Odd Serrisa root work progression

[GrimLore]

I call it an odd Serissa not because it is uncommon but because most people do not consider variegated plants in Bonsai as many tend to be slow growing. I find this plant does not grow slowly in ANY aspect and it needs a lot of attention unless one wants a landscape bush

I received and started working this one in 2015. It was 18 - 22 inches or so from the trunk line to the top and sided to side. First step was to reduce the overall size a lot and thin it rather rudely.

Here it is last year after a year of constant cutting back, thinning, and sucker removal. During that time I started to expose the roots a bit, overall pretty "rough" looking -



This past Spring it went into a trainer after sawing off all but a 1 inch pad of root. I had been raising and hardening off the roots exposing them more bi-weekly for the year preceding.
This is the base on the 24th of last month while cleaning and reducing the height more -



The following month was basically spent cutting the top and branches back weekly. This past weekend I decided to spend long time raising the game a bit by exposing the roots another 1/ 2 inch upwards and spreading them out to harden off. The fine stuff will be cleaned away if it does not fatten at the next lift in 2 weeks. Currently they are 4 inches wide exposed and the trunk line is 1 1/2 inches across -







I also reduced the height once again to 8 inches from the trunk line and did a heavy pruning to promote more lower branching. I expect it to grow like a weed(normal) and give me an opportunity for a first light wiring -



They grow at a fast rate and if this one continues so I should be able to manage a low, wide Southern Live Oak design over the next 12 months. It will then go into a Octagonal or Hexagonal pot allowing about an inch or so around the edges of the raised root - I figure I can get a width of 5 inches root in that time raised 2 1/2 inches more.

Grimmy

 

[JudyB]

fast one...

 

[Giga]

fast one...

that's what she said....

 

[GrimLore]

fast one...

Especially if the final design is Live Oak. I need not organize each heavy root just extend them out naturally. Then nearing the finish line I can fill in the gaps with substrate, some moss, to separate them and enhance them giving the whole base a Southern Natural look. I have started some more and will experiment with a uniform pancake root system in a couple of years but with a mounded broom style.
I have started similar to this one with a Cotoneaster and Satsuki a few weeks back as well. They will provide a bit of a challenge but I see certain species as doable over the past several years.

Grimmy

 

[GrimLore]

that's what she said....

To bad for you

Grimmy

 

[Wilson]

I love the serrisa, variegated too! I agree that the grow like crazy. The base on this one is awesome, very powerful! I will be getting a new serissa eventually, for more winter entertainment.

 

[sorce]

To bad for you

Grimmy

Too bad for her !

Nice roots!

Sorce

 

[GrimLore]

I love the serrisa, variegated too! I agree that the grow like crazy. The base on this one is awesome, very powerful! I will be getting a new serissa eventually, for more winter entertainment.

TY! Crystal has a lot of plants that go into the plant room for Winter while I normally only kept outdoor plants/trees. Winter was pretty boring for me plant wise and these sure changed that a bit I am also trying eight other plants this year for Winter indoors as starters to learn them. Should be a far more interesting Winter here for certain

Grimmy

 

[GrimLore]

One week after cutting it back quite a bit there is a lot of new growth to work with or cut away as I anticipated. In this picture I noticed that most of the new leaf is solid green, goes to a white edge in a couple of days, then goes to green again as they get larger



Grimmy

 

[GrimLore]

Today, 10 days later can barely see those roots from the top, this and Cotoneaster are the fastest growers here -



Grimmy

 

[Carol 83]

That's an amazing amount of growth in 10 days.

 

[GrimLore]

That's an amazing amount of growth in 10 days.

The plant itself is 3 years and 2 months old from a cutting - crazy I think. As did John offer in another thread I will have a couple of cuttings available in early Spring if they Winter ok. The best chance of future survival up North if done so. I will copy and paste my notes and send them along for a guideline. Mileage varies with all of them but this type seems to be well adapted.

