Hello from MN - Questions from a beginner

[amithus]

Hello everyone. I've filled out my profile prior to posting this as I've read where you guys like to see this before being able to answer some questions.

I've been given a few bonsai trees over the past year and I would like some more info on them. I've got a local club that I can tap for resources but they don't meet until the 15th and I don't want to show up completely new and not having all that I'll need for this meet, and seeing as it's my first time, I don't have another person I know going to help me out.

They will be having a beginner class on tropical bonsai repotting, which is awesome because I have a Hawaiian Umbrella tree that's been going well for a year now. I've read several books, read the internet, watched you tube and am now a part of these forums. I've also read several posts on this and I know this topic is pretty much never answered but I've got to try. The course is on repotting tropical and with my Umbrella tree, I'll need a few things:

1. Soil
2. Pot
3. Anything else you tell me to get within reason.

Small back story, I've always loved trees and bonsai trees. When I purchased my first home a few years back, I got it because it has 4 huge maple and blue spruce trees on the lot and I fell in love with the back yard because of this. Not so much in the fall after the 30 yard bags worth of leafs need to be raked up but hey, nothing good comes from no work right?

Anyway, what's a good soil for my Umbrella tree? I'm not a master but I do regularly check my trees, make sure they are watered and have successfully fertilized them along with treating them for a minor outbreak of spider mites, and I'm only saying this because I wanted to show that I'm willing to tend to the trees.

I also have a Gardenia bonsai "tree" even though it's a shrub. I love that one too and would like to hear any recommendations on soil for that. I figure if I'm repotting one, I should do the other. Plus, my wife just gave that to me for our anniversary a few weeks back and I can say the soil looks like it's compact potting soil and I'm afraid it's a mallsai and I would like to save it as it has super nice flowers and looks awesome.

 

[fourteener]

Hello everyone. I've filled out my profile prior to posting this as I've read where you guys like to see this before being able to answer some questions.

I've been given a few bonsai trees over the past year and I would like some more info on them. I've got a local club that I can tap for resources but they don't meet until the 15th and I don't want to show up completely new and not having all that I'll need for this meet, and seeing as it's my first time, I don't have another person I know going to help me out.

They will be having a beginner class on tropical bonsai repotting, which is awesome because I have a Hawaiian Umbrella tree that's been going well for a year now. I've read several books, read the internet, watched you tube and am now a part of these forums. I've also read several posts on this and I know this topic is pretty much never answered but I've got to try. The course is on repotting tropical and with my Umbrella tree, I'll need a few things:

1. Soil
2. Pot
3. Anything else you tell me to get within reason.

Small back story, I've always loved trees and bonsai trees. When I purchased my first home a few years back, I got it because it has 4 huge maple and blue spruce trees on the lot and I fell in love with the back yard because of this. Not so much in the fall after the 30 yard bags worth of leafs need to be raked up but hey, nothing good comes from no work right?

Anyway, what's a good soil for my Umbrella tree? I'm not a master but I do regularly check my trees, make sure they are watered and have successfully fertilized them along with treating them for a minor outbreak of spider mites, and I'm only saying this because I wanted to show that I'm willing to tend to the trees.

I also have a Gardenia bonsai "tree" even though it's a shrub. I love that one too and would like to hear any recommendations on soil for that. I figure if I'm repotting one, I should do the other. Plus, my wife just gave that to me for our anniversary a few weeks back and I can say the soil looks like it's compact potting soil and I'm afraid it's a mallsai and I would like to save it as it has super nice flowers and looks awesome.

Welcome, I assume your taking a class with Minnesota Bonsai Society. Good people. We have a world class potter here in Red Wing MN. Look at Sara Rayner's site for some pot ideas. I can't help with any tropicals but could help out with some other MN kinda q's. I'm up in Duluth. Glad you're here!

 

[amithus]

I also have one more question. Like I said, I have a few maple trees in my yard, all are 40 - 50 foot trees. I LOVE maples and would love to have a maple bonsai. Is now (beginning of July) a good time to air layer my maples? It starts to get cold at the end of September / early October in my area, so I'll have a good 3 months of 80 deg, humid weather before fall sets in. Also, if I do air layer a tree this year, what should I do for winter? I take it that a tree with such a small root system will have troubles weathering the sub zero weather we get around here in the winter. I do have a garage, not heated but it's inside and out of the elements.

 

[amithus]

Welcome, I assume your taking a class with Minnesota Bonsai Society. Good people. We have a world class potter here in Red Wing MN. Look at Sara Rayner's site for some pot ideas. I can't help with any tropicals but could help out with some other MN kinda q's. I'm up in Duluth. Glad you're here!

Awesome, thanks for the potting person. I'll check her out. What kinds of trees do you have most success with around here? I'm guessing all the local natural trees are the best bets for our area. I have a few different kinds of maples I'd like to try air layering to get a nice bonsai starter out of. I also have a blue spruce that's about 60' high that I could attempt air layering with. I also love the spruce / conifer trees. I'd also like to get a flowering tree, you know, something that's nice to look at with flowers my wife would appreciate.

 

[M. Frary]

You're in Minnesota so tamaracks for sure to collect and maybe elms,hawthorns and hornbeams.

