What are /r/Bonsai's favorite Products & Services?

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These are 1000W equivalent, full spectrum, LED panels from Amazon. I paid around $100-150 US each and it looks like they are even cheaper now.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088T6YPS1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_1CRW9XDJF8EXJR2NKN0S?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087CY4BPK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_QVJ8CDGGYRBKDR1S134V?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I don't have a brand preference. I bought some off of Amazon earlier this year that worked well. Here's the link: Bonsai Soil Mix - Premium Professional, All Purpose, Sifted and Ready To Use Tree Potting Blend In Easy Zip Bag - Akadama, Black Lava, Pumice & Charcoal -"Boons Mix" (1.25 Dry Quart) (2.5 Quart) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7KCO5T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_eYZoDbRTG4KJE

I also made my own batch a few weeks ago that turned out well.

Here's a link to an excellent blog about bonsai soil. Very informative: https://adamaskwhy.com/2013/02/01/the-much-anticipated-long-promised-long-winded-ever-lovin-bonsai-soil-epic/

These $5 cake spatulas are awesome at getting trees out of pots. What's awesome about them is that you can hammer on the handle, unlike a combination root rake.

I just had a brilliant business idea: buy in bulk at $5 and sell for $10 as a bonsai pot getter outer!

https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Icing-Spatula-13-Inch-Angled/dp/B00F0A6FYU

Given your zone and the time of year, you can plant them straight into the ground about 4-6 inches apart in the soil. You can cover the top of the with screen wire to keep squirrels and rodents away.

Might be easier to do it the natural way instead of using a method with plastic bags and refrigerators. The link where I got the above picture sounds more complicated. https://www.wikihow.com/Plant-Cherry-Seeds

Free plans here, dogs not included.

This one built last week in Belgium...

• this is what she eventually put on there...

The good news is you haven't hurt the health of the tree and you will be surprised how much interior growth it will put on next spring. Just be sure to fertilize it real good and by next fall you will be able to try again.

Another thing you should do is get a concave cutter (Just an example, not a specific brand recommendation). This will allow you to trim all the branch nubs back flush at the base where they can heal over.

None of them are a good deal. Compare what $25 gets you at another bonsai nursery vs a $41.34 tree from this Amazon seller. Bigger trunk, more character, more potential.

Yikes, this is one sad tree for $170.

Edit: ok, well maybe not that terrible, but still not worth it.

It's this cut paste. It's too expensive but it does last a long time. I would just advise getting some duct seal.

You could go even simpler by plugging your fish tank pump into a programmable electric timer like this one (Amazon, $13). You won't have the ability to water remotely, but how often do you need to water your trees outside of a regular watering schedule?

This is my favorite passage from a famous book on writing called The Elements of Style. It address a parallel topic for writers.

The language is perpetually in flux: it is a living stream, shifting, changing, receiving new strength from a thousand tributaries, losing old forms in the backwaters of time. To suggest that a young writer not swim in the main stream of this turbulence would be foolish indeed, and such is not the intent of the cautionary remarks. The intent is to suggest that in choosing between the formal and the informal, the regular and the offbeat, the general and the special, the orthodox and the heretical, the beginner err on the side of conservatism, on the side of established usage. No idiom is taboo, no accent forbidden; there is simply a better chance of doing well if the writer holds a steady course, enters of the stream of English quietly, and does not thrash about.

"But," you may ask, "what if it comes natural to me to experiment rather than conform? What if I am a pioneer, or even a genius?" Answer: then be one. But do not forget that what may seem like pioneering may be merely evasion, or laziness--the disinclination to submit to discipline. Writing good standard English is no cinch, and before you have managed it you will have encountered enough rough country to satisfy even the most adventurous spirit.

No - it's Chinese. They sell them opposite Makro at the Chinese furniture place in Diemen... €1

• Celtis in one

> It's like a broom shaped conifer

Well...

>or a formal upright anything

If you're talking about Naka's use of the Fibonacci sequence for placing branches, and nice neat pads? I have to agree.

> if they can't exist in nature you'll have a hard time trying to make it look believable in miniature.

I created a twisted mess and a friend asked me for the story behind the tree's shape. I had no story except for "I like the way this looks." He walked away. It made me rethink much of my styling approach.

I found them on Amazon. Came in a pack of 10 and I thought they would fit in. And Im a sucker for Miyasaki. Dont know if it glows or not, dont rightly care :)

AmazonSmile : GOLF Garden Statue, 10Pcs Princess Mononoke Luminous Tree Elves Micro Landscape Gardening Decorative Potted Flower Pots Resin Gardening Accessories Ornaments : Garden & Outdoor

Do you know those auto-water things? There are a few kinds... the attractive ones are blown glass, but they seem to water a bit fast (probably fine for the weekend). There are also these ceramic stake things that turn bottles into waterers.. I also use digital auto water pumps with irrigation tubing for longer trips. The really fancy ones have an app you can control them on your phone with.

