Bonsai anyone?

[maddie]

Have you tried your hand at bonsai.. I have grown a couple of saplings which I need to convert to bonsai style.. My plants seem to show no real growth.. Can you give me some tips.

 

[ChanellG]

I love bonsai trees! I think they are so elegant. I have never tried my hand at one before, but it is definitely on my list.

What kind of saplings are you trying to convert? If they are not miniatures and aren't seeing much growth it could be that they aren't getting enough light or need to be fed.

 

[claudine]

I've tried to grow a few but I didn't enjoy it. I'm just not patient enough to grow them. You have to wait for so long to see some results. Also, although I like how they look, I always have a feeling that they're unhappy - I know, I'm too emotional about plants - but I really prefer when my plants grow like they want, without too many interventions.

 

[Jed]

I find bonsai intriguing though I haven't tried doing it. Living with so many plants around me is a joy but I think if I lived in a confine space or could not get outside to garden then I would definitely give it a go.

 

[maddie]

@ Chanell, I have pomegranates and lemon.. I also have a banyan tree sapling... I have them in normal pots and have let them grow to about 20 cms. Now, I need to train them and I don't know much.
@ Claudine these are plants that I saved from my friends garden.. she was going to throw them away... I brought them hope and let them grow.. I would love to see little lemons and pomegranates on the little trees.
@ jed, That is how I live, on the second floor of a high rise building.. LOL .. My dream of trees can only be miniatures and bonsai's..

 

[ChanellG]

@Maddie, I can't believe your friend was going to throw away such valuable plants! What is wrong with people? I know someone who wanted to get rid of a blueberry bush just because she didn't want it anymore.

I would love to grow my own fruit. We used to have a Japanese plum tree in the back yard, but my grandfather cut it down because people were jumping the fence to steal the fruit.

My mom used to have a fig tree in a tall trash can before the hurricane. I found out recently that you can grow apples in containers. I'm looking forward to trying that. I bet you could grow kumquats on your balcony.

 

[claudine]

My mom used to have a fig tree in a tall trash can before the hurricane. I found out recently that you can grow apples in containers. I'm looking forward to trying that. I bet you could grow kumquats on your balcony.

Apples in containers? Really? This sounds great! I'd love to have an apple tree in my room. Can you tell us something more about it?

 

[Jed]

@ jed, That is how I live, on the second floor of a high rise building.. LOL .. My dream of trees can only be miniatures and bonsai's..

No doubt you have read many books on balcony gardening?
I read this book last year by an Australian who lives in an apartment. I read it purely for interest on how it can be done and the fact that she is an ex television personality. I heard the book reviewed on the radio, was intrigued, so had to read it

The Edible Balcony by Indira Naidoo
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/homestyle/the-rise-of-the-innercity-farmer-20111114-1nen3.html

 

[maddie]

@ chanell, Yup, some people have short interests spans, they don't like the toil and hard work routine.. My friends said that she had no time to tend to her plants. I just took them from her. This is a normal lemon sapling.. not kumquats.
@ Jed, That is an Indian name.. thanks for the link, that sounds like she found her purpose of living..Interesting article

 

[ChanellG]

Apples in containers? Really? This sounds great! I'd love to have an apple tree in my room. Can you tell us something more about it?

Claudine, I don't know how well it will work indoors, but I suppose you could give it a try. Here is a link to an article I was looking at earlier on growing apples in containers:
http://lifeonthebalcony.com/growing-an-apple-tree-in-a-container/

 

[maddie]

I found a good youtube video which i may want to use,.. however.. I did not know that the bonsai soil is different from the normal soil..

 

[claudine]

Claudine, I don't know how well it will work indoors, but I suppose you could give it a try. Here is a link to an article I was looking at earlier on growing apples in containers:
http://lifeonthebalcony.com/growing-an-apple-tree-in-a-container/

Thank you! I think it might be really interesting to grow an apple tree indoors - and so pretty, almost like having an orchard inside the house. I tried to grow a birch indoors once though and unfortunately it died after a few months

Maddie, this video is very interesting And the bonsai look so pretty!

 

[ChanellG]

Maddie, special soil requirements are what slow me down with quite a lot of plants. For now I am sticking with plants that are easy to grow that can survive in a good compost. I need for everything to be as low maintenance as possible.

 

[taskeinc]

I found a good youtube video which i may want to use,.. however.. I did not know that the bonsai soil is different from the normal soil..

Nice video, you can grow Bonsai in regular potting soil but if you grow it in the type soil the guy is talking about on the video, you must water it once or twice daily as he stated. If you grow Bonsai in regular potting soil you would not water nearly as much, only when the soil is almost dry.

 

[maddie]

Thanks Taskeinc, That make my life so easy. I have my saplings in normal potting soil. I have a problem with the fact that we do not get moss here as it is very hot and humid where I live. I still have to water at least once a day. I appreciate the response.