Serissa forest and container question?

[RJG2]

Wigert's has plastic ovals...

Plastic Bonsai Pots - Oval Series - Wigert's Bonsai

DIMENSIONS: YA1209: 4 1/4"L x 3 7/8"W x 1 3/4"D YA1512: 5 3/8"L x 4 1/8"W x 2 1/4"D YA1814: 6 1/2"L x 5"W x 2 3/4"D YA2117: 7 1/2"L x 5 7/8"W x 3 1/8"D

www.wigertsbonsai.com

...and also mica pots

Good call, they do have forest/group specific mica pots. I think the smallest size is 18" wide:

Mica Bonsai Pot (GRA) Group Planting / Tray Series - Wigert's Bonsai

DIMENSIONS: GRA15: 18"L x 10"W x 1 1/2"D GRA17: 20 1/2"L x 11 1/2"W x 1 1/2"D GRA20: 23"L x 12"W x 2"D GRB23: 26"L x 12 1/2"W x 2"D Measurements are interior.

www.wigertsbonsai.com

 

[Mellow Mullet]

You mean 80% pine bark and 20% lava? Where do you buy pine bark for your trees? Btw, the serissas are beautiful and they're planted in pure dirt. Any thoughts on that?

I use pine bark soil conditioner from Lowes, after sifting. I have a few growing in dirt in nursery pots but ones in bonsai pots get bonsai soil

 

[Katie0317]

I use pine bark soil conditioner from Lowes, after sifting. I have a few growing in dirt in nursery pots but ones in bonsai pots get bonsai soil

Thanks Mike...I did check out your blog and read a good bit. Where do you buy your lava from? Good tip on the screens from Hobby Lobby btw...

 

[namnhi]

Thanks Mike...I did check out your blog and read a good bit. Where do you buy your lava from? Good tip on the screens from Hobby Lobby btw...

Bonsai jack has it for reasonable price.

 

[Carol 83]

screens from Hobby Lobby btw...

I buy the plastic needlepoint sheets from Wal-mart. (MM's name is John)

 

[Shibui]

What is a bamboo framework? I've not heard of that. I'd love to know. We have no shortage of bamboo and just tore out a massive amount around our pool and are about to have it replanted with a different bamboo.

Someone posted this photo on Ausbonsai today. The framework allows them to tie in a number of trees (in his case, boxwood) when the pot has limited tie down points.

Tie bamboo (or other) together to give the required tie points then tie the frame into the bottom of pot. Trees can then be planted over the lattice and tied down to it. Does not matter if the wood rots away as by then the roots should be well established.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Thanks Mike...I did check out your blog and read a good bit. Where do you buy your lava from? Good tip on the screens from Hobby Lobby btw...

you can call me Mike, but my name is John, lol. my club orders the lava by the pallet from colorado lava as no one sells it in our area.

FloweRock™ Brand Lava Rock | Welcome

FloweRock™ Brand Lava Products are manufactured by one of the largest wholesale producers of lava rock products in the United States and Canada.

www.flowerocklava.com

 

[TinyArt]

FloweRock™ Brand Lava Rock | Welcome​

FloweRock™ Brand Lava Products are manufactured by one of the largest wholesale producers of lava rock products in the United States and Canada.

www.flowerocklava.com

Aha! I looked at the smallest pebble size -- 3/4” to 3/8” -- and "a little more light dawned on me" as the old folks say....

Just to be sure -- 80% lava rock (or pumice), to 20% pine bark soil conditioner?

Thanks!

 

[Katie0317]

@RJG2 @Mellow Mullet @namnhi @Carol 83 @Shibui @TinyArt Thanks All ! I put down all of your responses in a notebook I've started keeping. It's no good getting good information if I don't know where it is when I need it.

John, I already corrected myself on calling you Mike... I thought my husbands name was something else for a week when I first met him so don't be insulted, but I know yours now.

Everybody gave great information and I thank you. Btw, and John...My serissas are happy as they could be. They are my favorites right now. They came planted in dirt and yet I have to water them everyday. In this sun they dry out fast. Are yours the same way? Mine get morning dappled light and then sun the rest of the day and they seem very happy. Do you have yours in both sun and shade and they do well in both? I'm guessing they do since you said they grow like a weed. How do you propagate them?

80% pine bark seems high to me but I'm completely new to this and bought a blend of akadama, pumice and lava. (Just a fairly small bag from Eastern Leaf.) That has to be watered constantly too. Do you think you can go longer without watering using the pine bark and lava mix?

We're going to make a trip to D&L bonsai nursery in Oklawaha nursery later this week. Have you heard of it? It's supposed to be pretty amazing. If anybody's looking for something unusual they may have it. I've heard great things about them. They're in the middle of nowhere and it's in an area I've never been. I'm really looking forward to it because we're going to take the back roads and see some really old style Florida.

Thank you again all!

 

[TinyArt]

@Katie0317 -- the conversation has helped & inspired me too -- thanks!

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Aha! I looked at the smallest pebble size -- 3/4” to 3/8” -- and "a little more light dawned on me" as the old folks say....

Just to be sure -- 80% lava rock (or pumice), to 20% pine bark soil conditioner?

Thanks!

Yes on the 80/20, but you want what they call the red or black lava "quarter", it is 1/4 to 3/8" (they appear to be sold out, the pebble is too big. I sift it and use the 1/4 for serissa and azaleas and most of my smaller stuff.

