Hi from Ohio

[EricMack]

Welcome fellow newbie, wish you are closer to Kent than Col. since starting this hobby, I mail purchased 4 plants for indoor usage as well as out because of our weather. From my limited experience so far, I see that the ficus and jade are very forgiving for indoor plants. I also purchased a dwarf pomegranate, and a Brazilian raintree. Have not been able to mess with those two, because of size and losing leaves. Hopefully they stay alive long enough for me to move them outdoors.

Don't blame you, it is quite chilly up there nearer the lake! What trees did you buy for outside? At least you have plenty of time to plan for next Winter...

I have a Chinese Elm on the way as I type this... newbie special... JudyB has been in touch, its in a nursery pot and I'm going to seek input on either leaving it be for this year, or barerooting and trimming the roots into either a training or regular pot. The trunk is supposed to be 3" at the soil now...

I'm also looking into other trees, maybe a Persimmon if I could find one that's decently affordable.

Hoping to meet others that don't mind sharing their experience with a beginner.

 

[pweifan]

I missed this thread until now. Hello to the newer members from Ohio! I'm a member of the Cleveland Bonsai Club. Some of us are also members of the Akron Canton club as well. After seeing some of you fellow nuts are attending, It sounds like it would be worth my time to travel down and meet some people.

 

[Vietcu]

Don't blame you, it is quite chilly up there nearer the lake! What trees did you buy for outside? At least you have plenty of time to plan for next Winter...

I have a Chinese Elm on the way as I type this... newbie special... JudyB has been in touch, its in a nursery pot and I'm going to seek input on either leaving it be for this year, or barerooting and trimming the roots into either a training or regular pot. The trunk is supposed to be 3" at the soil now...

I'm also looking into other trees, maybe a Persimmon if I could find one that's decently affordable.

Hoping to meet others that don't mind sharing their experience with a beginner.

The only tree that I kind of did some research on was a Bald Cypress. I just like the look of the tree, envisioning making one that looks like a big giant redwood. i was given a twig of a cypress to play with so let’s see how I grow it out, heard they grow quite fast. Other than that, I was going to wait till weather got warmer and do some Yamadori hunting so I get to know the trees a little better. Most likely HD and Lowe’s for some nursery plants to play with. I have to say, the one thing that surprised me the most so far. Was how much the pots cost, I showed some to my wife. Says I better find a new hobby lol.

 

[EricMack]

The only tree that I kind of did some research on was a Bald Cypress. I just like the look of the tree, envisioning making one that looks like a big giant redwood. i was given a twig of a cypress to play with so let’s see how I grow it out, heard they grow quite fast. Other than that, I was going to wait till weather got warmer and do some Yamadori hunting so I get to know the trees a little better. Most likely HD and Lowe’s for some nursery plants to play with. I have to say, the one thing that surprised me the most so far. Was how much the pots cost, I showed some to my wife. Says I better find a new hobby lol.

I hear you on the pots... I told my wife my two good pots were made for me by our kids
My first Yamadori might be an overgrown japanese maple in my side yard.... but I've owned that tree since I bought it as a twig at Lowes in 2000, so its damn big! (14 ft). I need to learn a lot before think about working with that one!
I just bought seeds from two species of persimmons.... I'm pretty good germinating seeds, and I thought what the hell?....

 

[Vietcu]

I bought 100 desert rose seed. So far I’m at about 50% germination. I like how they flower in the winter and can be grown indoors for our region. If you were closer I would give you some. I think I have more than I need. Also germinating about 20+ tamarind seed, but so far I’m getting 0 success. Still early though.

 

[EricMack]

Looks like you are going to need a lot of pots!
I've got hundreds of amaryllis seeds I propogated from multiple species this Winter (see my avatar)... if they germinate well, I'll meet up with you and trade you some for your desert rose.

 

[jimib]

I picked up a lot of stuff from nurseries and the big box stores over the last two years. I won’t be doing that again anytime soon. I’m not advanced enough to do anything with them short of killing them. I went to a workshop in the fall where I learned quickly to save a little money and buy better stuff. When I added up the amount of clearance rack material I bought in the last two years I was kind of shocked. I could have purchased 3 or 4 trained/pre bonsai from individuals or bonsai nurseries.

 

[dawoodsnrsy]

O H I O!!!!! grew up in bridgeport oh, went to OHIO STATE ATI for nursery management! now live in wv and there are no bonsai clubs in wv anymore?

 

[EricMack]

O H I O!!!!! grew up in bridgeport oh, went to OHIO STATE ATI for nursery management! now live in wv and there are no bonsai clubs in wv anymore?

Sounds like a good excuse for you to start a new club!

Go Bucks!

