Kojo No Mai cherry that...doesn't apply to the rules: progression thread

Adair M

Pinus Envy
Messages
14,402
Reaction score
34,873
Location
NEGeorgia
USDA Zone
7a
@Adair M ;) Wise words...okay...I will pull out her book again and review. I'm not sure I even read the wiring section. I did review the clip and grow. Directional growth more than once.
Yes, you are now experienced enough to begin to be able to filter the new information you get. And choose to either add it to your knowledge base, or reject it.

The ability to reject bad information is just as important as the ability to learn good new information!
 

Geo

Chumono
Messages
836
Reaction score
556
Location
Todos Santos,Baja Sur Elev56M 23.46N 110.24W
USDA Zone
11+
Her subject of soil found in the book I believe is outdated. If I'm not mistaken...it mentions sand as a component. Which you really don't hear much of now.

That aint necessarily so:depends on what you mean by "sand".It is the size of the particle,I suppose.When does sand become gravel and what is its composition?
 

Adair M

Pinus Envy
Messages
14,402
Reaction score
34,873
Location
NEGeorgia
USDA Zone
7a
Gro makes a good point. The Japanese often include "river sand" as a component to their soil mix. Their River sand is different than our River sand.

Korshoff is Austrailian, I believe. So what she calls "sand" may be different from either ours or the Japanese!

Again, you gotta filter the information!
 

GrimLore

Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Messages
8,502
Reaction score
7,452
Location
South East PA
USDA Zone
6b
Gro makes a good point. The Japanese often include "river sand" as a component to their soil mix. Their River sand is different than our River sand.

Dallas Bonsai has been selling four types for some time now -
Asaake River Sand
White Sand/Karuishi
Kawasuna River Sand
Brown Canary Sand/Hyuuga

Also, I always have a bag of course sand containing silica around and an extra bag in the pickup bed. For plants that prefer damp not wet you cannot beat a mix of Premium Quality Topsoil, Course sand with silica, and Perlite. It drains EXCELLENT while retaining just enough moisture.

Grimmy
 

Cadillactaste

Neagari Gal
Messages
16,262
Reaction score
20,886
Location
NE Ohio: zone 4 (USA) lake microclimate
USDA Zone
5b
That aint necessarily so:depends on what you mean by "sand".It is the size of the particle,I suppose.When does sand become gravel and what is its composition?
Never thought of it that way...thinking of the sand we spread at the beach area of our lake. Good point. Thanks for clarifying things for me.
 

Cadillactaste

Neagari Gal
Messages
16,262
Reaction score
20,886
Location
NE Ohio: zone 4 (USA) lake microclimate
USDA Zone
5b
Dallas Bonsai has been selling four types for some time now -
Asaake River Sand
White Sand/Karuishi
Kawasuna River Sand
Brown Canary Sand/Hyuuga

Also, I always have a bag of course sand containing silica around and an extra bag in the pickup bed. For plants that prefer damp not wet you cannot beat a mix of Premium Quality Topsoil, Course sand with silica, and Perlite. It drains EXCELLENT while retaining just enough moisture.

Grimmy
My Bougainvillea came in a sand substrate, and at repot time it had root rot. Fortunately it's thrived as you know and produced many new roots since repot.

But that is interesting...I don't really read many substrate threads...for such variations of what ones use. But...don't hear ones mention sand in passing when the topic comes up.
 

GrimLore

Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Messages
8,502
Reaction score
7,452
Location
South East PA
USDA Zone
6b
But that is interesting...

The type of sand matters greatly. As I mentioned the bagged I buy is Course(all purpose) and contains Silica making it work good the way I use it. It may seem hard to believe but Horticultural Sand or Play Sand has completely different characteristics and they are not suitable.
Same with Topsoil. I have slowly gone over to using only Fafard Premium Topsoil. It come in a 1 Cubic foot bag, pure black with no garbage or clay in it, very nicely ground up. It costs 12.99 a bag this year but works FAR better then cheaper crap.
Some also say Perlite is Perlite but I found Hoffman's Horticultural Perlite is to be of much better quality with a wide variety of particulate size. I get better results with it then the uniform size.

Grimmy
 

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
Messages
14,182
Reaction score
22,180
Location
Fairfax Va.
USDA Zone
7
Best 'bonsai' sand I've ever used was swimming pool filter sand. Large grained, irregular shaped and sifted. Vance Wood recommended it to me years ago. I used "Mystic White" sold in 50 lb bags at the local pool store. There are other brands. It is crushed quartz, inert and since it's used in swimming pools, it's sterile.
 

Nybonsai12

Masterpiece
Messages
3,809
Reaction score
7,586
Location
NY
USDA Zone
7a
I knew a guy who said he used swimming pool filter sand and peat moss as his soil mix for all his trees.
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
Messages
13,751
Reaction score
23,250
Location
South East of Cols. OH
USDA Zone
6a
I'm not sure I even read the wiring section
Best part of the book!!! :)

Also to put it into perspective you have to have a plan about how the branch is going to be bent while applying the wire, so you can get it where you need to on the right side of the bend. When you just apply wire, then bend, it can be in the wrong place.
 

Cadillactaste

Neagari Gal
Messages
16,262
Reaction score
20,886
Location
NE Ohio: zone 4 (USA) lake microclimate
USDA Zone
5b
Best part of the book!!! :)

Also to put it into perspective you have to have a plan about how the branch is going to be bent while applying the wire, so you can get it where you need to on the right side of the bend. When you just apply wire, then bend, it can be in the wrong place.
Was very busy yesterday...but going yo go out to the greenhouse and grab that book! Thanks...I bet it's well written as well. She has a way about her that makes it easy to grasp.
 

Ingvill

Shohin
Messages
292
Reaction score
362
Location
Norway
USDA Zone
6
I'm so sorry to hear that :-(
 

petegreg

Masterpiece
Messages
2,781
Reaction score
4,079
Location
Slovakia
USDA Zone
6a
Thanks...it happens...I look at it as culling material for better quality. But this thing struggled every summer. I loved it in bloom...but would never attempt another one.
Sorry to hear it, I've got same experience with this species. Two-three years of fun with flowers, struggling in summers and then finished tree.
 

Cadillactaste

Neagari Gal
Messages
16,262
Reaction score
20,886
Location
NE Ohio: zone 4 (USA) lake microclimate
USDA Zone
5b
Sorry to hear it, I've got same experience with this species. Two-three years of fun with flowers, struggling in summers and then finished tree.
Sorry to hear you suffered the same fate with yours. I thought there was one here who was dealing with similar issues. Couldn't recall who.
 

AlainK

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
5,394
Reaction score
9,486
Location
Orléans, France, Europe
USDA Zone
9A
Prunus in general can be quite temperamental when potted. They resent the heat and dry atmosphere. I read somewhere that in Japan, bonsai growers put back they Prunus mume back into the soil every 3 or 4 years so they can get some strength again.

I've got a 3 feet tall Kojo-no-Mai in a big pot (1 foot x 1 foot) as a "patio tree", and it loses a lot of leaves in the heat of the summer, even when in the shade all day and thouroughly watered every day, even twice a day when it gets to over 30° (we had up to 36° in the past weeks.

The flowers are really lovely, but short-lived too.
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
Messages
13,751
Reaction score
23,250
Location
South East of Cols. OH
USDA Zone
6a
I have a subhirtella, and a seedling forest grouping of Okame. I don't find these finicky in full sun in hot temps, must be only some species.
A shame about this tree though, it was lovely in bloom.
 
Top Bottom