what do y'all think i should do with this bougainvillea

[sparklemotion]

What you have to look forward to when the Queen blooms.



Here's what I am thinking for the front...

 

[cdefoe]

Did you pick up that Purple Queen at Bachman's? I had the same impulse this summer.

sure did. this summer i was frequenting bachman's, tangletown gardens, and mother earth gardens looking for cheap material to practice on

Will you be doing Bonsai Basics with MnBS next year? I am planning on my bougainvillea to be one of the "project" trees that I plan to improve next year.

yeah, i took the novice workshop in september and was able to go to one of the intermediate classes on LED lighting. i'm hoping to be able to go to both the basics and intermediate classes when they start up again next year, time/schedule permitting.

 

[cdefoe]

mine has yet to bloom since i chopped it back, but i'm guessing that's due to a combination of having root pruned it pretty hard when i repotted it as well as it being in front of a west facing window where it wasn't getting the most light, at least until a couple weeks ago when i got my lights set up

 

[sparklemotion]

Mine bloomed once over the summer, and then started up with the bracts a few weeks after coming inside. I think that I may have screwed up with the indoor watering schedule so it's doing a drought/rain response thing.

I didn't do much root pruning when I got it, because there were hardly any roots to prune. I made a couple of big cuts to open up the center but besides that it's just been a shoot or large leaf here or there. Next summer/fall though...

Maybe I'll see you in the beginner/intermediate classes in starting in Feb. Look for the one black lady.

 

[cdefoe]

i'll definitely say hello. i'll be the one who looks like a metalhead/punk : )

 

[Timbo]

http://www.fukubonsai.com/2b2a2a.html
Anthony

Good read...I've read his stuff on tropical plants before..mainly ficus. Willow leaf ficus was one of the first indoor tree I've had.
Anyone know of a good cheap indoor watering can he was suggesting? I always find the same thing...i water too much, leave the soil messed up and half the pot is still dry.
I've been using the 2 gallon fertilizer spray container you can get. It works well but it's big, bulky,
Clogs with Fertilizer and sometimes leaks.
Funny enough I've been trying to submerge my DE soil because the edges/bottom don't seem to get wet when watering in a colander.
I worry about causing root rot my getting too much water for indoors. He's so right about DE/grit...it dries out fast outside and indoors, you need some kind of water retention. I've been doing 1 part grit 4 or 5 parts DE and some water retention for water loving trees like Kapok.
Those wire racks are great, i have many for Bonsai trees and other uses.

 

[milehigh_7]

First off don't do much in winter. The only time I have much trouble with bougs is when the overnight lows are below 65 or so. Next, yours looks a tad chlorotic. They need a pH of about 5.5 and a good balance of trace minerals to be happy. Keep it pruned back but not overly aggressive.

 

[Timbo]

Do you guy ever add magnesium to your tropical trees? I read sometimes they yellow from lack of Magnesium, especially in hard calcium water.

 

[milehigh_7]

Look for 'Sul Po Mag' It's good stuff.

 

[milehigh_7]

I use elemental sulfur to lower the pH. I also give a mineral supplement every few months.

 

[Timbo]

I use elemental sulfur to lower the pH. I also give a mineral supplement every few months.

Do you have to be careful with that burning or leaving too much salt in the soil? Seems like full strength right away would be harsh.
I'm thinking about something like this for my Flamboyant tree, seeing as how it's suppose to be nitrogen fixing.

 

[cdefoe]

i defoliated my boug as the leaves were old and starting to die and now it's poppin' off. pictures taken over the course of three weeks


first sign of flowers:

little further along:

bracts color starting to fill in, first actual flower blooming:

pretty flowers

 

[cdefoe]

so i've been staring at this stupid bastard for a couple years now letting it grow out then cutting back for taper/movement and would like to solicit some advice from y'all now that i've proven that i can not kill this sucker for a few years

here it is today. first picture is a tentative front, but the second also works even if the roots coming out that side of the nebari aren't as pronounced. third pic is just to show the movement in the trunk

so i've got this nice sara rayner pot that i think could look nice

but what i wanted y'all's feedback on was this idea: how about a freaking root over rock??
here's what i was thinking:

my thought was that this pot and rock are big enough where the tree could grow with them, but maybe this is misguided. i'll be the first to admit i don't a damned thing about anything

pot is by millard balfrey.
better pic of the pot:

my original intent was to use the rock in a terrarium but i think it could look good with a nice tree on it?? it was pulled out of a lake in northwest wisconsin. i like the first orientation because it kinda looks like a skull, but here's some other angles:

so anyways if you've made it this far, thank you. please sound off in the comments on if you think this is a good idea or a bad idea or any thoughts you need to get off your chest or if you want to just go right on ahead and call me the stupid moron of the world. that is your right and, honestly, i wouldn't consider arguing with you