More pics: 1, 2

It's about a feet tall

EDIT: It's not a dwarf lemon tree. I only shot the picture next to a regular lemon tree. It has no foliage, the trunk seems to inflate when storing water and occasionally sheds paper-like white bark.

Thanks.

• here last year - this was on 27th April - so we're 3 weeks ahead of last year.

That's not a problem - the tree grow like that - might have been damaged as a cutting or in a field.

Often damaged goods make the most interesting trees: I have a Chinese elm that was probably walked on in the field while they were growing it in China.

This was super helpful for me to abandon Flickr today: https://www.multcloud.com/tutorials/move-photos-from-flickr-to-google-photos-1247.html

Lac Balsam is the product I used to use as an arborist. It was more liquid than this clay here but did the same thing. I never thought about using it on bonsai but I bet it would work wonders. Compo Artificial Lac Balsam "Bark" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005117K6K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_4ATHWT84JTYT258R1D06?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

And if you don't want to waste money on expensive wire (which is like all wire to me lol) you can use long pipe cleaners like these. You won't be able to get super detailed, but definitely detailed enough. Works as a great way to practice structural wire and detail wire pairing strats.

​

https://smile.amazon.com/MILITARIA-Tube-Pipe-Cleaners-16-inches/dp/B00AIPOJO0/ref=sr\_1\_7

This is the light I got:

Roleadro Upgrade and Newly Developed LED Grow Light Full Spectrum 2nd Generation Series 300w Plants Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HI3AFYM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_TtlOzbXWSYYMW

I also just picked up a cheap $9 timer on amazon. Works like a champ. I keep mine on from 9:30am to 9:30pm

Edit: here is the timer

Century 24 Hour Plug-in Mechanical Timer Grounded https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MVFF59S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_AvlOzbW25N6CN

I grew this tree by first allowing it to grow 4ft/90cm tall and then chopped it down to 6inches/15cm.

• Read this - from the wiki.

THat is a really nice ficus!

You should check for scale insects. They leave a residue like that, and you tree might well have gotten infected while outside. I've had it on a few of my plants, it looked like this. The scales will sit on the underside of the leaf and on the stems of the leaf.

If you find some, I find the best cure is to manually go through all the leaves, and scrape off as many as you can find, and then spray it with a pesticide. Plus repeating this 2 or 3 times over the next couple of weeks. It is a shit job, but scale insects are not good for your tree.

I left my Acer 'Benichidori' in the ground this year, and something has happened to roughly one half of the trees - any idea what might have caused this dying of the leaves and branches?

Yes algae, moss - green shit - you get the idea.

I go over the top but it does emphasise the nebari and greatly improves the overall quality of the image.

My Field Maple keeps having this fungus like disease (it looks like powdery mildew as was suggested) - I posted this two weeks ago, and the last couple of days I'm seeing it come back again. It has been a couple of months now, since I first started seeing it and treating it, and I am wondering if by simply spraying it, I am just treating symptoms and not the real cause of the problem. Any thoughts on this? Can I do anything else than keep spraying and hope it goes away? Thanks

• I wrote this about pot design - which might help.

• I was helping a potter design some pots. Here's what she produced.

Read, read, and read some more. Lurk around on here while you're on your computer. Find a couple bonsai forums you enjoy. I found bonsainut.com to be a big help when I was even more of a newbie than I am now. Pick up one or two (or more) recommended books. I found Bonsai Workshop by Herb Gustafson, and The Complete Book of Bonsai by Harry Tomlinson to be especially helpful as general reference books. Here's links to them on barnes and noble.

Gustafson's book: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bonsai-workshop-herb-gustafson/1001960523?ean=9780806905570&itm=1&usri=bonsai+workshop

Tomlinson's book: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/complete-book-of-bonsai-harry-tomlinson/1102505012?ean=9781558591189&itm=2&usri=bonsai+tomlinson

First, I just looked around the Netherlands with Google Maps to find places where Common Juniper might grow - and came away with an deeper appreciation of just how beautiful your homeland is! What an incredible place! I found what you are looking for, though I absolutely cannot speak to the legality or availability of collecting wild junipers there -- just that they exist in a place called "Veluwe Gelderland." Unfortunately, this appears to be a National Park (!!!) certainly no collecting will be allowed there.

I zoomed to an example of an upright growing common juniper. If you can find low growing, ground cover varieties of this species, you will be surprised at the twists and turns their trunks take.

[Edit: Also, I found this stock photo taken in the same general area: juniper clearly grow in the Netherlands!]

that's great work, congrats everyone!

one suggestion, for albums. You would save a lot of time uploading if you convert your images. You can resize and rename all of your images very quickly using irfranview which is free, fast and easy to use. if anyone needs help with the image batch conversion, pm me. (ps launch the program click b)

Putting it outside should definitely help. Make sure it's in full/dappled shade until it acclimates to the higher light levels and remember to check to see if it needs to be watered at least once or even twice every day when it's outside as the soil will dry out quicker. I'm guessing it's in organic soil with a top dressing, when checking to see if it needs water, check about an inch down to see how dry the soil is.

