newberoony
Seed
Hello everybody,
I am new to bonsai and am looking for advice and suggestions about how I should style and train my nashia inaguensis.
I bought it about two months ago, in the beginning of May 2014, from a local nursery. It almost died because I didn't understand the watering process, but I was able to save it after reading the "I dry, I die" explanation online somewhere. From what I have read, I am lucky.
I initially planted it in some "bonsai soil" from the nursery, in a bonsai tray, but it was too loose and the tree kept wiggling and falling over. I re-potted it in a non-bonsai plastic pot that I had in the shed, with some regular potting soil. It immediately began to get better and now seems to be thriving. New growth has been showing up for a couple of weeks now.
I have also been using fish fertilizer about once a week.
Now that it seems to be growing, I am trying to figure out a shape/style to train it in, but it doesn't really have a central trunk. It has three branches that have grown out of the central stub.
I have read that nashia inaguensis lends itself to shohin and literati, but the state of my tree seems to be a unique challenge. Hopefully, the following photographs will be more informative than my description:
These photos are all hosted on my Flickr account.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/miketmoore/14416854305/in/set-72157644833562328/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/miketmoore/14452074591/in/set-72157644833562328
https://www.flickr.com/photos/miketmoore/14432322536/in/set-72157644833562328/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/miketmoore/14475596453/in/set-72157644833562328/
You should be able to see that the central trunk was cut off and is very short. The three branches that still exist are growing from two stubs that, in turn, are growing from the central trunk.
I was thinking that I could cut one or two of the branches for propagation, but then I read that it should be done when the temperature is 70F - it's in the low 90s now.
My top priority is keeping it alive, though, as I am not sure about the winter. It is really humid in the summer, but the winter is very dry. I imagine I'll have to get a humidifier for the winter time.
I look forward to your comments!
I am new to bonsai and am looking for advice and suggestions about how I should style and train my nashia inaguensis.
I bought it about two months ago, in the beginning of May 2014, from a local nursery. It almost died because I didn't understand the watering process, but I was able to save it after reading the "I dry, I die" explanation online somewhere. From what I have read, I am lucky.
I initially planted it in some "bonsai soil" from the nursery, in a bonsai tray, but it was too loose and the tree kept wiggling and falling over. I re-potted it in a non-bonsai plastic pot that I had in the shed, with some regular potting soil. It immediately began to get better and now seems to be thriving. New growth has been showing up for a couple of weeks now.
I have also been using fish fertilizer about once a week.
Now that it seems to be growing, I am trying to figure out a shape/style to train it in, but it doesn't really have a central trunk. It has three branches that have grown out of the central stub.
I have read that nashia inaguensis lends itself to shohin and literati, but the state of my tree seems to be a unique challenge. Hopefully, the following photographs will be more informative than my description:
These photos are all hosted on my Flickr account.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/miketmoore/14416854305/in/set-72157644833562328/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/miketmoore/14452074591/in/set-72157644833562328
https://www.flickr.com/photos/miketmoore/14432322536/in/set-72157644833562328/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/miketmoore/14475596453/in/set-72157644833562328/
You should be able to see that the central trunk was cut off and is very short. The three branches that still exist are growing from two stubs that, in turn, are growing from the central trunk.
I was thinking that I could cut one or two of the branches for propagation, but then I read that it should be done when the temperature is 70F - it's in the low 90s now.
My top priority is keeping it alive, though, as I am not sure about the winter. It is really humid in the summer, but the winter is very dry. I imagine I'll have to get a humidifier for the winter time.
I look forward to your comments!
