Michael P
Omono
My first tree was purchased as nursery stock in 1975. It is actually still alive, and looking pretty good this year. My interest intensified in the early 90s, and really took off when I joined our local club, Bonsai Society of Dallas, in 1996. I joined the club's advanced study group, and did workshops with Nick Lenz. I am REALLY bad about photographing my trees and even worse about posting anything. But as soon as it cools down a little here (101F forecast for Saturday) I will take some pictures.
I look at aerial roots in two ways. When they are few and widely spaced, they give a forest or grove effect. When there are many and closely spaced, they can appear like a thick trunk. I want my tree to go more in that direction.
Variegated cultivars of many species are usually less vigorous than the normal or wild-type solid green varieties. This can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on your goals. For bonsai, the vigor is usually needed to counteract all the abuse we inflict on them. This year I acquired some discount store 'Luseane', supposed to be a "dwarf" dwarf schefflera with smaller leaves and shorter internodes. We'll see.
Another schefflera project started a year and a half ago is a root-over-rock. A cutting grew in a tube pot (2.75" x 14" tall) for a year so that I would have long roots to play with. Late this spring when the tropicals were really growing, I bare-rooted the cutting, tied it to a stone, put the stone in a shallow plastic bonsai pot, then slid a bottomless nursery pot over roots and rock and filled with soil. The cutting has grown wildly. Next spring I will cut off the nursery pot and see what the roots look like.
I look at aerial roots in two ways. When they are few and widely spaced, they give a forest or grove effect. When there are many and closely spaced, they can appear like a thick trunk. I want my tree to go more in that direction.
Variegated cultivars of many species are usually less vigorous than the normal or wild-type solid green varieties. This can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on your goals. For bonsai, the vigor is usually needed to counteract all the abuse we inflict on them. This year I acquired some discount store 'Luseane', supposed to be a "dwarf" dwarf schefflera with smaller leaves and shorter internodes. We'll see.
Another schefflera project started a year and a half ago is a root-over-rock. A cutting grew in a tube pot (2.75" x 14" tall) for a year so that I would have long roots to play with. Late this spring when the tropicals were really growing, I bare-rooted the cutting, tied it to a stone, put the stone in a shallow plastic bonsai pot, then slid a bottomless nursery pot over roots and rock and filled with soil. The cutting has grown wildly. Next spring I will cut off the nursery pot and see what the roots look like.
How many do you have?
