My year around bonsai work in the Inland Empire, CA

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Wires_Guy_wires

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bonhe said:
I like to share with you how I make “ vegetable tea” . I dump all of vegetable waste into this composter. Because it has tiny gaps between the panels, the composed fluid can easily to drip down the ground . I place the cement mix container bought at Home Depot beneath the composter to catch the composted fluid. After about a month, I am able to collect over one gallon !
View attachment 219492 View attachment 219493

It should be an excellent fertilizer ?
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P/s: Just tested its pH. It is about 9-10!!!
The one on the left is tap water!
View attachment 219494
Click to expand...

Wow, that's pretty high. When I do it like that, the pH is around 5-7. But maybe that's because I use a bokashi-style fermentor. You might want to look into fermenting, since that will solve the pH issue.. At least, if you think it's an issue to you.
 
bonhe

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Wires_Guy_wires said:
Wow, that's pretty high. When I do it like that, the pH is around 5-7. But maybe that's because I use a bokashi-style fermentor. You might want to look into fermenting, since that will solve the pH issue.. At least, if you think it's an issue to you.
Click to expand...
Thanks for information. It may be due to the fact that the majority of input was green leaves combined with poor air exchange. However, if I use it with diluted solution, it should be fine for the trees.
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bonhe

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Today is New Year day. It is too cold with strong dry wind in my area. The Brazilian Rain tree seems sleeping. All of the leaves are "drooling" down!
IMG_0340.jpg IMG_0341.jpg

However, this ficus are still awake in spite of some yellow leaves. I pruned the long branches back. The ficus is growing fast here. When I bought it in 2007, its trunk base diameter was about 1". Now, it is 7", even though it has been in the bonsai pot all the time.
1-1-19.jpg
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bonhe

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It is going to rain here tonight. I prepared to collect the rain water for bonsai use! The rain water is liked gold in Southern California!

These 2 ume is going to bloom soon. I expect they bloom around 1/15/19. They always have flowers around mid-January here!
IMG_0384.jpg IMG_0386.jpg

IMG_0390.jpg IMG_0392.jpg
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bonhe

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The small Liquidamber orientalis
Before
6D43C8BF-B0F2-4D24-8058-59C8143B0C16.jpeg

It has buds at this time
2C5DC574-02F3-497C-9CE6-4ED922DF65F5.jpeg

After pruning and wiring
12119148-92DE-4B85-85B7-6E688AB0A177.jpeg

The exposed roots!
E2B3F8BA-C7FA-40DD-8FAD-D6A08866AE45.jpeg

Another small L. Orientalis
Before
AE198140-9927-4093-A933-A04C9549F3AF.jpeg
93C721EB-D967-4AE3-962F-D0015654FA7C.jpeg

After pruning
89AC04FA-B181-44A2-93D6-619E9343134A.jpeg

The big L. Orientalis. I need to transplant it to different pot this year!
91D14A0A-3545-402C-B2E7-D2A401C1FA83.jpeg

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bonhe

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This pomegranate did not belong to me anymore, but I want to show you my Split and Pack technique !
It had a big branch at the right side. This branch was created the acute angle with the trunk to which I did not like . I need to change the angle into less acute !
4E0CA633-8978-4397-B302-D62124BB44C5.jpeg 1925808B-C3C1-454B-980A-637411EAE9E1.jpeg

I separated this branch from the trunk by hand. The branch was split now.
B1011BF0-8AEB-41E0-8549-92CF77577691.jpeg

I used some small gravels
7F2E5848-6167-4D92-81E9-8261C55F5774.jpeg

I packed these gravels into the gap between the branch and the trunk to separate these two further ! Done ! It looks much better now! ?
0E552FA0-3E17-41F6-A98A-6E5BA0E105A2.jpeg 1BE80613-B885-48D6-AA91-393A16087C12.jpeg

68738D21-3952-4523-8574-8DD555C9F3DD.jpeg

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bonhe

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bonhe said:
These 2 ume is going to bloom soon. I expect they bloom around 1/15/19. They always have flowers around mid-January here!
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Click to expand...
It will be rain here until next Friday!!!!! I love it!
As I expect, the ume will have the 1st flower one or two days from now. It is so amazing! I don’t need to look at the calendar to find out when we are in mid-January ( mid winter here). I just depend on the ume!
Another tree which amazes me is Early flowering peach. It’s first flower will let me know Vietnamese New Year is closely approaching!!
One more tree which will help me to find out that we have no more winter. It is jujube!!!!!
C89706B8-09B3-457A-BFD0-93B9887188A3.jpeg DC3DB5B0-D0DC-4B75-8D18-C6F0AAF4B549.jpeg
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bonhe

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Flowering peach is having flower buds at this time. It will be ready for Vietnamese New Year (Tét ) 2/5/2019!
C5038607-9EE7-4262-A7BA-D62430EF6546.jpeg 0D0B81C7-3217-4C34-B48B-85D3EF10B5CB.jpeg
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JudyB

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Wow, always such a treat to see these flower. Such a simple flower, but so evocative.
 
bonhe

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JudyB said:
Wow, always such a treat to see these flower. Such a simple flower, but so evocative.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your comment! Yes, it is simple but means a lot of things! As you may know, there is an ancient art of flower watch in Oriental history. In Vietnam, the people really enjoy watching Queen of the Night ( or Night Blooming Cereus) in bloom. We have a clay teapot and tiny teacup (this cup has about 10 ml volume) on the table, and sit, wait, and watch a full progression of the blooming from the time the flower does not open yet, until it finishes. It is a kind of Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Beside the flower has a strong positive impact on our mental and physical health. You might take a look this link https://aboutflowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ep03104132.pdf

River's Edge said:
Water droplets, excellent photography as well as beautiful blooms!
Attention to Detail. Well done!
Click to expand...
Thank you for your kind words
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