The branches without leaves are probably dead but they were such young branches anyways that they will be quickly replaced once the tree regains vigor. I don't know about the bonsai food which is probably just a light fertilizer. Any balanced fertilizer works on bonsai and I know many here recommend Nutricote. Just follow the instructions.

It’d be a helluva lot of trouble to go through to crush your own lava rock. What size particles/pieces of lava rock do you have that you can get so cheap? Have you checked your local hydroponics stores for pumice? Also Bonsai Jack is sold out right now, but it’s been my go-to for odds and ends soil components for lack of buying in bulk (and proper space): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H301KOU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_9V2RW4P1QXZJJ8VX9Q5R?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.de/BioGold-700-gr-Organischer-Pellet-D%C3%BCnger/dp/B00URP4XFG/ref=asc_df_B00URP4XFG/?tag=googshopde-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=344472682220&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9555298263343656331&hvpone=&hvptwo=&...

This one is best for Bonsai’s in general. For a heavy application put about 12-15 into a lose leaf teabag and staple it to the ground with a wooden toothpick. Apply approx 1 teabag per 4” of container size. So In your case, probably 2 teabags à 12-15 pallets.

I get the this small bale for $25 on amazon. It's decent moss with a few twigs and roots in there, and it comes bone dry and compressed, but it is a SHIT ton for a great price. I go through a lot of it. I hope it doesn't mysteriously go out of stock now that I've recommended it online LOL

If you're building a super minimal setup, I think this will cover you (but others might remember stuff I'm forgetting):

• spherical cutter - possibly one of the only "bonsai only" things that has few if any good substitutes outside of bonsai. Get this from an online bonsai shop like american bonsai or similar. Covers you for clean branch removal and things of that nature.
• A wire cutter - doesn't need to be bonsai-specific until much later. I used one I got at home depot for a long lonnng time and still often do.
• Pliers, for twisting wire pairs together when securing a rootball to a pot. Also doesn't need to be bonsai specific until much later.
• My favorite bonsai scissors, even after encountering fancier ones later on: https://www.growers-inc.com/stainless-steel-bonsai-scissors/ (everything from the ARS brand is both good Japanese quality and affordable -- never overpay for this brand, shop around).
• A root hook, for loosening soil when repotting. Doesn't need to be a small bonsai one (i.e. one from home depot will work), but if you're hunting around for bonsai specific, look for this design: https://www.amazon.com/KaKUrI-Professional-Japanese-Stainless-47851/dp/B08JK93C7Z/ref=asc_df_B08JK93C7Z/
• An assortment of chopsticks. Have a whole jar of them. Cheapie takeout ones are fine, ones you chop yourself from bamboo are cool to have later and useful for hammering support scaffolding into rootballs, but simple ones are fine for now. Most useful/frequently-used bonsai tool by a mile, have many.

That should cover you for repotting, pruning, etc. Sickles and hand saws are useful later on as well, but not critical for the minimalist bonsai tool roll.

Local Bonsai shop suggested I use fish fertilizer. I bought Alaska Fish Fertilizer. Anyone have any luck with this? Can I screw it up? Was told to use a drop and not follow the instructions on the label.

https://www.amazon.ca/Alaska-Fish-Fertilizer-1-Gal/dp/B002RH0B26

https://www.amazon.com/Rachio-Sprinkler-Controller-Generation-Amazon/dp/B01D1NMLJU/ is the one I like. I like it not because it's inexpensive, but because it has the Alexa and phone app integration.

I can say 'Alexa, Water my Hackberry for 6 minutes' and boom -- watered. Stick the Echo in the garden and she can hear you anywhere. Parlor trick? Yes, but why not? I've not purchased it yet, but will be here shortly as the new garden construction is beginning any time now...... Room for 16 podiums so yay!

Edit: Sample of what the system can do with your voice: https://youtu.be/hNMpXVw8Av8?t=3m57s

Using some 18-6-9 slow release pellets that i got on Amazon:

Slow Release Bonsai Fertilizer Pellets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CZ9R1A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_bKIczbER532GX

I'm sure there's more economical options out there but i felt good about this stuff for my first go around.

Have you considered the possibility that you aren't experiencing chlorosis, but a buildup of fertilizer salts and too much sulfur in the soil? That can have a negative effect on your trees as well.

As far as I know, chlorosis has light green leaves with dark green veins. Too much salt in the soil just has light green, droopy leaves.

My tap water ph is even worse than yours. I'm going to get it professionally tested, but the ph drops I use say it's 8+ What I use is a small amount of a hydroponic product called ph down that has a mixture of different kinds of acids so there won't be a buildup of sulfur in my soil. I bought a gallon from a hydroponics store near me for less than that amazon listing and it's lasted me 2 years.

