Vasyl
Mame
Thanks. I have them in a regular soil and plan to repot into training pots with bonsai soil mix. Is now a good time of year to repot them?
Raintree
- Thread starter Vasyl
- Start date
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
Vasyl,
I am afraid for zone 5a. you need a time of no chance of Frost,
Tropicals are rated for a lowest low of 55 deg.F [ day or night ]
Look for Leo.
Additionally the idea was for you to add the zonal information to your Avatar.
Best of growing.
Good Day
Anthony
I am afraid for zone 5a. you need a time of no chance of Frost,
Tropicals are rated for a lowest low of 55 deg.F [ day or night ]
Look for Leo.
Additionally the idea was for you to add the zonal information to your Avatar.
Best of growing.
Good Day
Anthony
Vasyl
Mame
Thanks. Will try to figure out how to do it here. Can't seem to even add a pic
Another IL guy, albeit from Chicago-land also
. Welcome. @Leo in N E Illinois is a great resource, maybe he will chime in.
. Welcome. @Leo in N E Illinois is a great resource, maybe he will chime in.
Vasyl
Mame
Following. Thanks )Another IL guy, albeit from Chicago-land also
miker
Chumono
Cassia?
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,341
- Reaction score
- 23,292
- USDA Zone
- 5b
@Vasyl - welcome to BNut, I am pretty sure I live less than 10 miles from you. I'm northeast east of you in Zion, IL. You are in the happy position of being pretty much the same traveling distance to either the Chicago Botanic Garden, (Glencoe, IL) and the Midwest Bonsai Society that meets there the second Monday of every month, or the Milwaukee Bonsai Society, which meets the second Tuesday of the month at the Boerner Botanic Garden, in southwest corner of Milwaukee County (Hales Corner, WI). You should check both groups out, the Milwaukee group is a flannel shirt and bluejeans crowd. The Chicago group has changed a lot since I was a member, but members would show up in business casual attire more often than bluejeans and flannel shirts. Milwaukee there is no fee to park, and you don't have to have a Boerner membership. For Chicago, parking fee is north of $20 or you have to join the CBG for $75, in addition to club fees. Think Cheddar vs Brie. The Milwaukee group is very active, offers different level classes from beginner, to advanced, and we contract with a visiting artist to do 3 year, 3 times a year advanced classes. Peter Tea is our current visiting artist, in his 4th year of a 6 year arrangement. Both clubs will let you attend several meetings before hitting you up to join. Check them both out.
Milwaukee Bonsai Soc.
Feb 25 - Novice class session #1
March 7 - Tom Longfellow, - taking trees out of winter storage, tricks, tips and problems.
March 11 - Novice Class #2
March 18 - Intermediate class #1 (one opening left)
April 4 - Ted Matson coming in from California - Jin, Shari and Carving workshop - several open slots
May 2 - Brian Huddleson - UW-Madison (Dr Death) - plant disease specialist.
June 2 to 6 - Peter Tea classes (sold out)
July 22 - swap meet
October 13-15 is Milwaukee's Annual Exhibit, Matt Reel will be the guest artist, 2 bring your own workshops, one material provided workshop and the exhibit critique by Matt Reel, All open, sign up has not opened up yet.
and the list goes on.
http://www.milwaukeebonsai.org/
the Chicago group - [url}https://midwestbonsaisociety.wordpress.com/[/url] - note they haven't posted a 2017 schedule yet, but it may be on their facebook page.
Raintrees,
I am not sure of the identity of your tree from the photo, but I don't think it is a Brazilian rain tree. The Cassia, or Golden Rain tree seems a good match, but there are a couple other species it could be. Regardless, the horticulture would be similar, and when it flowers, that will verify its identity. I have only grown Robinia and Leucaena, so I have no experience with Cassia, though I suspect most aspects are similar. I would consider putting it outdoors in full sun for the summer in order to maximize your rate of growth. Right now you don't have ''enough tree'' there to do any styling with. It looks like you have a single trunk for each, with compound leaves, no branches. In May, after all danger of frost has passed, I move them into larger pots, so they don't dry out too quick on you, and then put them outside. Bring them back in sometime in September, before first frost.
Think about what size tree you would like to have, how tall, and how thick a trunk. What will fit in your indoor growing set up. You will need these seedlings to get larger than that, then we cut them down to bonsai size. Let us know what you'd like, we'll tell you how to get there.
That you started these from seed 2 years ago, speaks well of your good consistent care. That is what bonsai need. You have a good start. Do you have other bonsai? Or are these your first?
Milwaukee Bonsai Soc.
Feb 25 - Novice class session #1
March 7 - Tom Longfellow, - taking trees out of winter storage, tricks, tips and problems.
March 11 - Novice Class #2
March 18 - Intermediate class #1 (one opening left)
April 4 - Ted Matson coming in from California - Jin, Shari and Carving workshop - several open slots
May 2 - Brian Huddleson - UW-Madison (Dr Death) - plant disease specialist.
