Desmodium Blue Bell General Care

[swatchpost]

Hello Good People,

I'm having a helluva time finding general desmodium "bluebell" bonsai care on this site, and elsewhere on the net. I'm in Austin, TX, zone 8b. I'm just wondering what others do for general care.

Do they like to be more on the dry side like willow leaf ficus?
When's the best time for a repot—in the summer like other tropical varieties?
How aggressively can they be root-pruned?
Best soil substrate?
What kind of feeding schedule is recommended?
Pruning habits?

Would love to hear about others' experiences with this species.
Many thanks!
Yusef

 

[Carol 83]

I've only had one for a year, so keep that in mind. I repotted in summer like other tropical's. I didn't do a huge root prune but it did fine with it. They don't like to get dry but as usual don't keep it saturated. I have to keep mine inside for the winter but in Texas not sure if that would be necessary. I use regular bonsai substrate and fertilize once a week.

 

[namnhi]

I bought one last year. Also did 5 airlayers off of it. I don't see they requires anything more than other plants. One thing I noticed is that they don't like being dry out too much. You will know if the soil is being too dry for them... they will wilt.

 

[swatchpost]

Thanks for your replies. This is most helpful!

 

[Carol 83]

I bought one last year. Also did 5 airlayers off of it. I don't see they requires anything more than other plants. One thing I noticed is that they don't like being dry out too much. You will know if the soil is being too dry for them... they will wilt.View attachment 482064

Any trick to getting them to bloom?

 

[namnhi]

Any trick to getting them to bloom?

No trick just plenty of sun and water. Once it starts you will not be able to stop it. Summer is show time for mine.

 

[Carol 83]

No trick just plenty of sun and water. Once it starts you will not be able to stop it. Summer is show time for mine.

Maybe that's it. I received it in the Fall I think and it's only been inside under lights. Maybe once it get's outside it will flower.

 

[namnhi]

Something like this...

 

[Carol 83]

Something like this...
View attachment 482143

Why do you think I wanted one? Very nice, hope mine gets going once it's outside.

 

[RaginCajun]

Glad to find this post, I have a desmodium blue bell, a rather large one about 2.5" at the base, 15" soil to apex that is flowering like crazy! When I acquired the tree about 8mos ago it was in poor soil conditions and looked like it had been kept in a greenhouse as it was covered with powdery mildew, the nursery pot was green with algae. I put it outside under 30% shade cloth and it's getting filtered sun all day under it from sun up to about 6:30pm. Treated for the mildew and it has all cleared up, after a couple days in good light and airflow it perked up and burst into bloom. It hasn't stopped since But no foliage? Do they stop putting on foliage when in bloom? Really confused with this one.. I've seen other plants that will bloom like crazy and then pack on foliage after bloom but not sure if this is what's happening or if something upsetting it.
I repotted it into a bonsai mix that's equal parts akadama, hyuga, black lava. It has fir bark as well but not equal portion like the other ingredients. It was all sifted well. Watering once a day or once every other day just depends on if it needs it that day or not. It's hot and humid here in Louisiana so water doesn't evaporate very fast. It's dropping some foliage as well, about 2-3 leaves a day go straight yellow and drop. It's in full filtered sun all day under 30% shade cloth . Feeding fish emulsion and 0-10-10 morbloom. I have been spraying for spider mites, as it's spider mites season right now. Is it just dropping older foliage?

 

[MHBonsai]

Glad to find this post, I have a desmodium blue bell, a rather large one about 2.5" at the base, 15" soil to apex that is flowering like crazy! When I acquired the tree about 8mos ago it was in poor soil conditions and looked like it had been kept in a greenhouse as it was covered with powdery mildew, the nursery pot was green with algae. I put it outside under 30% shade cloth and it's getting filtered sun all day under it from sun up to about 6:30pm. Treated for the mildew and it has all cleared up, after a couple days in good light and airflow it perked up and burst into bloom. It hasn't stopped since But no foliage? Do they stop putting on foliage when in bloom? Really confused with this one.. I've seen other plants that will bloom like crazy and then pack on foliage after bloom but not sure if this is what's happening or if something upsetting it.
I repotted it into a bonsai mix that's equal parts akadama, hyuga, black lava. It has fir bark as well but not equal portion like the other ingredients. It was all sifted well. Watering once a day or once every other day just depends on if it needs it that day or not. It's hot and humid here in Louisiana so water doesn't evaporate very fast. It's dropping some foliage as well, about 2-3 leaves a day go straight yellow and drop. It's in full filtered sun all day under 30% shade cloth . Feeding fish emulsion and 0-10-10 morbloom. I have been spraying for spider mites, as it's spider mites season right now. Is it just dropping older foliage?

Looks fine to me! Mine tends to grow in phases. Flowers, then pushes new growth like crazy, then drops inner foliage. Rinse and repeat.

You can root prune pretty hard. I’ve gone as hard on them as I would a trident maple or ficus and they’ve bounced back.

Save your big root cuttings, throw them in some soil, and they will bud from the top of the root. Endless small trees.

I think they like standard soil, well draining, lots of water. Full sun.

 

[Millard B.]

