My Carmona microphylla: Fukien Tea

[1.0reef]

Species~ Carmona microphylla
Common Name~ Fukien Tea
Size~Tree~ 9 1/2 Inches 24 Centimeters Tall ~Tree With Pot~14 Inches 35 1/2 Centimeters tall ~Tree length~8 Inches 20 Centimeters Long
Age~ 12 Years Old
Characteristics~ Good flow to trunk, two branches slightly curve towards each other creating a circler area.
How long have I had it~ Only 4 days
Care~ I mist this tree twice per day and water it daily, using liquid fertilizers every 2 months.
The moss field around it is misted around 5-6 times per day. The tree is currently under a small 3 watt warm white led to supplement indirect or filtered sunlight.
What I hope to do with this tree~ Slightly bend a few of the branches, and grow it out to a slightly larger size. Hopefully around 15 inches or 38 centimeters tall. The main goal is to keep it healthy for a long period of time and learn more about this incredible living art.

 

[1.0reef]

Still doing good, I was worried cause I kinda forgot about it from yesterday to today because of a medical procedure I had earlier today. But it hasn't showed any yellow leaves and I misted it and watered it (Soil was dry).
Yay, a new accomplishment, keeping a bonsai alive for a week. lol

 

[Beng]

Nice little table display.

I don't think a 3 watt light is going to cut it, if you want to grow it indoors you'll need a larger bank or a metal halide sitting several feet or inches above that table. This tree should be outdoors in full sun during the summer months.

Ben

 

[1.0reef]

Well, it is an led, so far more efficient than MH, but I agree.
What size MH would be best? i could easily rig of something as powerful as a 150 watt MH.

 

[Beng]

Well, it is an led, so far more efficient than MH, but I agree.
What size MH would be best? i could easily rig of something as powerful as a 150 watt MH.

That would work 250watt would be better, but you'd need to keep it fairly close to the tree maybe 1-2 feet from it. You'll also need to use a humidifier and monitor humidity levels. Optimal humidity for tropicals is around 80%. You'll need a fan for air circulation as well but make sure it's not pointed directly at the tree or it'll dry it out, it should continuously circulate the air. You'll also need a periodic influx of air from outside, indoor air is quite stagnant and produces little CO2 even with all the breath we put out. There are C02 infusers like this for confined growing areas, http://www.amazon.com/ExHale-Homegr...UTF8&qid=1373335848&sr=8-1&keywords=co2+plant . I grow my barbados cherries, and a bougainvillea indoors from late fall to mid spring under a 400Watt metal halide. The rest of the year they spend outdoors. You'll want a bulb which gives off a light around 6500 kelvin.

 

[1.0reef]

That would work 250watt would be better, but you'd need to keep it fairly close to the tree maybe 1-2 feet from it. You'll also need to use a humidifier and monitor humidity levels. Optimal humidity for tropicals is around 80%. You'll need a fan for air circulation as well but make sure it's not pointed directly at the tree or it'll dry it out, it should continuously circulate the air. You'll also need a periodic influx of air from outside, indoor air is quite stagnant and produces little CO2 even with all the breath we put out. There are C02 infusers like this for confined growing areas, http://www.amazon.com/ExHale-Homegr...UTF8&qid=1373335848&sr=8-1&keywords=co2+plant . I grow my barbados cherries, and a bougainvillea indoors from late fall to mid spring under a 400Watt metal halide. The rest of the year they spend outdoors. You'll want a bulb which gives off a light around 6500 kelvin.

Dang, I think I'll try to move it it high sunlight plus the 3 watt led.
I mist it, that helps with the humidity, I also mist the moss bed very frequently, which has to release some humidity.
It's outside, but in a sunroom. AKA a room with the walls replaced by mesh.
Thank you

 

[1.0reef]

Tree is still doing well, didn't move it for a few days to see what would happen but it's still growing pretty fast. once it's growth stops I'll move it. Feeling to sick to move it right now anyways...

 

[1.0reef]

The tree is still doing great after a week long vaca
It's sending up some growth shoots I think, should cut them off?

 

[1.0reef]

I think this isn't a fukien tea, seems impossible to kill. And is growing shoots like crazy.

 

[KennedyMarx]

I'm sure it is a Fukien tea. It seems to be doing very well. These can be hard to take care of, but you figured out how this one needs to be cared for. I have been letting the new growth extend quite a bit on my Fukien before cutting it back. It seems to do pretty well dealing with the pruning. New growth has popped down lower after more apical branches were cut back. After killing my first Fukien I came to the conclusion that they should be worked on more slowly. Of course it really matters how healthy they are. The mallsai Fukien teas are usually not that healthy to begin with.

 

[1.0reef]

Still alive and kickin'!
I really want to imitate a large tree that would inhabit the rainforest, and dominate the canopy, and was thinking about (slowly) trimming off the lower branches (The 2, they are the lowest) along with the 5 new growth areas down there, so most, if not all the leaves are in 2 sections, one very near the top and the other at the very top.

 

[MidMichBonsai]

This could work if you are going for a literati style tree. Fukien Teas are notorious back-budders so you should always have options lower down. That being said, it's much more difficult to grown lower branches to a proportionate size later on if you decide you want them back.

The other problem that can start to happen is reverse taper. If you have no foliage on the lower 2/3rds of the tree and a bunch at the top, you have to trim very carefully to prevent the tree from swelling and creating reverse taper at the top because all of the nutrients from the soil are going to that single spot.

The best 2 things that can be said when dealing with bonsai are that the health of the tree should always come first and begin with the end in mind.

Best of luck!

 

[1.0reef]

Thank you! I think I'm going to have some trimmed foliage towards the bottom/mid, for the tree and to kind of create a balance of the upper and lower portions.

 

[1.0reef]

Update

Still alive and well, here's the new spring shoots.