Amenson
Seedling
Hello,
I have been lurking on the site for a while now and this will be my first post. I have been involved in bonsai for only a year but have been researching quite aggressively since starting. I have learned quite a bit from this forum and would like to thank those who take the time to share their experiences.
On to my question...
My local club (the Columbus bonsai society) had a Larch Madness workshop so I ordered a larch and set out learning. After the workshop I had the top of the tree left over and asked a few guys if it would root. The guys I talked to did not have any direct experience with a hard wood larch cuttings and recommended that I give it a try and report back to the club.
I could not remember running into much information on hard wood cuttings but figured a little rooting hormone could not hurt so I mixed up a bucket of ferti-lome Root Stimulator (indole-3-butyric acid) and tossed it in. I let it soak for an hour or so.
After that I put it in a small plastic pot and filled it up with the club soil (mixture of equal parts haydite, coarse sand, turface and peat/decomposed bark mix).
I put it in the light box that I made for my wife's orchids/garden seed and have been misting/watering it several times a day.
Much to my surprise it the buds actually started swelling and are now opening quite nicely. It is even further along than the parent tree that has been living outside.
I guess the question is...so now what? It seems to be doing well but should I keep it inside for a while (how long?) or put it outside in the shade or sun? Should I start fertilizing? Do I need to keep misting? I took the cutting and potted it on March 21st.
Here are some pictures.
Cheers
Scott
I have been lurking on the site for a while now and this will be my first post. I have been involved in bonsai for only a year but have been researching quite aggressively since starting. I have learned quite a bit from this forum and would like to thank those who take the time to share their experiences.
On to my question...
My local club (the Columbus bonsai society) had a Larch Madness workshop so I ordered a larch and set out learning. After the workshop I had the top of the tree left over and asked a few guys if it would root. The guys I talked to did not have any direct experience with a hard wood larch cuttings and recommended that I give it a try and report back to the club.
I could not remember running into much information on hard wood cuttings but figured a little rooting hormone could not hurt so I mixed up a bucket of ferti-lome Root Stimulator (indole-3-butyric acid) and tossed it in. I let it soak for an hour or so.
After that I put it in a small plastic pot and filled it up with the club soil (mixture of equal parts haydite, coarse sand, turface and peat/decomposed bark mix).
I put it in the light box that I made for my wife's orchids/garden seed and have been misting/watering it several times a day.
Much to my surprise it the buds actually started swelling and are now opening quite nicely. It is even further along than the parent tree that has been living outside.
I guess the question is...so now what? It seems to be doing well but should I keep it inside for a while (how long?) or put it outside in the shade or sun? Should I start fertilizing? Do I need to keep misting? I took the cutting and potted it on March 21st.
Here are some pictures.
Cheers
Scott