June 2 to 6 - Peter Tea classes (sold out)
July 22 - swap meet
October 13-15 is Milwaukee's Annual Exhibit, Matt Reel will be the guest artist, 2 bring your own workshops, one material provided workshop and the exhibit critique by Matt Reel, All open, sign up has not opened up yet.
and the list goes on.
http://www.milwaukeebonsai.org/
the Chicago group - [url}https://midwestbonsaisociety.wordpress.com/[/url] - note they haven't posted a 2017 schedule yet, but it may be on their facebook page.
Raintrees,
I am not sure of the identity of your tree from the photo, but I don't think it is a Brazilian rain tree. The Cassia, or Golden Rain tree seems a good match, but there are a couple other species it could be. Regardless, the horticulture would be similar, and when it flowers, that will verify its identity. I have only grown Robinia and Leucaena, so I have no experience with Cassia, though I suspect most aspects are similar. I would consider putting it outdoors in full sun for the summer in order to maximize your rate of growth. Right now you don't have ''enough tree'' there to do any styling with. It looks like you have a single trunk for each, with compound leaves, no branches. In May, after all danger of frost has passed, I move them into larger pots, so they don't dry out too quick on you, and then put them outside. Bring them back in sometime in September, before first frost.
Think about what size tree you would like to have, how tall, and how thick a trunk. What will fit in your indoor growing set up. You will need these seedlings to get larger than that, then we cut them down to bonsai size. Let us know what you'd like, we'll tell you how to get there.
That you started these from seed 2 years ago, speaks well of your good consistent care. That is what bonsai need. You have a good start. Do you have other bonsai? Or are these your first?
Vasyl
Mame
Leo, thank you so much for your response. As a matter of fact I have been looking for a group of bonsai enthusiasts to join since my knowledge of bonsai consists of bits and pieces of information from internet. My bonsai collection is a beginner's one: a few tropicals like the one in the picture and ficuses and some 2-3 year old pre-bonsais that I overwintered in my garage. I just re-potted them this weekend into training pots using soil mix that I got at BC Bonsai. I hope I didn't kill my trees as this was the first time I did it. The ones that are staying in my garage are: trident maple, norway maple (I know it's not the best for bonsai), korean hornbeam, wisteria, dawn redwood, japanese quince, cotoneaster and one japanese maple seedling that I just bought. Most of these I've grown from seed so they are still young.
I will definitely try to make it to some of the classes that you suggested. Thank you for the information.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,341
- Reaction score
- 23,292
- USDA Zone
- 5b
@Vasyl
I know the couple that own BC Bonsai, good people, and I get a number of my potting media components there. I like mixing my own, but there is nothing wrong with pre-mixed media. With pre-mixed media, it helps to sift over a piece of window screen to remove the fines that can clog drainage. I do this no matter where my mix comes from, and this extra step seems to improve most mixes.
You have a nice mix of species, excellent. And you have enough trees that you can leave something alone to grow out because you have other trees to work on. I am only in my second year of working with dawn redwood, and I love it, tremendous rapid growth rate. They do seem best for larger size bonsai, and a lovely fully winter hardy here substitute for the coast redwood. Flowering quince is one of my favorites, can be trained to any size you want.
Don't dismiss the Norway maple as being ''inferior'', some nice trees in Europe show it works well. Most are larger sized bonsai, more than 24 inches, but they can work well. And again, another very winter hardy species for this area.
Hope we meet sometime. I can be spotted in a crowd as the ''fat guy with gray-white hair and a loud, annoying laugh". I'll be at the Tuesday Milwaukee meeting. (tonight).
I know the couple that own BC Bonsai, good people, and I get a number of my potting media components there. I like mixing my own, but there is nothing wrong with pre-mixed media. With pre-mixed media, it helps to sift over a piece of window screen to remove the fines that can clog drainage. I do this no matter where my mix comes from, and this extra step seems to improve most mixes.
You have a nice mix of species, excellent. And you have enough trees that you can leave something alone to grow out because you have other trees to work on. I am only in my second year of working with dawn redwood, and I love it, tremendous rapid growth rate. They do seem best for larger size bonsai, and a lovely fully winter hardy here substitute for the coast redwood. Flowering quince is one of my favorites, can be trained to any size you want.
Don't dismiss the Norway maple as being ''inferior'', some nice trees in Europe show it works well. Most are larger sized bonsai, more than 24 inches, but they can work well. And again, another very winter hardy species for this area.
Hope we meet sometime. I can be spotted in a crowd as the ''fat guy with gray-white hair and a loud, annoying laugh". I'll be at the Tuesday Milwaukee meeting. (tonight).
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,341
- Reaction score
- 23,292
- USDA Zone
- 5b
One more thought, Add a juniper or two to your mix, even if they don't excite you. They are the silly putty of the bonsai world. Can be made into any style, any size, from formal upright to long, full cascade. And nursery stock can be cheap. You can learn a lot working with a juniper.
