SeanS
Omono
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- 1,226
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- USDA Zone
- 9b
This is my first spring (Southern Hemisphere) where I have what most would consider “a lot” of plants. Seedlings, cuttings from last season, air layers etc. Japanese maples, tridents, JBP, elms, flowering quinces to name a few.
Most plants have responded well this spring and are growing, but some have either pushed a few buds and then shrivelled up and appear pretty sad, or have leafed out over most of the plant with a few branches or the planned leaders not waking up or doing as above (started to leaf out and then shrivelled up and the branch died).
So my question is, what should be expected in the spring time, and the following growing season? Do most bonsai growers experience and accept a certain level of uncertainty (we are talking about plants here after all) and failure, and should that just be accepted as a part of growing bonsai? Do you have trees that just don’t respond as expected? Do you have leaders on plants still in development just not wake up, or swell buds and then just stop? What percentage of seedlings should we expect to just die after the winter? How often do you have to change plans when it comes to plants?
I guess to summarise, should I be concerned that I’m doing something wrong or is a certain level of failure ok and part of the game each season?
Most plants have responded well this spring and are growing, but some have either pushed a few buds and then shrivelled up and appear pretty sad, or have leafed out over most of the plant with a few branches or the planned leaders not waking up or doing as above (started to leaf out and then shrivelled up and the branch died).
So my question is, what should be expected in the spring time, and the following growing season? Do most bonsai growers experience and accept a certain level of uncertainty (we are talking about plants here after all) and failure, and should that just be accepted as a part of growing bonsai? Do you have trees that just don’t respond as expected? Do you have leaders on plants still in development just not wake up, or swell buds and then just stop? What percentage of seedlings should we expect to just die after the winter? How often do you have to change plans when it comes to plants?
I guess to summarise, should I be concerned that I’m doing something wrong or is a certain level of failure ok and part of the game each season?