Received new cuttings!

[BonsaiTreeAdmirer]

Hello everybody.

Thanks for all of your help with my previous thread.

I just received my new cuttings today: 2 Dragon Willows, 2 "Hybrids" (it was labeled as such) and 2 Weeping willows. Just as before one of the hybrids had moldy spots on top where it was cut off so I quickly sawed off about an inch from the top of the trunk to get rid of it only to reveal a greenish hue? There's also a black spot on one of the dragons that I'm not sure what it could be. If someone could help me identify what it is, I'd greatly appreciate it.

According to some of you, I was recommended to plant the cuttings into bonsai soil immediately but I was wondering if there is something that I'm supposed to the bottom where I want the roots to grow.
I keep coming across some bonsai owners splitting the base of the trunk into 4 before either planting them in water or directly into soil and adding wire above where they split the trunk. I also came across some individuals who carve the outer edge of the bottom of the trunk before potting in soil. Others just seem to magically grow without anything being done. For those of you who have been successful, what have you done?

I currently potted one of the Weeping willows and one of the 'Hybrid' without doing anything above. Is that ok?

Thank you all for your continued help.

 

[sorce]

Did anyone tell you willows kinda offer more headache than pleasure?

Sorce

 

[BonsaiTreeAdmirer]

Did anyone tell you willows kinda offer more headache than pleasure?

Sorce

Ahaha, not outright, but I do believe that there is a vibe that suggests they are nightmares.
Regardless, I still am up for the challenge and for learning.

 

[Shibui]

Willow usually grows roots despite what you do to them. Splitting the base is just a way to encourage a thicker buttress quicker. It will do nothing to increase the number of roots or strike rate. Interfering with the base may even reduce chances of roots.
I think the black spot is probably just a small area of dead wood, possibly from a previous branch that has died. I don't think it will cause any problem with the cuttings. Old branch stubs like that are a common feature inside trunks.

 

[leatherback]

Did anyone tell you willows kinda offer more headache than pleasure?

Fake news!

Willow Bark: Nature’s Aspirin

Can willow whomp away your pain?

www.healthline.com

 

[BonsaiTreeAdmirer]

Willow usually grows roots despite what you do to them. Splitting the base is just a way to encourage a thicker buttress quicker. It will do nothing to increase the number of roots or strike rate. Interfering with the base may even reduce chances of roots.
I think the black spot is probably just a small area of dead wood, possibly from a previous branch that has died. I don't think it will cause any problem with the cuttings. Old branch stubs like that are a common feature inside trunks.

Thank you so much for your explanation! I really appreciate it.

Fake news!

Willow Bark: Nature’s Aspirin

Can willow whomp away your pain?

www.healthline.com

LOL!
I'll definitely read that article.

 

[Pitoon]

What ever you do, if they ever go in the ground make sure you plant them.......far, far away from any foundation or sewer/septic.....the force is strong with this one (roots)

 

[BonsaiTreeAdmirer]

What ever you do, if they ever go in the ground make sure you plant them.......far, far away from any foundation or sewer/septic.....the force is strong with this one (roots)

Sadly, I do not have the backyard space to have them grow in the ground, so they will always be indoor bonsai (except on the rare occasion I put them outside).

But I will definitely keep that in mind for the future! Thanks.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Willows are difficult subjects for indoors. I'm not saying impossible, but you need some experience to grow willows indoors. In particular, they have winter chill requirements that you need to plan for. They are also full sun plants. You need a fairly sophisticated lights set up to provide enough light indoors. Do you have a balcony, Or can you grow them outdoors on a windowsill, but outside the glass, rather than inside the house? Willows are not a good houseplant. If you had an outdoor patio, that would be ideal for your willow.

I would suggest any of the species of Ficus as trees for indoor bonsai. Ficus benjamina can be trained in any of the styles a willow might take in the wild.

 

[BonsaiTreeAdmirer]

Willows are difficult subjects for indoors. I'm not saying impossible, but you need some experience to grow willows indoors. In particular, they have winter chill requirements that you need to plan for. They are also full sun plants. You need a fairly sophisticated lights set up to provide enough light indoors. Do you have a balcony, Or can you grow them outdoors on a windowsill, but outside the glass, rather than inside the house? Willows are not a good houseplant. If you had an outdoor patio, that would be ideal for your willow.

I would suggest any of the species of Ficus as trees for indoor bonsai. Ficus benjamina can be trained in any of the styles a willow might take in the wild.

I have a fire escape and a small ledge on the outside of my windows but I doubt the latter is wide enough to hold the larger pots I currently have them in. My building does have a communal 'courtyard' but I do not think they would allow me to set up a bonsai bench. I could always ask though.

If I am honest, I wish I knew that before I purchased them, but they were the only bonsai plants that kept popping up when I searched 'bonsais safe for cats' so I just jumped on the opportunity without a second thought. Sadly, the species you suggested is highly toxic to them and my year old cats have the horrible tendency to chew on whatever plants they can get their paws on. So based just on that, the species of plants I could have severely diminishes.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Okay. I have a couple thoughts. But none are really helpful. Your best option with the willows is to put them on the fire escape. Though the building management might not like that, if they block the exit route for those above your apartment. The courtyard is your next choice, but courtyards tend to have too much shade.

