What is your current bonsai activity plan?

[Cajunrider]

Looks like you use a really wet, organic soil for your stuff. Hard to keep them hydrated there? I've always used 100% pumice for collected trees. Is that basically the soil you find them in?

With 90+ F during the day and 75+ F at night. I sometimes have to water twice a day with the wet soil. If I use inorganic, I will have to put them in the shade but that will slow their growth way down.

The only exception for me are maples. I use well draining soil and put the trees in places where they only get morning sun. Any more than that and the leaves burn to a crisp.

 

[Cajunrider]

Sorted out the benches this morning.
Front row are the big BCs. Then the collected Mayhaws




Misc

 

[Joe Dupre']

Nice stuff! You are getting quite the collection.

 

[Cajunrider]

Nice stuff! You are getting quite the collection.

Thank you. I am excited with the batch of collected trees this season.

 

[Carol 83]

I potted up my "Too Little" ficus cuttings from last winter.

 

[Baku1875]

I just put together a mini bench between my podocarpus hedges with cinderblock and some red brick, two story bonsai bench.

Been cutting tall plants down to size to increase sunlight exposure so that my evergreen sunhogs get energy. I might have to chop down a bougainvillea and an 'i dont know what' at least 6 feet lower as well so that i can get optimum light on my new bench.

I am still in a strategizin phase with my garden, next week i am adding a shed with shelves to store all of the miscellaneous pots, etc, soil bags, sandbags, sifted pumice, sifted safe t sorb, sphagnum.

My neighbor donated about 1000 chicago bricks, so i am building pedestals and benches with those bricks. I have a large lemon tree (in a pot) but with taproot in the ground as a centerpiece, with my mame/shohin around it, and a set of cuttings behind it of random stuff.

So lots of potential, lots of shade (im working on creating a full sun zone with pruning east and west sides of the property), also repotting a dwarf black olive into a trainer, repotting two beefy ficus, and trying to keep a guava air layer alive, juniper air layer will wait until december at least.

Pics tomorrow since im exhausted. I have pine/juniper fever, so I have been scheming for ways to get more sunlight, I have a crepe myrtle on the east side of my property that can take a big pruning(it is about 15 feet tall and wide), that would increase photosynthesis on the new bench on the west property line.
This ish the shohin mame aat the base of the lemon tree. I have mostly dwarf black olive (bucida spinosa) shohin and mame that i am developing, and a black aralia (not sure, correct if im wrong) in the right rear.

Some dwarf poinciana that are in development in the pots at the lower left.
I also have this twin ficus benajmina? that I just transplanted and it is regaining its foliage. monitoring this one closely, this is the high shade part of the garden.

 

[Baku1875]

next is a big harvest of pumice and safet sorb, sifting olympics, and getting as many nursery pots of varieties that i am looking for (kishu, itoigawa, cypress, singapore holly) and cheap trainer pots to get them going in clay/pumice

Considering pruning my mango tree in my front yard down to the point that I have direct sun a majority of the day, and just planting itoigawa all over, with a pour of safetsorb and pumice in the ditch

 

[Cajunrider]

Bought bags of NAPA 8822, Safe T Sorb, Perlite, and Soil conditioner for pine bark. I am going to be making soil mix for a bunch of big trees soon. I would love to use pumice, lava, and akadama but that is way outside my bonsai budget.

 

[Kanorin]

Bought bags of NAPA 8822, Safe T Sorb, Perlite, and Soil conditioner for pine bark. I am going to be making soil mix for a bunch of big trees soon. I would love to use pumice, lava, and akadama but that is way outside my bonsai budget.

Lava and akadama are quite expensive, but I’ve found pumice to be quite affordable recently. Do you have any hydroponic grow shops near you? I’m getting 1 cubic foot (about 28 liters) for 16-20 bucks.

 

[Cajunrider]

Lava and akadama are quite expensive, but I’ve found pumice to be quite affordable recently. Do you have any hydroponic grow shops near you? I’m getting 1 cubic foot (about 28 liters) for 16-20 bucks.