 

[pweifan]

O H I O!!!!! grew up in bridgeport oh, went to OHIO STATE ATI for nursery management! now live in wv and there are no bonsai clubs in wv anymore?

I've subscribed to this channel on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX4xRuVb8beUBZqpAN4n1sQ

It sounds like they're a pretty active group, but I might be wrong. That page has a Facebook and Instagram account linked as well. I can't get to them because they're blocked at work, but it might be a good place to start looking.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@EricMack - which species of persimmon did you start? I have started seedlings of several. It is my favorite group. The American persimmon should prove a winter hardy and a good species for bonsai for everyone in zone 5b and warmer in North America. It has much better bark for bonsai than other persimmons. I also have seed coming this year for crocodile bark jackalberry, Diospyros quiloensis, a southern African species of persimmon. I also ordered a few grafted trees, some of D virginiana and some of D kaki. We will see how they do. Diospyros virginiana, American persimmon should be fully winter hardy anywhere in Ohio, and a good one to try in your area. From seed to fruiting can be as little as 7 years. Less than 10 years and the rough bark will begin to form.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Vietcu - welcome.
I am not from Ohio, but have friends in Cleveland and Columbus. I get to Columbus regularly. That is good germination on your desert roses. Nice. The 4 species you chose for indoor bonsai do work well. I found pomegranate to be excellent for indoors in winter, outdoors for summer bonsai. I kept one going that way for over 30 years, before forgetting to bring it in one year. They do not like temperatures below 20 F, or below -6 C. Especially if the roots freeze solid.

For an outdoor tree year round, much like bald cypress but even faster growing, try Dawn Redwood. Metasequoia. Mine have proven to be winter hardy with no cold protection for the last 4 years. -17 F or -25 C is no problem. We will see how -23 F was for them this spring, to early to tell by branches seem flexible and buds seem to be swelling. They grow twice as fast as bald cypress, really only good for medium to larger sizes of bonsai, but are pretty cool.

P.S - the literature on Metasequoia is limited, as it was only discovered by western science during WW2. There are those that will tell you it is not winter hardy. THey are wrong, likely because they confuse or extrapolate, or guess from the other redwoods. Sequoiadendron, and Sequoia, giant sequoia and coast redwood, are NOT winter hardy, and will not tolerate roots freezing. Taxodium and Metasequoia, bald cypress and dawn redwood, do quite well in colder climates and will tolerate roots freezing. Metasequoia does really well in zones 6, and 5. Bald cypress does better in warmer zones, but will survive and grow more slowly in zones 6 and 5. Bald cypress needs a long hot summer to mature foliage and branches. We just barely make it with our 100 day growing seasons. Metasequoia seem better adapted to our shorter and cooler summers.

 

[EricMack]

@Leo in N E Illinois -
I ordered both Princess and Texana.... the black fruit is so interesting! Do you happen to know if those seeds need scored before they can germinate?

I may try virginiana as well... we will see how the germination of the other goes...

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Leo in N E Illinois -
I ordered both Princess and Texana.... the black fruit is so interesting! Do you happen to know if those seeds need scored before they can germinate?

I may try virginiana as well... we will see how the germination of the other goes...

For both I would soak 24 to 48 hours, then wrap in moist paper towel, or damp sphagnum moss or damp sand, put in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 6 to 8 weeks. Neither of these are tropicals, rather both are subtropicals. A cool & moist rest will help immensely with germination.

If you refrigerate them now, when you pull them out of the refrigerator it will be middle of May. May is Perfect for starting these seedlings outdoors in direct sun. They also need heat to sprout, if you set the seedling flats where they get morning sun, then shade for the afternoon the sun will heat the tray of seedlings and help sprouting. When I sprout D. virginiana, I set the trays out in May and they don't actually emerge until middle of June, when the heat arrives. This is normal. I have had a good percentage sprout - roughly 75%. I try to use seed less than one year old.

I have found Princess persimmon to dislike hot direct sun. They really are best with shade. Princess persimmon is not cold tolerant. I would not let the pot it is in ever freeze solid. Probably fine with frosts into the 20's F if the cold is short enough duration to not freeze the roots solid.

I believe Texas persimmon will want full sun or at least half sun, definitely a sun loving species. Native range for Texas persimmon has Dallas TX as its northern limit, so it will not be very cold hardy.

American persimmon wants at least half sun to full sun, but needs less sun than Texas persimmon. It is hardy in the ground through all of zone 5, its native range extends into central and eastern Canada. In a pot I have let them freeze solid, no problem, but I do protect 1st and 2nd winter seedlings from extreme cold. They go in my well house for winter. Larger trees, older trees should be fully freeze tolerant.