hour or so that you work on the tree while repotting and when a tree is in "mature exhibition condition". Most of the first 5 to 10 years of development of a bonsai, the nebari needs to be buried.

Just offering has helpful tips. I do like your choice of species, and willingness to dive in and "just do it". Keep it up.

 

[SpOoNzL]

Just a couple of start of summer update pics.

 

[SpOoNzL]

Decided to work on my Kahikatea tree yesterday (The one I planned on leaving alone to fatten up). Well so much for that, thought rather then waiting a number of years to get it to thicken up I'm better off working on it now and turning it into a smaller bonsai. If I want a bigger one in the future ill just buy a bigger tree. I now plan on trying a more slender tall tree as they are in nature with sparse branching, they tend to have no branches till about 40% up the trunk and the branches they do have seem to be pointing at an angle of about 10pm and 2pm on a clock. I seem to luckily already have that started on my tree. Just going to let it recover for now as I removed about 2/3rds of the foliage. Anyways here's some pics of what I did.

 

[Greenman99]

Not aware how much pruning they can handle and how they will bud back. Probably I would keep the top 3 branches during this growing season, and reduce all the other to about a 1/2 inch from the trunk. And see how it develops. Next season you could shorten the top 3 branches. And give it further styling by removing and/or reducing remaining branches. When they were available around here I would definitely purchase one with a bigger trunk. (Un)fortunately I have some years ahead of getting my seedlings into small trees.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Interesting, podocarpus family, I had to look it up. Kahekatea is unique with how small the leaves are. Habitat reminds me of Taxodium disticha, our bald cypress. Totally cool.

 

[SpOoNzL]

Just posting a few end of summer update pics, everything grew well and managed to keep everything alive . The goal for a lot of my plants were just to let them grow to thicken up as most are sticks but you got to start somewhere.

 

[SpOoNzL]

Some future projects. Lancewood (Pseudopanax crassifolius), Hebe Wintera and Fucisha Excorticata.

 

[SpOoNzL]

Few pics of my ever growing bonsai area. Lots of projects I think I'm addicted. I mainly like NZ natives, Deciduous conifers and Maples.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Conspicuous by its absence is the notorious Norfolk Island Pine. Does anyone down there have the secret to its management? Many are called, but few are chossen?

 

[12345_yes]

I just bought 2 small Kowhai prostrata at a nursery here in the Netherlands. Really like the look of the branches and the small leaves. Did some minor pruning and put them in bonsai soil.
Any care tips from your experience so far?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Looks like everything is growing well.