I have used about a teaspoon in 5 gallons of water to use a watering can. And I've used about half a cup in a 55 gallon drum to syphon into my hose water.

I am installing an individual drip/misting system next weekend. I found something on amazon that was cheap and bought an analog timer as well. I can update you when I install if you'd like. I am going away in a couple weeks and don't trust even my friends to water them properly and have piece of mind that it will be done and done efficiently as well.

I know you asked for T5 under $50 but here is another slightly more expensive type of option to consider that I think would be solid judging by the COB LED that I use. I recently got this COB and it works awesome for my Brazilian rain tree, ficus, fukien tea, and several jades. Like, I actually think my BRT seems to be growing faster now since I brought it inside last week and I’ve had a few jade cuttings under it for a while now that are all growing with red edges, and some of which don’t even get any direct natural light. Granted, mine is a big ass 800w hanging unit but I bet a little 300w COB bulb would still be pretty nice for just 2 trees that also get window light. It fits in a regular bulb socket so you could use one of those clamp fixtures and it would be more flexible and take up less space than a fluorescent tube setup, plus I think you’d get more wattage for the money than with one of those. And 300w should be plenty, one of my lights is just a 23w fluorescent bulb in a clamp fixture and even that isn’t too bad for one or two trees.

Exactly that - the leaves on the other sorts of Maples are too big and the internodes are too long. These two factors alone will prevent a species being useful.

Wah!

I'm not sure if my favourite is https://www.flickr.com/photos/norbury/7079764525/in/set-72157607802493717 or https://www.flickr.com/photos/norbury/9638031913/in/set-72157607802493717

The scaling is perfect. absolutely perfect.

Indeed - I have a couple in this style:

• Like this one and
• a smaller shohin

Jerry, you have had this tree in your care for longer than I have, so you might have some input about it. - I have gotten roots on my second air-layer attempt. the pictures are unconvincing but I can definitely feel the roots and they look darkish/redish through the plastic, when seen in person.

Would you also wait until leaf fall/dormancy before severing this one? I also want to ask you about the potting: I'd like to get started early on creating a good root spread - would it be too daring to plant it in something pretty flat but wide already?

I am a little worried over here. The fungus seems to be spreading

I have posted a few times with an acer campestre that had some fungus pretty bad. It seems to have reached a steady state, but my three acers and the korean hornbeam seem to be affected too now, maybe even my ash and the celtis. There has been a lot a flies around and I wonder if they could be transporting the fungus around the trees?

It is pretty difficult to take good pictures of, but one thing that strikes me is that where the leaves touch, there seems to be a transition of decay.

I am aware that autumn is slowly setting in, but this should be visible in changes of colors in the leaves, not them dying off and looking discolored and diseased.

What I am asking is - would you remove the affected leaves (on the acers, that have not seen much abuse/stress this season and the hornbeam, likewise), or would you just stick to spraying with the bayer anti-fungus?

I'm jumping on the shitpile a little late here, but there is something I'm curious about.

The book I have says that Bonsai can be kept indoors for 'one day only'. It repeats this extensively, and I'm just wondering why it's that stringent. I would think that being indoors for 2-3 days wouldn't kill a tree, but... well frankly, I've been too timid to ask to avoid a thread exactly like this.

But since we're already going here... does anyone know if the one day limit is just the book stressing outdoors, or if a tree goes through significant changes in such a short time?

Thanks.

edit: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-complete-practical-encyclopedia-of-bonsai-ken-norman/1111109518?ean=9780754821809

Yes. This bit has to go.

I couldn't do it at the first go because I didn't have the right saw available - had lent it out.

Update on the Acer I bought earlier in the year ( photos here).

• it never missed a beat, which is encouraging considering I removed a huge amount of root matter.
• lots of foliage which I'll just allow to grow this year unchecked - foliage = energy= healthy trees..

Edit: the best €40/$55 I spent on a tree from a nursery in a LONG time.

Wasted my University years doing computer science, damn it.

• this is all I have to show for it.

I do hope you stick around and teach me more about plants and stuff.

You fucking idiot.

Your's is not unlike this one - living somewhere in Florida.

• Your high platform is about right in height (mine is 116cm/45inches) - but your low one sounds too low to be useful. My low one is about that low and it could have been a bit higher.

I think the only real problem I have is the massiveness of the design;

• big chunky shelves will dwarf anything but the very largest of trees.

• In the end, the intention is to provide a frame for the works of art you have created

  • the stand should complement and support the bonsai standing on it, but when the shelves are this large, most trees would be lost.

Sounds like a better plan.

So here I was taking cuttings a few years ago - I was testing different rooting mediums; they each turned out to be as good as the others.

• I can see the photos were from the end of June - but I now find that to be too late - mid to end of May is better.

• You take a cutting with browning wood - of around 12-15cm/5-6inches and cut off the floppy top bit.