Grimmy

 

[Carol 83]

The plant itself is 3 years and 2 months old from a cutting - crazy I think. As did John offer in another thread I will have a couple of cuttings available in early Spring if they Winter ok. The best chance of future survival up North if done so. I will copy and paste my notes and send them along for a guideline. Mileage varies with all of them but this type seems to be well adapted.

Grimmy

That's a very generous offer, but I have a bad track record with them, would hate to give them a death sentence.

 

[GrimLore]

That's a very generous offer, but I have a bad track record with them, would hate to give them a death sentence.

They would be acclimated and complete with Northern "destructions" - Keep in mind the one in this post is the only survivor of 13! Took me awhile but I am pretty certain you would have success.

Grimmy

 

[StoneCloud]

Very nice tree!!!! and damn it's growing fast!!!

It's growing Florida Fast! So nice when they progress quickly though!

I haven't been into them too much but after seeing this one I think I'm gonna keep an eye out for one

 

[GrimLore]

Very nice tree!!!! and damn it's growing fast!!!

It's growing Florida Fast! So nice when they progress quickly though!

I haven't been into them too much but after seeing this one I think I'm gonna keep an eye out for one

It takes a few extra minor steps to keep them up here but nothing fancy or complicated. From what I have seen in AL if you trim them(they need it frequently) and the cuttings drop to the ground most grow and quickly More a weed like plant there for certain but on a serious note - get cuttings - as I stated earlier this one was a simple cutting 3 years and 2 months ago and I am far more Northern.

Grimmy

 

[StoneCloud]

It takes a few extra minor steps to keep them up here but nothing fancy or complicated. From what I have seen in AL if you trim them(they need it frequently) and the cuttings drop to the ground most grow and quickly More a weed like plant there for certain but on a serious note - get cuttings - as I stated earlier this one was a simple cutting 3 years and 2 months ago and I am far more Northern.

Grimmy

I will definitely take cuttings. I need a "cuttings set up." I really see the future value in keeping cuttings and I currently try and keep as many as I can, but lose most due to improper set up. Like yours here a few years...even 10 years isn't that long...and in regards to cuttings, you will have endless nice material!

 

[GrimLore]

I will definitely take cuttings. I need a "cuttings set up." I really see the future value in keeping cuttings and I currently try and keep as many as I can, but lose most due to improper set up. Like yours here a few years...even 10 years isn't that long...and in regards to cuttings, you will have endless nice material!

PM me there will be more in Spring

Grimmy

 

[GrimLore]

This past Spring it went into a trainer after sawing off all but a 1 inch pad of root.

At that point I took off 2 to 3 inches of the fine roots at the base and a few inches off the sides to fit it in the pot.

The type of training pot I used allows me to cut rectangle of pot screen that offers about a 1/4 inch of air space below it. Over that I placed 1/2 inch of Permatil(high fired slate) and the plant with perhaps an inch of fine roots.

Since then in one season I raised the roots a LOT and scraped away layer after layer of substrate.

What is keeping it alive? The new fine feeders that grew through the slate and screen - yesterday no deeper then one inch but growing out and back into the bottom -



Yesterday after 2 years of extensive root work and major cutbacks I think my overall plan is in the right direction. NOWHERE near finished but happy and healthy - For reference it is no taller then 8 inches from the trunk line which is 1 1/2 inches.



Grimmy

 

[GrimLore]

Another 8 days closer to Cold nights but still growing crazy -



Preparing for it to come indoors in a few weeks. From here until Spring when back outdoors it will be clip and grow. Also packed in the roots I exposed with my Nursery mix until then when I will expose them again. I expect the roots to be fatter and spread wider then and will decide where to take it at that point. Pretty certain I will have plenty of feeders but I want a fuller wider spread then I showed earlier. For the next few months this will do -



Should be fun to discover what lays beneath in the Spring

Grimmy