New to Bonsai from NJ

[Orion_metalhead]

Winter plans... similar to last year, gonna heal in my trees in the garden and cover with a tarp to help keep the wind off them. Seemed to work really well last year so going for it again. I want to try to keep the squirrels out somehow this year, though.

Dug the trench today. Soil was so much easier to dig this year after all the ammending and compost I added to the garden.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

This is a little white oak I started from seed. Its in it's 2nd year of growth. There is a great low branch to cut back to next year that will really keep this tree compact which looks very healthy.



Healthy terminal buds on white oak:

 

[Forsoothe!]

I'd be pretty cautious about covering with a tarp. The sun can warm up whatever is covered on a sunny 30°F day and that's exactly suicide for plants. Cycling up and down is much worse that just continuous cold. Spring frosts following warm periods is a killer for me, not the cold of winter. Winds are problematic if there are no buildings blocking or just breaking up strong winds. Subdivisions are good for this, especially as compared to open farmland. I have deflector shields about 12" high that I pin to the foot of my western fence with my plants lined up right there in a line south to north, mulched in from 6 to 9" deep in leaves. I have additional beds immediately east of there without shields. I think that all I have to do is break up the path of the wind and it foils the worst of the air flow, making it tumble rather than a laminar flow of wind. I live in a sub and the houses immediately westward are about 100 feet away.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Thanks for your advice. When the trees are covered they are not enclosed... the back of the fence remains open to air flow as do the sides. Last year, I left the tarp open on days over 32 degrees. I covered when the temps dropped below. I kept it open when we had rain and snow unless it was several days of precipitation in a row. Seemed to work well. Most times the trees had frost on them. The trees got surrounded with mulch/compost. Seemed to do fine. I know air flow is the main culprit of dessication. Theres a pretty large area under the tarp, so it doesnt warm up too much. Like I said, it worked well last year so I'll try it again.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

End of year for the buckthorn.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

This is a mixed forest of (4) ginkos and (1) red maple. These are all 1 yr seeds. The ginkos were planned and the maple just happened to grow. I think ill keep them together for now and see how they progress. The ginkos are a nice color at the moment. Im also really liking the pot colors... the reds and greens are all highlighted by the yellow ginko leaves and red bark.

 

[Vance Wood]

Morning sun in July on the Mugos and an Hinoki.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Beautiful shot, @Vance Wood . I dont have a hinoki, but I do have a mugo in early stages of development. It needs a rewire within the next few weeks. Ill be reading through your mugo threads quite a bit as I start working on refinement.

 

[Vance Wood]

Beautiful shot, @Vance Wood . I dont have a hinoki, but I do have a mugo in early stages of development. It needs a rewire within the next few weeks. Ill be reading through your mugo threads quite a bit as I start working on refinement.

They're worth the effort and will reward your work. If there is anything I can do to help you out let me know. How about posting a picture of the tree.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

@Vance Wood, these are from today. I just got this tree last year. Initial plans are for a windswept cascade. The top branches need to be wired down and to the right to mimic the cascading branch. Eventually the top branches will be killed off for deadwood features and the cascading branch will be all that's left...






Not sure what the roots look like at all. Havent repotted it and its definitely not rootbound.

 

[Vance Wood]

How long has it been in this pot? This is one of the few trees that looks like it might make a decent cascade, go for it and good luck.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Thanks Vance. I dont know how long it's been since it's been repotted. There is a crazy anount of mychorrizae though, just below the surface. It might be smart to repot it next year then you think? Im going to rewire this in a couple weeks at the next club pine workshop, along with the shore pine.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Trimmed up 'Ella', the family citronella geranium today. This is our oldest houseplant at about 3yrs old now. Im working on a few as cuttings for bonsai. Seems a fun species.







As it back buds after cleaning, I hope to cut back a bit further. Its up to the attic for the winter. It grows really well up there where the one window is.

 

[Njyamadori]

Good morning everyone. New to the artform, however have been interested for many years. Ive been reading a lot of general information all over the place but the scope of knowledge here from users seems second to none.

I recently started my first few trees but come spring I plan on adding some others collected from a family property in PA.

All my current trees are small little seedlings I dug up from the yard, nothing worth picyures yet. Im just hoping i can get them to live to next year... currently overwintering them in the shed.

It seems I have an affinity for species widely regarded as "not woth the time" but thats ok with me. A list of what I dug up this summer:

Acer Rubrum
Acer Nigurum
Acer Palmatum

Come spring, there are a couple saplings or slightly larger around the yard and in PA I'll pot up:

Acer Saccharum
Prunus Serotina
Quercus Alba (a few of these from seed)
Picea Abies
Picea Rigida
Tsuga Canadensis
Pinus Strobus (Oh no!!)

Im from Central NJ. Spend most of my time listening to Heavy Metal and reading. Plants move at my speed.

I see your post is from 2 years ago but can I see what bonsai you have now ? I’m also I’m Nj near Toms River .

 

[Orion_metalhead]

@Njyamadori, theres a bunch of random stuff in this thread, but most of my trees are in the tree specific forums.

Ill tag you in one of them.

You can view the list here: https://www.bonsainut.com/search/375138/

 

[Orion_metalhead]

It has begun. The first round of trees has been heeled into the garden. The quality of the soil in the garden has increased immensely since last year, after I added a ton of compost in the spring.

Heeled in:


Watered:


The dill growing well this fall. Have already given away a ton of it.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

More random stuff. Some good some bad...

Added wire to this pitch pine seedling:


Another red maple:


Another red maple not fully naked, yet.


The bare bones of a slender silver maple.


A pitch pine that likely wont make it next year. For whatever reason, this tree just hasnt fared well. Its been treated the samd as others, but I think it is suffering from root rot. Still has a tiny amount of color, and it did grow this year, and it has some healthyish buds, but... idk. Probably will be offered to the fire gods next summer.

 

[plant_dr]

More random stuff. Some good some bad...

Added wire to this pitch pine seedling:
View attachment 339001

Another red maple:
View attachment 339002

Another red maple not fully naked, yet.
View attachment 339003

The bare bones of a slender silver maple.
View attachment 339004

A pitch pine that likely wont make it next year. For whatever reason, this tree just hasnt fared well. Its been treated the samd as others, but I think it is suffering from root rot. Still has a tiny amount of color, and it did grow this year, and it has some healthyish buds, but... idk. Probably will be offered to the fire gods next summer.
View attachment 339005

The sad face was for the last pine only, not the other trees in the thread...

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Will see. Not dead yet!

 

[Njyamadori]

It depends, answer me these questions three:
1. Do you say porn roll, or Taylor ham?
2. Do you say going to the shore or going to the beach?
3. Is it sauce, or gravy?

Hahaha it’s called pork roll you dumbass