  • The new growth comes from the ripe wood - the softwood never seems to survive - so you can better remove it to prevent fungal growth.

I put them in my greenhouse and seal the door - that's the only way to keep the humidity approaching 100%.

Looks good! I'll follow that example. How about chinese elms? Do you still work on those?

I have this mame from you. It has had a 2 pruning sessions and has not gotten wild again. This bigger one I've let grow wild after 2nd pruning this year, as I wanted it to fill in at the back, and grow a little wider.

I wanted to get your advice on the acer campestre with some disease I have been fighting.

It is still pretty badly affected. I have used a bayer fungicide twice, with 3-4 weeks spacing. The look of the fungus/disease has changed, but it is still very much evident.

I feel like it would be good to remove the affected leaves, but I have been hesitant about since we are this late in the season now, and the tree has been partly defoliated and sprayed 4 times already (2 treatments with a sulfur based anti-fungal), in the hope of dealing with the fungus thing.

Can you recommend any action? Do I spray more, perhaps with a slightly stronger solution? Do I remove the leaves although it will further stress the tree? Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks!

I'm having trouble posting more than the 1 pic. Hopefully here's another pic.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=679069B0876E0D68!2290&authkey=!ABgtg6E1TcgrLoQ&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg

I've got green algae-like stuff growing on the top layer of DE on one of my plants. See here:

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=76DED5E815220356!767&authkey=!AKEsaX7SCtWfyzQ&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=76DED5E815220356!766&authkey=!AJPwaRZW2b4fy80&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg

Any idea what that could be? Dangerous to the tree or leave it alone?

Next question, I've got a bunch of little sprouts growing under my Chinese Elm. I'm not sure if they are elm or some kind of weed; is this normal? I've been plucking them as soon as they reach far enough out of the soil.

Thanks!

There are a bunch, generally places at high latitudes that have major warm air currents or tropical areas at high altitudes. Pretty much the whole UK, western Norway, Iceland, southern Chile and Argentina, the west coast of North America from the Alaskan Panhandle down past the Bay Area, and lots of places in the Andes. As an extreme example, here's the average climate information for Heidrun, in Norway. The average daily high only gets up to 54ºF/12ºC in summer and the average daily low only gets down to 38ºF/3ºC in the winter, and the temperature rarely gets above 57ºF/14ºF or below 33ºF/1ºC, which is only a 24º/13º spread across the whole year.

I'm just a bit further north. I didn't look at the growing degree days, but that's really interesting that despite you guys having ~1.6x our growing season length, we get ~1.7x the growing degree days.

Yeah, I have an insulated store room above my garage, so I can start a lot earlier than the weather allows, it just feels like winter lasts half the year around here.

I also just looked up Amsterdam's climate, and it's crazy to me to think of having the last frost by February 27 10% of the time.

Are you looking for articles regarding how wind effects bonsai? Or a wind forecast for your area?

You'll have to put in your zip, but weather.com 10 day forcast has wind in the 5th column. example for miami

Yes but only at the end of new growth. Just the last few cm (1-3). It is more like a wide V. Just like the bottom right of this pine (https://pixabay.com/photos/wood-tree-plant-ceramics-bonsai-3441147/)

S style is not a style!...

• here's a Chinese elm
• and then again a six years later...the S is gone.

Put it back into a bigger pot or stand it on a tray full of wet (water) cat litter (Tesco premium lightweight - like this.

• I'll tell you now that there's a huge chance that you will let this dry out, indoors in the sun...
• mame trees are by far the most difficult to keep a track of and can dry out in a few hours under the wrong circumstances.

You're right - sometimes we use MRI to examine internal structure of wood. Here's a freely accessible study that discusses that. My understanding is that right now it's fairly expensive and not as good as doing it by hand, but in the near future it will probably become way better and a little cheaper.

And I know you're being a bit glib but make no mistake: forestry is a a trillion dollar industry, and has huge importance for biodiversity, global warming, and all sorts of other things, and it absolutely has a decent chunk of money flowing in for R&D. PS check the front page I just posted some other sweet MRI/CT bonsai stuff :)

You could try dwarf mondo grass which is a small plant and its leaves look like mini blades of grass.

I found some Super Dwarf Mondo Grass on ebay. Only grows 3 inches tall. Think I am going to check some out.

Another link to some. This listing is slightly cheaper.

I like Tinkercad Its easier than sketchup, its free, but online. If you have a google, facebook, yahoo, or a microsoft account you can use those to login. It's actually for making things for a 3D printer.

Thanks...

• We don't like the cooker?

• I've had a couple of years of real trouble with maples - picked up a fungus on tridents which I believe to be "Anthracnose" and which also seemed to cross over into the Japanese maples - leaving damaged leaves...

  • you might want to look up anthracnose fungus and see if the symptoms are similar. I bought a Bayer brand spray (called FInesse here) and have been out there all the time as the new leaves are coming out now.