 

[DougB]

Check with the club sponsoring the repotting class. Often they supply the wire, potting soil, etc. and have tools you can borrow. Welcome

 

[GrimLore]

I also have one more question. Like I said, I have a few maple trees in my yard, all are 40 - 50 foot trees. I LOVE maples and would love to have a maple bonsai. Is now (beginning of July) a good time to air layer my maples? It starts to get cold at the end of September / early October in my area, so I'll have a good 3 months of 80 deg, humid weather before fall sets in. Also, if I do air layer a tree this year, what should I do for winter? I take it that a tree with such a small root system will have troubles weathering the sub zero weather we get around here in the winter. I do have a garage, not heated but it's inside and out of the elements.

We normally would start an air layer early to mid May here. If it goes well we then have it in the ground for six weeks or more before the cold weather hits. That six weeks really helps them to be sturdy enough to Winter well. Maples will do well in your unheated garage and I would advise blocking light from any windows.

Grimmy

 

[amithus]

We normally would start an air layer early to mid May here. If it goes well we then have it in the ground for six weeks or more before the cold weather hits. That six weeks really helps them to be sturdy enough to Winter well. Maples will do well in your unheated garage and I would advise blocking light from any windows.

Grimmy

Sounds good, thanks for the info. I'll wait until next year to do the air layering stuff. It will give me a good deal of time to get some experience under me too. Hopefully I can attend a few of the MN Bonsai Society classes and get some ideas as well.

Thanks to everyone that posted. Sorry for the delay in response. My wife had surgery last week and between running my business, the kids and the house, I'm about to jump off a cliff.

 

[GrimLore]

Sounds good, thanks for the info. I'll wait until next year to do the air layering stuff. It will give me a good deal of time to get some experience under me too. Hopefully I can attend a few of the MN Bonsai Society classes and get some ideas as well.

Thanks to everyone that posted. Sorry for the delay in response. My wife had surgery last week and between running my business, the kids and the house, I'm about to jump off a cliff.

Hope all went well, spend a day with a few beers, it will pass

Grimmy

 

[amithus]

Hope all went well, spend a day with a few beers, it will pass

Grimmy

Oh I will for sure. I really think this is why I enjoy the Bonsai and my woodworking hobbies. Both don't require much computer / technology support. Being a contract Corporate IT person, anything I can do to get away from tech, the internet and "fast results" is a blessing.

And yes, all went well. It was abdominal surgery though, so the healing process is going to take some time and her lifting restrictions are pretty stringent. Complications with our last kid separated her abdominal muscles and they never healed correctly. 7 months after our last was born and she was finally healed enough from the C-section to go in and get this taken care of.

 

[edprocoat]

Hello everyone. I've filled out my profile prior to posting this as I've read where you guys like to see this before being able to answer some questions.
.

Well Amithus, its actually in case you have a real nice Bonsai so we can find you and remove it from your bench one dark night ..... Muahahahaa !!! <--- (evil laugh)

ed

 

[MinnesotaKirk]

I haven't logged in lately so I missed this thread.

Did you ever hook up with the MBS? It is one of the largest clubs in the country and there are lots of people to help you out. The beginners classes are a good place to start.

You can grow almost anything in Minnesota but our growing season is shorter than other places and you need to consider winter protection. There are club members that will store your tree over the winter if you are not ready to take the plunge on building a cold frame. Here in Minnesota a cold frame is actually a warm frame. Many members keep a small heater in an insulated cold frame and keep the temperature at 35° all winter long. It is cold enough to put the trees into dormancy but warm enough to not kill them.

With a cold frame like this you can keep trees such as trident maples that would otherwise perish in a Minnesota winter.

There ARE cold hardy tree species that are more than happy to live in Minnesota. Just look around. There is no shortage of trees here. The trick is to find species that can survive AND are suitable for bonsai. MBS club members will be able to help you out there. Check out the permanent bonsai display at Como Park as well for inspiration.

Keep in mind that just because a tree is MN hardy in the ground does not mean it is hardy in a pot on a bench. Some very hardy species can just sit out all winter, some can be buried in the ground, some can survive in an unheated garage with protection from the wind. The greatest resource is other club members. They have already killed the trees for you.

You mentioned flowering species. I would encourage you to check out this thread on Weigela I started.

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?11158-Weigela-Progression

There are a few people working with them. They are pretty hardy and have beautiful blooms. You have to search around to find one with a good base but when you find one you can cut it back pretty hard and within a year have something looking pretty good. I have mine in the cold frame now but last winter just kept it in the garage.

~Kirk

 

[crust]

Hi,
I am a fellow Minnesotan and have been into bonzo for a long time. You sound excited which is cool. My word to a grown up beginner is to keep tabs on what inspires you to do this. Keep it visceral. Go to the club... but while there seek out those that are serious and do good work and seem accessible and are moderately obsessed. Avoid the crowd and the socialites. Be aware some bonsai folks are so enamored by the Japaneseness of this that it can overwhelm and contaminate. Pay attention. Take your time. Invest in good developmental stock once your ready--avoid the cheapo junk. Pursue the internet, and bonsai supply people--and gardens. Expose your eyes to a lot of good trees (bonsai and otherwise) in person and picture--lust after them. Later some people enjoy competing, or continued club stuff, or study groups. Do something meaningful.

The trees are a reward in themselves--the interconnected love and reciprocity is the essence and ultimately have lead me back to myself then again to others.