Recent content by jmuzzey

Since willow leaf ficus back bud so easily, and you can chop them back hard, I would plant this tree in a much larger growout container and let it grow for a couple years. In the late spring, when temps are above 55 degrees, move it outside until the fall. I do this with mine, and I get the...

Do not let these pots freeze though. The concrete will absorb water, and freezing and thawing will cause the concrete to break, just like cheap ceramic pots that are left outside. Concrete is much mroe porous than ceramic though, and roots can grow into the crevices of the inside of the pots...

I will read the articles and blogs. I have no problem working on a tree for a decade or more if needed. I plan on keeping them anyways. Time is not the problem, I am still young(37). The problem is like Judy said, there is conflicting advice between books, articles, mags, and from people with...

Being that I just got this tree, I have not come to a decision as to how I see it in the future yet. I am going to look more closely at it this weekend when time allows. It is very top heavy right now, so I definitely want to push growth back. I would like to focus on thickening the trunk I...

Hello again, I received a new JBP yesterday. I have one other supposed JBP, but I am not sure if it is one or not. But that doesn't really matter right now. This pine was a good deal to me. It stand at roughly 24 inches tall. I got this tree sight unseen, and when I unpacked it, I was happy to...

With fall weather here for the most part in chicago area, I know you will not see many tropicals untilo next spring. The cold weather during shipping can wreak havoc on them, so the home stores and nurseries stop shipping in tropicals this time of year. Before the weather gets too cold, order...

I think I will plant it into a grow out pot(I have large pots for growing material out) and feed heavily and let it grow as suggested. It is very lanky/thin, and I want it to thicken, but am afraid to plant it in the ground for fear of it freezing and dying. In a few years I will hopefully be...

Thank you for the link!

I did not know it was listed, sorry. I am from the chicago area....I will check my profile page and change it.

I think you have a done a beautiful job with this tree. Wether it is a pheonix graft, carving deadwood, root over rock, creating jins and sharis, etc., the only thing that truly matters is if you like it or not. But I, for one, am happy that you shared this photo, the driftwood/deadwood is...

From the reading I have done, if you are happy with the trunk's thickness, then cut off the apex if it does not fit into your design. But if you want the trunk to thicken, along with low branches, let the leader grow as a sacrificial branch and then cut it off when you feel it is ok to do so...

Thank you for the advice about the cayenne pepper, that makes sense. The pine is too high out of the pot. It needs a serious root pruning and this year rose up a bit. Plus it was planted a little too high to begin with and then knocked out of the pot, and the rodent problem.....all that has...

Lets see if this works....I took two quick pics with my phone in the rain. One is of the base where the roots were eaten/destroyed, the other is of the tree itself. If layering is possible, I would layer the tree right above the first branches.

Hello all, I have a question that I can not really find an answer to. Can a Japanese Black Pine be air layered? I have a JBP that I have had for 6 years now, and this past year it has been ruined for lack of a better word. When I received the tree(bought for me as a gift), it was very leggy with...

There is an internet site that I have bought lights from in the past for a reef aquarium setup that I used to have, but they also carry and are originally known for their horticulture lighting. They carry everything from T5 to T12 flourescents and Metal Halide lighting. The T5s allow for more...