Vasyl
Mame
I would love to attend one of those meetings but I work in Chicago and wouldn't make it on time. Maybe I will get junipers. I cosider going to BC bonsai nursery in Paw Paw to dig up a few trees. I need to decide which ones. Juniper is a likely candidate. I'll definitely introduce myself if I see you at any of the events or meetings. I don't know personally anyone who has experience with bonsai and I have a million questions
Vasyl
Mame
Leo, can you suggest a local nursery? Thanks
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,341
- Reaction score
- 23,292
- USDA Zone
- 5b
Hi Vasyl,
With your work schedule, sounds like the Midwest Bonsai Society, which meets at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, Lake-Cook Rd. at Edens Expressway (Hwy 41). is more geographically compatible. I heartily recommend checking them out. I think their schedule is on their Facebook page. First Monday of the Month at 6:30 or 7 pm.
The Home Depot in Gurnee is okay for nursery material. It will need work to get it to pre-bonsai state, but it is one of the better box store nurseries. Lurvy Nursery at Potter & Dempster in Niles.IL (near I 294 & Dempster), is a full service landscape nursery with a huge inventory. West of Gurnee, on Hwy 120 is Synsevelt Nursery, another full line nursery, with good depth of selection if you are looking for unusual nursery stock. Also will need work to take from landscape stock to pre-bonsai.
Hidden Gardens Nursery in Willowbrook IL, a 60 mile hike south from where we live. (near I 55 & Hwy 83) I'm heading there this weekend sometime Sunday, they are a landscape nursery that also has a full service bonsai department. They occasionally get a truck load of collected from the wild (yamadori) trees from Randy Knight in Oregon. I believe a shipment came in or will come in soon, and Sunday I am going to take a look around. I believe their truck load of imported media such as Akadama, Kanuma, and Aoki Blend will arrive Saturday, that is why I'm heading there Sunday, not Saturday. One of the visiting artists Hidden Gardens hosts is Walter Pall. so they are very serious about their bonsai.
The Hidden Gardens
16W658 S Frontage Rd.
Willowbrook, IL 60527-7013
phone 630 655-8283
http://www.hiddengarden.net/
and BC Bonsai, which we mentioned earlier. You really should visit both BC and Hidden Gardens. They have very different lines of inventory, you need to visit both.
Vasyl
Mame
L
I checked out Hidden Gardens' website. They are about 30 min from where I work, and they start a beginner's class on Tuesday. I think I will sign up an go there on Tuesday. Something I should've done two years ago when I first got curious about bonsai. As always thank you so much for your advise.
Leo,
I checked out Hidden Gardens' website. They are about 30 min from where I work, and they start a beginner's class on Tuesday. I think I will sign up an go there on Tuesday. Something I should've done two years ago when I first got curious about bonsai. As always thank you so much for your advise.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Vasyl
Mame
Near Western and 74th
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
That's right close to a rather large dope Cotoneaster I want to aquire!
Western and 18th!
No shortage of Urbandori round there.
I'm in Berwyn, you ever wanna cruise by and shoot the shit let me know.
I gotta few rogue Mulberries in the yard, fittin to dig em up within a couple weeks.
If you want one c'mon!
They need some work but root easy and grow fast.
I wouldn't say no to a raintree cuttin' iffin you want to make it a "trade"!
Sorce
Vasyl
Mame
Sounds like a fair trade. Thank you for the invitation. I'll see if I can make it to Berwyn sometime
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,341
- Reaction score
- 23,292
- USDA Zone
- 5b
I just visited Hidden Gardens for the first time Sunday, 3/13. Nice place, they have everything you need. Jeff is a great guy, I realized I had met him several times. They have a bunch of Randy Knight collected junipers, pines and spruce, spectacular material, plus some trident maples Randy field grew for a decade or two. Also stock from other sources. The Randy Knight material tends to be $$$ & $$$$. I came home with 2 big bags of lava, & bags of pumice, & Akadama & Kanuma. All the ''right brands'' for bonsai use. They also have a few different blends bagged up. Also came home with a collected spruce, it was only a little over $200, which for its obvious age was not a bad price at all. Mature bark all the way out onto branches. flattened, like krumholtz type form from near tree line, or it came from a cliff somewhere. Collected in Colorado, not by Randy Knight, Jeff told me who, but the name escapes me.
I'll eventually give this its own thread, but here are a couple pictures. Yes, it is small enough that when finished, may be considered shohin. I can actually lift it with one hand. No decisions yet, whether it will be tilted up, or tilted down for a semi-cascade, or maybe left as a slant, or as is in a natural "krumholtz style", pretty much as is. Won't due anything to it beyond let it grow out a little for the next couple years. (if I can make myself leave it alone)
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,341
- Reaction score
- 23,292
- USDA Zone
- 5b
That ''hammer head'' knob of an old, old branch stub is a design problem, yet it could become its best asset. Just need to figure out how to use it. That knob is probably why it had not been snatched up last fall when it arrived. It will be fun to see what it can become. No rush.