• Edit: this is what the leaves looked like...

We have blossom on the local cherry trees - my apples are about to bloom too. We're about a month ahead of where we were this time last year...

Photo from May 5 last year

• It's now warm enough to get my tropicals out of the house and onto the benches.
• Repotted a Mamé Cherry tree - spot the sacrifice branch. I was given this by Arihato - who is a master with this size.
• The Japanese maples are on the point of breaking out into leaf - some further than others.
• The last leaves are falling off the Chinese elms. DOn't worry if they look scrawny right now, it's perfectly normal. Pyracanthas too - they just suddenly drop all their leaves in a few weeks.

Previous post here.

The tree had a slow start but then picked up. I chopped the back trunk lower, but I may chop it even lower in future for better taper. I'm currently growing new leaders at the ends of the trunks which I'll chop back once thick enough. I've been considering whether or not I should reduce the length of the two front trunks more to give the appearance of a more powerful tree, but I think I won't.

Here is the other Hornbeam that I collected at the same time. I think this one needs reducing in height and having the thick 4th branch removed. But I'm not yet sure exactly where I should chop it.

Howdy.

Acorns and oaks are pretty awesome. Check out this step by step guide on growing oaks from acorns.

Picking up oak trees from the grounds seems like a pretty solid idea. Yamadori are bonsai trees collected from the wild - some of the best trees in the world come from this method. It might actually be easier than growing one from seed, so you shouldn't shy away from it!

Where I work, there's this tiny oak growing on a hillside - thing is, they regularly cut the grass there and the tree along with it - so the thing has a big ass, thick trunk, that's crazy short and has tiny leaves. Of course I can't collect it, but it's pretty cool!

Let me know if that collection permit issue pans out although I highly doubt it will on COA park lands. I'm planning on checking out this lead on FB in a few days. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/466108300536845/?surface=messenger_banner

can I have a moment of your time to talk about our Lord and Savior, Evaporust?

https://www.amazon.com/Evapo-Rust-Original-Water-based-Non-Toxic-Biodegradable/dp/B00GRSOJSS/ref=sr\_1\_3?dchild=1&keywords=evaporust&qid=1626540655&sr=8-3

Amazon already wants me to buy it again 😂

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KTNCDG7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

(note: there are various sizes / various prices / similar products)

Hello,

I am planning to buy the "DIY Micro Automatic Drip Irrigation Kit,Houseplants Self Watering System with 30-Day Digital Programmable Water Timer 5V USB Power Operation for Indoor Potted Plants Vacation Plant Watering [Gen 4]" but have quick question before doing so.

I have a 32"x32"x64" grow tent with 6 bonsai seedlings already several feet tall in it. Each seedling is in its 1 gallon pot on the floor of the grow tent.

Planning to buy a 5 gallons bucket to fill with water and place in the grow tent as the source of the watering. If the pump is clipped to the top of that bucket, how high would my 6 bonsai pots have to be in order to avoid the siphon effect?

I'm wondering - since the water inlet tubing end would be at the bottom of the supply bucket - could the 1 gallon bonsai pots simply be an inch or two above the ground (aka an inch or two above the water inlet tubing end that would be at the bottom of the supply bucket)?

What I use: Hormex Rooting Hormone Powder #1 | for Easy to Root Plants | IBA Rooting Powder Compound for Strong and Healthy Roots https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A2YJ3I4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_DTK8B7TXZ6QH0BY7KDET?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Mine are decades old - I really don't know anymore.

I googled it for you: https://www.amazon.com/Joshua-Roth-6101-Soil-Scoops/dp/B000X9GDYA/ref=sr_1_55?dchild=1&keywords=soil+scoop+sieve&qid=1611076510&sr=8-55

YW

Ah wait - you mean the soil sieves, not the soil scoops.

I got mine in Israel - as you do.

But on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Patioer-Garden-Potting-Sieve-Sifting/dp/B08L3JYDQR/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=soil+sieve&qid=1611076760&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExQVlQTFdWQVRMMlJPJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDk2N...

Thanks! This is what I was thinking of getting.

You could hit it with a pressure washer, too!

At the ABS/BSF event in Orlando, Mike Knowlton told me he uses a pressure washer to defoliate his neea buxifolias WHEN LEAVES ARE GREEN of all things. Granted, you don't get the pressure washer right up on the branch. Just far enough away to take off the leaves. I used one in my latest videos to clean the bark of a couple of bald cypress bonsai.

HERE'S ONE ON AMAZON that is similar to mine, but not the exact one I have, so your mileage may vary.

Commercial farmers use them, you can buy ladybugs for not a lot of money on Amazon.

I've never used them myself but I try to not use insecticides in my garden, which encourages the insectivorous birds and predatory insects to visit the garden too. I find for most aphid infestations the mantises and ladybugs will arrive within a week or two to clean them up. In the garden that's fine, but sometimes two weeks of aphid infestation is enough to severely damage a bonsai though.