I'm glad to see the last post as I have three Desmodiums in 15 gallon growing in a general nursery mix, each has about a 2" base with tangled nebari that needs to be addressed soon. My 3 trees are in full sun until noon when the house shades them. I fertilize with an 18/8/10 with micro in a 360 day formula. As soon as "Winter" is over I plan on airlayering all the 4' branches back to a hard trunk line, then reducing the vertical pot depth to 1/3. I was wondering if the roots would regenerate new growth? . June , July, and Aug are the best months for flowering, mine have a moderate amount of flowering right now as it has only gotten down to the low 60s so far this winter. I find the seedlings that germinate in the mulch can be transplanted into 6" bulb pans and be sold the next season 15" to 20" tall, they probably would have more growth in 10" or 12" bulb pans. I get better than 50% success in rooting short 3 internode cutttings under mist during summer. I just switched the mist system from well water to chlorinated city water hoping for better percentages. I came across a mutant cultivar of Bucida spinosa with leaves and seed half size of the regular dwarf tree, so far transplanted 11 tiny rooted cuttings, I don't think it is possible to grow too many of these! Others that I'm expiermenting with are Xylosma bahamensis, a very rare native, Brya ebenus, and Dividivi, I like wierd trees!

 

[milehigh_7]

I'm glad to see the last post as I have three Desmodiums in 15 gallon growing in a general nursery mix, each has about a 2" base with tangled nebari that needs to be addressed soon. My 3 trees are in full sun until noon when the house shades them. I fertilize with an 18/8/10 with micro in a 360 day formula. As soon as "Winter" is over I plan on airlayering all the 4' branches back to a hard trunk line, then reducing the vertical pot depth to 1/3. I was wondering if the roots would regenerate new growth? . June , July, and Aug are the best months for flowering, mine have a moderate amount of flowering right now as it has only gotten down to the low 60s so far this winter. I find the seedlings that germinate in the mulch can be transplanted into 6" bulb pans and be sold the next season 15" to 20" tall, they probably would have more growth in 10" or 12" bulb pans. I get better than 50% success in rooting short 3 internode cutttings under mist during summer. I just switched the mist system from well water to chlorinated city water hoping for better percentages. I came across a mutant cultivar of Bucida spinosa with leaves and seed half size of the regular dwarf tree, so far transplanted 11 tiny rooted cuttings, I don't think it is possible to grow too many of these! Others that I'm expiermenting with are Xylosma bahamensis, a very rare native, Brya ebenus, and Dividivi, I like wierd trees!

You sound like my kind of person! I love the rare and unusual as well! I may ping you for propagating info on the bucida.

 

[vp999]

Any trick to getting them to bloom?

Mine blooms all summer in full sun.

 

[RaginCajun]

No trick just plenty of sun and water. Once it starts you will not be able to stop it. Summer is show time for mine.

I see you are in Houston not too far from me. How much sun do you give yours? Full Houston Texas summer sun all day or do you shade them at all? Just curious.

 

[namnhi]

I have them all in full sun. As long as water provided... they will thrive and bloom readily. This year I have finally hooked up the hose biff liquid fertilizer... everything is so lush now. Desmodium starting to bloom now.

 

[Carol 83]

I have them all in full sun. As long as water provided... they will thrive and bloom readily. This year I have finally hooked up the hose biff liquid fertilizer... everything is so lush now. Desmodium starting to bloom now.
View attachment 543133View attachment 543134

I can't wait to get mine outside. Should be pretty soon.

 

[RaginCajun]

I have them all in full sun. As long as water provided... they will thrive and bloom readily. This year I have finally hooked up the hose biff liquid fertilizer... everything is so lush now. Desmodium starting to bloom now.
View attachment 543133View attachment 543134

I’ve had one bloom so far this yr. I’m going to slip it out of the pot and check its roots pretty soon. It’s growing but very slow and just isn’t thriving and explosive with growth and flowers like it was last yr. I repotted it from nursery pot with organic soil, lots of course sand.. and now it’s in a pot with lava, Akadama, hyuga and some fir bark. Charcoal also. Topped with a light layer of moss. It was planted at a terrible angle anyways so I’ll knock out 2 birds with one stone when I check the roots.

 

[Millard B.]

I picked up 3 Blue Bells in 1 gallon four or five years ago at the Fla Memorial Weekend Convention in Orlando, planted one in 10 gallon and the other two in fifteen gallon using a custom blended nursery mix of Canadian peat 40%, perlite 40%, and sharp sand 20% with some dolomite and two 50 lb bags of 360 day time release 18-8-12. I also sprinkle some MicroMax on most all my bonsai and pre-bonsai from a empty sprinkle cheese container with a S/S washer to keep the MicroMax broke up!. I've let the 3 plants grow wild to give the base some girth. I'm about to cut the small tip ends othe branches into 3" internode sections, apply a slurry of regular powder hormone mixed with Dip-N-Grow on the cuttings and airlayers. The cuttings are put under mist, from 7am to 7pm, they get a 10 second blast of chlorinated city water once every 10 minutes, the {2} 60 cell trays planted last Sept had over 80% success, about to put them in 6" bulb pans. When I get the 3 trees down to a hard trunk line I will cut the root mass taking 2/3 off and re-potting the trunk in the same 40/40/20 nursery mix. Most all the roots cuttings will sprout tiny trees with much character quickly. I am using the same process to reduce 11 twenty-five year old Bucida spinosas that I brought into the nursery except only the red tip ends will root, everything else has to be airlayered! I am running out of space.

 

[Jimmy75]

Maybe that's it. I received it in the Fall I think and it's only been inside under lights. Maybe once it get's outside it will flower.

Did you ever figure out what was causing the problems.