I also use this mixed with the lava 40 lava/40 pumice/20 pinebark: https://www.generalpumice.com/shop , I get the 3/8 and the 3/16 size.
John

 

[Mellow Mullet]

@RJG2 @Mellow Mullet @namnhi @Carol 83 @Shibui @TinyArt Thanks All ! I put down all of your responses in a notebook I've started keeping. It's no good getting good information if I don't know where it is when I need it.

John, I already corrected myself on calling you Mike... I thought my husbands name was something else for a week when I first met him so don't be insulted, but I know yours now.

Everybody gave great information and I thank you. Btw, and John...My serissas are happy as they could be. They are my favorites right now. They came planted in dirt and yet I have to water them everyday. In this sun they dry out fast. Are yours the same way? Mine get morning dappled light and then sun the rest of the day and they seem very happy. Do you have yours in both sun and shade and they do well in both? I'm guessing they do since you said they grow like a weed. How do you propagate them?

80% pine bark seems high to me but I'm completely new to this and bought a blend of akadama, pumice and lava. (Just a fairly small bag from Eastern Leaf.) That has to be watered constantly too. Do you think you can go longer without watering using the pine bark and lava mix?

We're going to make a trip to D&L bonsai nursery in Oklawaha nursery later this week. Have you heard of it? It's supposed to be pretty amazing. If anybody's looking for something unusual they may have it. I've heard great things about them. They're in the middle of nowhere and it's in an area I've never been. I'm really looking forward to it because we're going to take the back roads and see some really old style Florida.

Thank you again all!

I have mine is morning and evening sun, mid-day sun is too much for them in the deep south. My mix is only 20% bark, the rest is lava and/or pumice. I water once a day during the summer, less in other seasons.

 

[Katie0317]

Someone posted this photo on Ausbonsai today. The framework allows them to tie in a number of trees (in his case, boxwood) when the pot has limited tie down points.
View attachment 395230
Tie bamboo (or other) together to give the required tie points then tie the frame into the bottom of pot. Trees can then be planted over the lattice and tied down to it. Does not matter if the wood rots away as by then the roots should be well established.

I'd never heard of that website before and just looked at it. I could read but not look at pictures. Did you join to be able to see pics? Thanks. It's a good idea. Looks like chopsticks and two mismatched branches. Use what you have, upcycle, recycle etc...Thanks for sharing the pic and the website. Katie

 

[Katie0317]

I have mine is morning and evening sun, mid-day sun is too much for them in the deep south. My mix is only 20% bark, the rest is lava and/or pumice. I water once a day during the summer, less in other seasons.

That makes sense John on the mix of bark and lava. 80& dark would be almost like dirt wouldn't it, at least at some point when it breaks down? My serissas have been here for a while and they seem to be liking their location. If they show signs of not being happy there I'll move them. I have all kinds of flowers in pots in that area and they all thrive. I get down on their level and really look at them every day and they seem happy, happy, happy. So green and the leaves are really shiny. It's so odd to me that they're in dirt though. They're nine years old and have never been in anything else.

 

[TinyArt]

Yes on the 80/20, but you want what they call the red or black lava "quarter", it is 1/4 to 3/8" (they appear to be sold out, the pebble is too big. I sift it and use the 1/4 for serissa and azaleas and most of my smaller stuff.

I also use this mixed with the lava 40 lava/40 pumice/20 pinebark: https://www.generalpumice.com/shop , I get the 3/8 and the 3/16 size.
John

Ah, better. Thank you, sifu!

 

[Shibui]

I'd never heard of that website before and just looked at it. I could read but not look at pictures. Did you join to be able to see pics?

Correct. Membership is free but pics only available to signed in members.

 

[TinyArt]

@Katie0317 -- how is your forest doing?

 

[Katie0317]

Tinyart, I haven't repotted my serissas yet, will wait for spring. One is too large for a forest! They're all coming along really well.

How about you? How are yours?

 

[TinyArt]

Well --
The Cherry Blossom seems to weather everything, but it was always the thirsty one.
I briefly overwatered the two Kyotos about a month ago, however -- 2-3 days at most -- and just when I thought I hadn't harmed them, the first began to brown from the bottom up, and the outside inward. Each seemed to begin pushing tiny new leaves, but the second now looks to be going the way of the first. Kicking myself for leaving them in the more-organic soil mix -- poor little devils --

 

[Katie0317]

Oh, I'm so sorry to see that. I'm afraid it's a goner.

Overwatering is almost as big a concern to me as underwatering. We move ours onto the pool deck after days of rain to get max sun (the sun-lovers) and rush to move all undercover before the rain. Sometimes they stay under umbrellas for days at a time.

Do you have yours in small pots or deeper pots? Please let me to suggest deep pots for now while they're growing. With the shallow pot and overwatering you'll get root rot quickly.

All my serissas are still in potting soil and deep pots. I still want the trunks to thicken and that seems to be the best choice. Also, mine are all sun lovers. They take full sun for about 4 hours of the day.

We've had so much rain? I just got home from being WAY up north, (Almost in Canada) and came home and saw my roses had been soaked and their heads were bent down as if to say, "Please cut us and allow us to show off before we die in vain!" I did just that today and they're such a pleasure! Bonsai is one thing but roses give me the greatest pleasure. A tremendous amount of work but the payoff is dramatic. Plus you can never overwater!

I'm sorry you lost your serissa. I would consider keeping it in soil and a deeper pot and just be wary with the water. If you buy more perhaps a different variety will be easier. I have a large one (can't say for certain which it is...there are many, many types of serissas) and it has very tiny leaves. The variegated type has slightly larger leaves but it is extremely hardy! I would look for that variety and just keep it clipped to shorten the internodes and reduce the leaf size.

Enjoy this weather! I have the French doors open but the ac still kicks on!