Thanks so much for the thoughtful reply. I'm glad to hear you think it has potential. I just received it from Meehan's Miniatures, thus the tiny pot. I'll pop it into a larger terracotta pot once spring hits and I get some real bonsai soil.

I'll pick up some thick gauge wire. I hope 4mm is good, as it seems to be the biggest I can find on Amazon for a good price. I could spring for 5, but do you think it'll make a big difference?

I fully expected this to be a looooong term project. Mostly I just want to see if I can keep it alive. Thanks, again!

I got it from a kit I bought on amazon. Here is a link to that kit.

https://www.amazon.com/Yescom-Carbon-Steel-Bonsai-Shear/dp/B014W9UFE0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1521462625&sr=8-9&keywords=bonsai+tool+kit

I have the same issue. I use my south facing window plus lights and i could use more! I went onto amazon and bought a couple LED grow lights. They use about a 1/3 the juice. They do not create much heat. I have both a ficus and elephant bush (baby jade) and they love the lights.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075V3JJQH/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

i bought this one plus a couple bigger ones. biggest one is only 60watt but its the equivalent to a 100watt mh of hps. One is full spectrum, 1 is bloom, one is grow. for bonsai i would go with full spectrum.

I picked the greenhouse up on Amazon. It's very sturdy and pretty darn cheap for a walk-in size. I did slightly modify mine by omiting the lower shelves. This gave me larger niches to fit the size trees that I have and does not effect the sturdyness of the construction at all. Hope this helps!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GDVVZY4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hello! I received the same exact tree/size for Christmas. When I received it, it looked similar to yours and I was very worried it. I understand how all the information is overwhelming, so I feel you pain. Here are the main things I have learned over the past month with my Chinese Elm (full disclosure I'm very much a beginner so take everything I say with a grain of salt)

1. If you're keeping it inside, get a grow light as soon as possible. If it's not dormant then it's growing... It needs light. I ordered this light off Amazon and it's been growing like a champ. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J36VWNK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_RcGRZhBoVGqmX

2. Only water it when the soil is very dry in the first inch of the topsoil. When you do water, make sure it is thoroughly absorbed. I fill my sink with a few inches of water, and place the tree in the water, so the water line comes up to the edge of the pot, but not overflowing into the soil. I leave it there for 8 min... The tree soaks the water up through the holes in the bottom of the pot. This prevents under watering. I also make sure to remove yellow leaves as they appear.

3. My tree has the same white mold stuff on the base... While it's still present on my tree, it's not quite as bad. I made sure that soil wasn't built up in a mound around the trunk, causing dampness/a environment favorable to mold and fungus. I'm considering buying an anti fungus to see how that works.

I hope this helps.

Welcome. They are ginseng ficus, standard big box store bonsai.

Your best bet is to slip pot them into bigger containers with soil such as this:

https://www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Jack-Inorganic-Gallons-Quarts/dp/B00RANTEPW/ref=sr_1_7?crid=L4WYV1NZGDYQ&keywords=bonsai+jack+soil&qid=1555525055&s=gateway&sprefix=bonsai+jack%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-7

This soil will help grow lots of tiny roots, which is good. Any kind of container is fine as long as it has good drainage. I but cheap bonsai trainer pots off amazon.

Otherwise, ficus are pretty easy to care for. They are very tough and fun to work with (I think). Get them outside in the sun if you can, the more light the better. You can fertilize in the summer twice a month if you'd like. Don't prune or cut back for a while, let them grow through June or so just to be safe. You never know how they were cared for at Walmart, or on their trip here.

I've been a bit scared of fertilizer until recently. I just used about ~5 chunks of Biogold applied every month during the growing season. I recently started using Osmocote to push my trees even more but that was only a few weeks ago and has not been long enough to have any effect. I think most of it is getting the tree in good draining Bonsai soil, giving it at least some fertilizer and watering the mess out of it, at least compared to how this sub seems to water.

I didn't do a good job watering my first nana and while it survived and looked just fine to me at the time, when I moved the watering up, it started pushing heavy just like this tree. I think everyone is worried way too much about root rot and not enough about under watering from what I've seen on this sub. If you have the right soil and it gets reasonably hot in summer I don't think you can get root rot during the summer growing months. Maybe there is a species that this is not true for, but so far it works for Azela, Juniper (various), Pine, Maple, Schefflera, Ficus and Boxwood.

>they’re all happy after i removed the glued on rocks and moss

Should I remove the moss / rocks? I'm not sure if it was glued on, it pulled off the trunk pretty easily.

I'm not too familiar on moss species but it's similar to this moss. Initially I thought it was tiny branches growing out of the trunk, until I did a closer inspection when I went to pull it off.

As for the humidity tray, I'll go see if more water dripped out - I poured the water out about 15 minutes after watering, will just take it off the tray for now.