Houseplants and cats simply do not mix. You can have cats, or you can have houseplants. If you try to keep both, the cats will regularly "redesign" your indoor bonsai. Just resign yourself to no houseplants if you really like your cats. I chose a cat free lifestyle, but that is me. When I visit friends with cats, I enjoy their cats, but I'm glad I don't have one. My friends that do have both cats and houseplants have gone through long "training sessions" with their cats to get the cats to leave the plants alone, usually with only partial success. Others with cats and plants have divided their homes, there are cat rooms, and there are plant rooms, and closed doors keep the cats and the plants separate. I live in small house, it is easier to not have cats.

About Ficus being "Highly Toxic" - that is utter bullshit, published by internet "entrepreneurs" who are generating clickbait to add to their income from advertising revenue. This myth is hysteria hyped by those who want eyeballs on their websites or to feel "important" generating views to their facebook pages. There is a book that was published that repeats this ridiculous myth, and exaggerates the properties of dozens of other plants. That book is another that counts on the hysteria its wording generates to boost its sales to make its author money. Out of the 40 or 50 plants the author included in this book, decreeing them all "highly toxic", I only spotted 4 or 5 that indeed I would agree were toxic. The rest ranged from merely bad tasting to somewhat irritating to capable of causing a mild rash. This type of hysteria preys on people who do not understand chemistry well enough to evaluate descriptions of the chemistry of the plants.

Truth is, Ficus do have an irritating sap. The sap is a latex compound. It is the precursor to making latex rubber. Look up the definition of irritation. Irritation is not lethal. The buzz word "Highly Toxic" implies that it is lethal. Ficus are not Lethal. A cat or a human can chew a few leaves, at worst it will cause nausea and possibly vomiting. The irritating sap will cause some inflammation of mouth lining, and possibly the gut lining if swallowed. The cat will probably vomit, then decline to eat for a day or two, then go back to being its normal self. The cat might even have a brief bought of diarrhea, but the cat won't die. Ficus will NOT KILL a cat. Therefore, it is NOT "highly toxic". Ficus has an irritating sap, that will cause your cat discomfort. But the cat will live, and the discomfort may actually train the cat to stop chewing on the Ficus leaves. The Ficus is a houseplant that cats normally will leave alone after one or two encounters with it.

Sorry I could not be more helpful.

 

[Lutonian]

Hi I have a house full of ficus and a cat but my cat is very well behaved (luck not training) and it is not a problem. but I do not keep very toxic plants in the house just in case. portulacaria afra is cat safe and can be grown indoors in the winter. I do have very toxic plants in the garden like cycad's and others but I keep these out of the cats way and make sure all dead leaves seeds are cleaned up before I let my cat out. I also grow some plants just for the cat at ground level like rye grass and cat mint, my cat knows these plant are hers and doesn't bother my benches. I have friends that have had to get rid of there plant collections because there cat could not be trained to not eat them so its some luck, some training and crossing your finger wont hurt.

 

[LittleDingus]

Okay. I have a couple thoughts. But none are really helpful. Your best option with the willows is to put them on the fire escape. Though the building management might not like that, if they block the exit route for those above your apartment.

Lol...I hate to be "that guy" but I'd worry more about what the other tenants thought about blocking the fire escape than the building manager who likely lives somewhere else

Often there are ordinances that would prohibit cluttering up access...not that inspections are frequent or findings enforced...

 

[BonsaiTreeAdmirer]

Okay. I have a couple thoughts.

Even if you believe that none of your thoughts weren't helpful, I believe that they were if that helps. I'll definitely be more leery of 'blogs that have those buzz words' and I'll keep to what the ASPCA has to say regarding what is toxic or not. Regardless, thank you for your input. I might look into ficus trees in the future if I pursue the hobby further.

Hi I have a house full of ficus and a cat but my cat is very well behaved (luck not training) and it is not a problem. but I do not keep very toxic plants in the house just in case. portulacaria afra is cat safe and can be grown indoors in the winter. I do have very toxic plants in the garden like cycad's and others but I keep these out of the cats way and make sure all dead leaves seeds are cleaned up before I let my cat out. I also grow some plants just for the cat at ground level like rye grass and cat mint, my cat knows these plant are hers and doesn't bother my benches. I have friends that have had to get rid of there plant collections because there cat could not be trained to not eat them so its some luck, some training and crossing your finger wont hurt.

I'll definitely look into the species you recommended! Its actually weird how my cats function. New plants make them super curious and they want to chew, but then there are older plants that they used to chew on that they no longer have interest in. I'll also make note of the rye grass and cat mint to grow. Thank you!

Lol...I hate to be "that guy" but I'd worry more about what the other tenants thought about blocking the fire escape than the building manager who likely lives somewhere else

Often there are ordinances that would prohibit cluttering up access...not that inspections are frequent or findings enforced...

Ahaha my thoughts exactly, but still wouldn't want to take the risk