Broadleaf Division: Yamabudoudanshi's Broadleaf Shohin Projects: Shishigashira and Cape Jasmine

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It's already the 12th here, so I'm going to go ahead and post.

Here are my two entries for the broadleaf division. I'll decide somewhere down the road once one of them shows some promise.

1) A Shishigashira Japanese Maple from air layer: Bought from a garden center this April and started 2 air layers. It's grafted, so the plan is to pull as many air layers as I can off of it. One of them I would like to develop into a mini (under 10 cm). They other, I would like to do a shohin size. Besides starting the air layers, I have done absolutely nothing to this tree. The air layers are only around pencil thickness.

2) A Cape Jasmine Gardenia (Kuchinashi): I bought this shrub years ago from a garden center and it has survived a beetle larva attack that almost killed it the first year. Since then, it has flowered for me twice. All I have done is a few regular prunings to keep it small. No bonsai cultivation what-so-ever. The plan for this one is to repot this winter and chop it all the way down to the main burl and hope it buds out all over. It's currently pretty fat (around 2cm) Once I'm satisfied with that, I'd like to restart the nebari with a ground layer. This species is extremely popular for mame, mini, shohin sized trees in Japan, so there are plenty of resources to follow. I've posted a picture of what I would like to aim for.
 

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Update on the Shishigashiras:

The top layer had plugged every slit in the pot with roots, so I removed it. It had about an 80% root circumfrence, so I cut the stub back, took some of the top branches down so there was only one leader and repotted it back it the same layer pot and then wedged it in with the root stock so the roots can run in the spring. I also scraped the cambium off the spot without roots and applied a bit of hormone. Hoping I'll be able to start with a great nebari.

The bottom one had significantly less/weaker roots, which I expected considering it had less foliage above and none below. Decided that removing now probably was best too. It might not make it, but I'll have to wait and see. The stub on this graft still appears to have a few buds left, so it might send out new growth too. We'll see.

The trees have stopped growing, but due to their sheltered location, they haven't quite put on a fall show yet. I imagine it will happen soon as it's getting progressively colder at night.

Just a waiting game now to see how they do in spring.
 

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Gardenia Update:

Did the big agressive chop today, and covered up the wounds with cut paste. The coming weeks/month will decide if it lives or not.
If it buds out nicely for me, I'll pop it into a slit pot around April.
Fingers crossed.
 

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Messages
337
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USDA Zone
9b
I killed the cape jasmine, and both shishigashiras, despite having decent roots, didn't last the summer.

I'm out.
 
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