Edit: The humidity tray didn't have any puddles so I left it for now, dumping it after watering through worked out good.

Ports will grow fine in a lot of different soil types if you water properly, but by "trusted soil" I mean a mix that works well for you.

I'm growing these inside and (like /u/jwalker205) recommend Bonsai Jack Universal Organic Bonsai Soil Mix #221. The particle size is consistently small and you can grow a wide variety of plants in it without worrying about clumping or poor drainage. The 2-quart bag is expensive for what it is, but you can get larger amounts at a discount.

I also like The Bonsai Supply's general purpose mix. It's not great for small cuttings/plantings because the particle size is a little larger, but otherwise it's excellent.

Anyway, I like these options because I could order the supplies on my own if necessary (Bonsai Jack is 40% pumice, 40% turface, and 20% bark fines; The Bonsai Supply is 25% pumice, 25% lava rock, 25% turface, and 25% bark fines; generally look for particle sizes between 1/8 and 1/4 inch). I stay away from akadama because I definitely can't get that locally and it's more expensive, but lots of people swear by it in a mix.

Those should work just fine until you’re ready for some proper tools. You may even be able to get by with just a pair of scissors that you already have if you don’t need to make any larger cuts. Or maybe consider a cheap pair of concave branch cutters instead since they are the main specialized tool that can’t really be substituted. Here is a cheap pair that would probably be fine for your needs. The only real difference is those allow you to get a close, concave cut when removing a branch so the wound will heal more smoothly but what you linked will work fine too.

Like these

https://www.amazon.com/Kwokker-Tungsten-Machining-Hardness-Polishing/dp/B07V3CF2WG/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=dremel+carbide+bits&qid=1597024798&sprefix=Dremel+Carbide+&sr=8-5

Great set of photos showing the plant from all angles, really helps understand what is going on. No matter what this upcoming fall/spring, you have to correct the structural problems with the tree. It's better to do it sooner as you can achieve whatever result you want that much faster.

You really have to have a specific Bonsai tool in order to do this which is a concave cutter. I'm not recommending this exact tool, it was just the cheapest example I could find as a reference. This tool allows you to cut off branches and leave a divot in the branch/trunk that will heal over flat. It will allow you to clean up all the cuts you have made so far so in a year you won't even see them anymore.

The other issue you need to take car of is anywhere you have more than two branches/trunk in the same place. Using this image you can see that you still have 4 branches/trunk all coming out of one spot. You removed 2 branches so you are down from 6 but there can only be 2 long term so 2 more have to go. When selecting which branches to remove, pick the ones that fit the vision you have but also consider that removing certain branches can reduce the ugly swelling that has already happened at that location.

In the same image to the top and right of the big knot you have a branch that splits into 3 branches like a trident. One of those branches needs to be removed. You don't have to do this all the way to the end of the branches, just the major structural trunk and secondary branches for now. Some you may even leave for later if you need to keep more foliage on the plant but the sooner you do it the sooner the plant will build new better branches.

For the price range, I would get this one as its not making outrageous and impossible claims like the one you posted and is a tried and tested brand.

https://www.amazon.com/Horticulture-Lighting-Group-USA-Quantum/dp/B07C57J7XX/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=hlg+grow+lights&qid=1596502311&sprefix=hlg&sr=8-4

Really, all carbon fiber tools are fine. They just don’t hold an edge as long as stainless. Takes about 10 minutes to sharpen them. That said, this looks like a great deal for any beginner: https://www.amazon.com/Aonepro-Bonsai-Carbon-Scissor-Gardening/dp/B06XH3CFB2

They’re a tiny bit over your budget and I haven’t used them, so I can’t personally attest to them, but this one is reviewed well. You always have the amazon 30 day warranty if they don’t work out. Hope it helps!

Edit: there’s also these if you wanted something smaller. I believe r/succulents also has a list of good grow lights. Might be worth checking.

I use a full spectrum light currently year round. We’re in a transitional tiny cave like apartment and so far it’s working well considering I have no windows for my plants.

It’s this one from amazon. Total cheapie but is working amazing.

AMWA Led Grow Light - Sunlike... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q15VKJG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Tierra Garden GP48 Tidy Tray One Piece Potting Tray https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001IPYM9Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nn9NCbYRXENM7

I have one myself. It's great but got damaged recently after the garden fence collapsed on to it and cracked the corner.

In ground is better, but I don't have the space. Large fabric pots are the next best thing for me. Pots like these: https://www.amazon.com/247Garden-5-Pack-Gallon-Aeration-Handles/dp/B013JFHMQ2

I don't know anything about overwintering maples in really cold climates. I have the opposite problem. I can only keep certain deciduous trees that don't require a lot of chill hours.

It seems that the .com is redirecting to the .fr and the .fr is redirecting to the .com. This is from France. Maybe you could try a French VPN such as CyberGhost to reproduce the problem. It may be just my device though. Perhaps because I'm in France with a British device.