Kansas
Seed
I recently jumped back into Bonsai (Bonsai-ing ?). With a new passion.
It started with a nice Gengsing graft Ficus Retusa from Lowes (Costa Farms) that was lingering on a mobile plant stand getting ready to be displayed somewhere. Oddly they "don't" carry Bonsais in stock in the Kansas Lowes - just direct ship. They had four and I got the best of the bunch. I never payed anything so high for any plant - even bonsai. It was $57. Of course my wonderful had that "what now ?" look but was encouraging. Even though she just does not do plants Kills everything she ever gets from the kids on Mother's day etc. Gee Grandma i- did you ever water it???
Well this bonsai took off like a race horse at the Churchill Downs. It was putting out new leaves almost every day. So I got some other bonsais thru Lowes direct and Amazon. For the most part I have been real lucky. Only bad experience was a two for one on Satsuki Azaleas. When they arrived one was doing real good. The other was sick and a lot smaller than the other. Within the first 10 days - it quit growing buds while the other was fine. Thankfully Amazon adjusted my purchase price.
One of the other Bonsai I wanted to start with was the Fukien Tea. I got a nice one thru Brussels/Amazon that was the 6 year 6" to 10". When I got it it was a full 10" - healthy - beautiful - and those great shiny leaves. It looked just like the promotion photo on the Amazon website with a nice trunk shape and great pre pruning. Beautiful leaves.
Very happy.
While moving some things on our bookcase wall (old house - 135 yr) I glance up at the top shelf where my wife stores (hides) her "bric a brack".
Here is a upright white vase with beautiful bas relief of flowers on a tree on all four sides. Hand painted. Showing branches twisted like a dream bonsai. She doesn't even remember where she got it. There was a receipt for some kind of hardware purchase in Ohio back in 1986. So it has been around since then when we lived near Cleveland anyway. We live in Kansas now.
So my brain went into "pot it" mode. And I ordered another Fukien Tea (Amazon/Brussels) hoping to get a tall specimen that would fit into the pot and have a vertical branch to the side - just like the other. It was cheaper as it was for a plastic grower pot. I did not want to chance messing up the first one if I could not get it into the decorative pot without harming it. side and then droopsAnd the first already had the nice porcelain pot.
Well Fukien # 2 arrived Wednesday. It barely made a 6" height. The trunk was around 5 1/2 tall. It was a dense with foliage. Hard to figure out what to do with all the leaves.... I have not done any pruning while acclimating the new trees.
I got a LEMON - just after expecting this stand up straight Fukien with a lateral bend half was on the trunk like # 1. My plan was shot.
A day later it started to throw flowers. #1 Fukien has yet to show one.
Then it struck me - is does not have to be vertical. It has an immediate bend to the side and then droops down. Just maybe I can make it work. A lateral Cascade?
Now I have to decide what the "front is". It may be on one of the corners so the two sides will show?
I am going to need a lot of advice on pruning. Hope long should I wait until after this potting today?
Thanks for sharing. I'm having a LOT OF FUN!!!
It started with a nice Gengsing graft Ficus Retusa from Lowes (Costa Farms) that was lingering on a mobile plant stand getting ready to be displayed somewhere. Oddly they "don't" carry Bonsais in stock in the Kansas Lowes - just direct ship. They had four and I got the best of the bunch. I never payed anything so high for any plant - even bonsai. It was $57. Of course my wonderful had that "what now ?" look but was encouraging. Even though she just does not do plants Kills everything she ever gets from the kids on Mother's day etc. Gee Grandma i- did you ever water it???
Well this bonsai took off like a race horse at the Churchill Downs. It was putting out new leaves almost every day. So I got some other bonsais thru Lowes direct and Amazon. For the most part I have been real lucky. Only bad experience was a two for one on Satsuki Azaleas. When they arrived one was doing real good. The other was sick and a lot smaller than the other. Within the first 10 days - it quit growing buds while the other was fine. Thankfully Amazon adjusted my purchase price.
One of the other Bonsai I wanted to start with was the Fukien Tea. I got a nice one thru Brussels/Amazon that was the 6 year 6" to 10". When I got it it was a full 10" - healthy - beautiful - and those great shiny leaves. It looked just like the promotion photo on the Amazon website with a nice trunk shape and great pre pruning. Beautiful leaves.
Very happy.
While moving some things on our bookcase wall (old house - 135 yr) I glance up at the top shelf where my wife stores (hides) her "bric a brack".
Here is a upright white vase with beautiful bas relief of flowers on a tree on all four sides. Hand painted. Showing branches twisted like a dream bonsai. She doesn't even remember where she got it. There was a receipt for some kind of hardware purchase in Ohio back in 1986. So it has been around since then when we lived near Cleveland anyway. We live in Kansas now.
So my brain went into "pot it" mode. And I ordered another Fukien Tea (Amazon/Brussels) hoping to get a tall specimen that would fit into the pot and have a vertical branch to the side - just like the other. It was cheaper as it was for a plastic grower pot. I did not want to chance messing up the first one if I could not get it into the decorative pot without harming it. side and then droopsAnd the first already had the nice porcelain pot.
Well Fukien # 2 arrived Wednesday. It barely made a 6" height. The trunk was around 5 1/2 tall. It was a dense with foliage. Hard to figure out what to do with all the leaves.... I have not done any pruning while acclimating the new trees.
I got a LEMON - just after expecting this stand up straight Fukien with a lateral bend half was on the trunk like # 1. My plan was shot.
A day later it started to throw flowers. #1 Fukien has yet to show one.
Then it struck me - is does not have to be vertical. It has an immediate bend to the side and then droops down. Just maybe I can make it work. A lateral Cascade?
Now I have to decide what the "front is". It may be on one of the corners so the two sides will show?
I am going to need a lot of advice on pruning. Hope long should I wait until after this potting today?
Thanks for sharing. I'm having a LOT OF FUN!!!