The Hurricane Loot Project

[s2kMark]

So Hurricane Irma came and went. My neighbor had a boungainvillea tree about 12-15 feet tall, and her fence came down, taking the tree with it. I spotted gold and offered to help her (lil old lady with lazy son) take apart the fence that came down and trash it, along with chopping up and "tossing out" her tree. She knew that I wanted to bonsai the remains and she was totally cool with it.

Turns out it was two trees! The base of the trunks are about 6 inches in diameter. I put them both in temporary potting, with a soil mix of equal parts cactus soil mix, perlite and builder's sand:




Tomorrow, I will go hunting for bonsai pots. I'm excited that I was able to save years of growth given how thick these guys are. I left some branches that will definitely be removed later. They seem like to most likely to sprout leaves soon, and I want make sure these puppies are alive.

They both will have a strong slant, about 30 degrees. The current potting does not reflect at all what they will sit like. More pics coming soon.

 

[makarovnik]

There is probably a lot more material for you around your neighborhood

 

[Bonsai Nut]

It all depends on the root mass you got when you pulled these out of the ground. Make sure to get them established and leave them alone until they pop buds all over - and let those shoots run for a while before you think about trimming them.

Because of their soft wood, bougie deadwood will rot fast. Anything above your highest shoot (i.e. upper deadwood) is likely going to rot, so plan for it.

 

[s2kMark]

Thanks Bonsai Nut. I am waiting for them to start sprouting new leaves before investing in pots.

The pieces were much larger and I sawed them down after getting an idea of how I want them to look. They will both sit at a slant, and I want at least one of them to be windswept.

Any idea where I can order large pots? I sawed down the thick branch-like roots a bit, and left the smaller manipulable roots in place. I'm thinking a pot that could be 1ft x 3ft or so, and maybe also a round pot that is 2ft in diameter--assuming such sizes exist.

 

[f1pt4]

Thanks Bonsai Nut. I am waiting for them to start sprouting new leaves before investing in pots.

The pieces were much larger and I sawed them down after getting an idea of how I want them to look. They will both sit at a slant, and I want at least one of them to be windswept.

Any idea where I can order large pots? I sawed down the thick branch-like roots a bit, and left the smaller manipulable roots in place. I'm thinking a pot that could be 1ft x 3ft or so, and maybe also a round pot that is 2ft in diameter--assuming such sizes exist.

As suggested by el'nut let them be. I'd make some grow boxes for them and leave em alone for at least a year if not three. Should give you plenty of time to find big pots online/conventions/shows/bricks and mortar stores.

 

[shinmai]

Like I always say, when life gives you lemons, make Absolut Citron.
One idea for containers that large: go to a restaurant supply store and buy a couple of the big heavy plastic bus tubs that the dishwashers use, and drill a bunch of drainage holes with a spade bit. They're cheap, durable, and the molded-in handles would make moving them easier. Also, the curved lip makes a handy place to drill holes for zip ties, guy wires, or whatever.

 

[just.wing.it]

I'd keep them in your Temporary container as long as possible, until you know they're gonna be healthy again.
Worry about pots in a few years!

Very cool though.... yay for Irma! (too soon?)

 

[americanelmer]

I have been thinking about that. but so far the only broken things I have seen have had bases 2-3 ft wide.

Good luck with the Bougies. You should know if they are alive in a few weeks especially in Miami.

A_E

 

[s2kMark]

Update: potted and bothare sprouting new foliage.

 

[JoeH]

the silver lining of hurricanes.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Make sure to let them grow and don't trim them. They can sprout new growth from a trunk with no roots, but the new growth will falter and die without roots. Let them get really well established before you mess with them in any way.

 

[Ry2Tree2]

Not sure you're aware since no one brought it up yet, but bougainvillea are up there with ficus as one of the easiest species to root huge cuttings with. You can easily pot up other parts of the remains too if any other section was interesting.

 

[Ironbeaver]

I read somewhere that someone brought trunk sections back from overseas as souvenirs. Just waxed the ends and glued a Hawaii magnet and plastic foliage. No phyto certificate needed.

 

[Ry2Tree2]

I read somewhere that someone brought trunk sections back from overseas as souvenirs. Just waxed the ends and glued a Hawaii magnet and plastic foliage. No phyto certificate needed.

That's kinda a waste because those trunk sections easily could have lived and regrown into a real bonsai.
My teacher, Dan Robinson, has brought back bare bouganvillea branches from Hawaii and done this. Just need to stick them in moist sand for a few weeks.
http://www.ry2tree2.com/2017/02/one-sweet-bougainvillea.html?m=1

 

[Bonsai Nut]

That's kinda a waste because those trunk sections easily could have lived and regrown into a real bonsai.

I think that was his point... he disguised them as a souvenir then when he got home he stuck them in dirt.

 

[my nellie]

... ...My teacher, Dan Robinson... ...

Lucky man!
How much I would desire to be an apprentice there with Mr. Robinson...

 

[Ry2Tree2]

I think that was his point... he disguised them as a souvenir then when he got home he stuck them in dirt.

OHH I totally missed it. The person was talking about how they shipped it, not about what they did with the material. I thought they were saying they made a fake bonsai tree out of it with the "plastic foliage" part haha

 

[s2kMark]

Update on the one that’s doing well:

 

[JoeH]

that's going to be a pretty sweet looking tree someday.

 

[s2kMark]

that's going to be a pretty sweet looking tree someday.

Thanks, I appreciate the encouragement!