No hydroponic shops around me that carry anything worthwhile. I might as well get it on-line. For now I will stick with my cheap mix. It has served me well enough with my pre-bonsai trees. I plan to use something similar to Boon mix with my further developed trees.
This weekend I am helping my friend repot a couple of his trees and look at the BCs we collected together. We are also going to look at planting some dragon fruits.

 

[Cajunrider]

2023 Plan
1. Set up watering system since now my collection has grown so much.
2. Plan my move to PA. I am going to need a huge trailer just for the trees alone. I will also need to set up accommodation for them up there.
3. Training my BCs and Mayhaw. My focus is on them for now. When I get to PA, I plan on getting into maples, junipers, pines etc..

What is your plan for your 2023 bonsai journey?

 

[BrianBay9]

2023 Plan
1. Set up watering system since now my collection has grown so much.
2. Plan my move to PA. I am going to need a huge trailer just for the trees alone. I will also need to set up accommodation for them up there.
3. Training my BCs and Mayhaw. My focus is on them for now. When I get to PA, I plan on getting into maples, junipers, pines etc..

What is your plan for your 2023 bonsai journey?

I just moved from CA coast to Fresno. Not as long a move as you're planning, but moving trees is a challenge. I used a 15 ft box truck and managed 112 trees along with benches tubs of soil, tools, etc. Prob could have held 200 trees without my wifes household additions.

I'll be learning my location, sun/shade, heat. I'm tying a drip system into the landscape irrigation system. I've got five, twenty-year-old privets in the landscape and one boxwood that my wife hates and will be digging up.

And I joined the local club last Saturday.

 

[Michael P]

In 2023:

1. Take better care of the good trees.
2. Get rid of the bad trees.
3. Be open to new projects, but no saplings or sticks in pots. I'm done with those.
4. Rejoined our local club late last year, attend meetings and workshops this year.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Unless I come across something amazing, no more buying trees this year (yeah right, who am I kidding?). I would like to concentrate my spending on getting a better set up for next winter/transition into spring. And maybe I'll finally trade in my cinder blocks for some bonsai benches.

Otherwise, I wanted to sketch out some longer term plans for my trees. If for no other reason, it will help me keep my itchy fingers off the trees as I actually follow a plan I created.

I've been saying this since day 1, but haven't done it yet - join a bonsai club.

I've basically concentrated all my efforts on deciduous trees, just assisting my sons with their pines and some tropicals. I have been paying with a port and a bunch of Vachelia seedlings, but would like to learn more about tropicals and pines.

Yamadori has definitely piqued my interest (really yardadori). I'd like to find places to collect and learn how to properly collect.

but no saplings or sticks in pots. I'm done with those.

Amen my brother.

 

[Cajunrider]

In 2023:

1. Take better care of the good trees.
2. Get rid of the bad trees.
3. Be open to new projects, but no saplings or sticks in pots. I'm done with those.
4. Rejoined our local club late last year, attend meetings and workshops this year.

Number 3 is an absolute must for me.

 

[Cajunrider]

In 2023:

1. Take better care of the good trees.
2. Get rid of the bad trees.
3. Be open to new projects, but no saplings or sticks in pots. I'm done with those.
4. Rejoined our local club late last year, attend meetings and workshops this year.

Oops. Double post.
Once again no saplings or sticks in pots for me either. My energy and time should be focused on better things.

 

[Joe Dupre']

I want to make more concrete pots. I have several trees that would need pots in the $300 - $600 range. Sorry, I'm just not spending that kind of money on a hobby. I guess I attribute that attitude to being raised by parents that grew up in the horse and buggy days and endured the Great Depression.

 

[GreatLakesBrad]

1) figure out how to balance maintaining my collection while raising a kid (new challenge)
2) we finally found our house - moving in April, how to transport and set up temporary protection for trees and
3) initiate planning and construction of the new bonsai workshop/shed/garden!

 

[dbonsaiw]

Sorted out the benches this morning.
Front row are the big BCs. Then the collected Mayhaws

Looking great.

 

[Michael P]

I want to make more concrete pots. I have several trees that would need pots in the $300 - $600 range. Sorry, I'm just not spending that kind of money on a hobby. I guess I attribute that attitude to being raised by parents that grew up in the horse and buggy days and endured the Great Depression.

This is a good addition to my list! Are there any posts that show your concrete pots?