My year around bonsai work in the Inland Empire, CA

bonhe

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I've been using the same seedling bark for a year with good results. How will you use the Turf-Tee?
Thanks for sharing with me information.
I will replace fir ground for Turf -N-Tee. I have been using fir ground in a few years, but now, the building supply company does not carry it any more. Turf -N Tee will be an excellent replacement. Turf-N-Tee has a bigger size than fir ground.
I will use it as a part of organic contents in my soil. My organic contents will be mini pine bark: Turf-N-Tee with ratio of 2:1 for the big pot, and 1:1 for medium pot. For the small pot, I will either use it alone for organic content or with pine bark with ratio 2:1 respectively.
Bonhe
 

bonhe

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I will go to Home Depot today to buy a few bag of decorative stone. It is crushed rock with an excellent shapes and size for bonsai use. I believe it will be much better than sand which I used sometime for training purpose.
When I went to Home Depot last week, the worker gave me the sample. It looks great.
IMG_6892.jpg

You see think link for more info https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-0-5-cu-ft-All-Purpose-Decorative-Stone-54775V/202026926
Bonhe
 

JudyB

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Herons are cool. We see them here a lot. BRT exfoliating bark is also very nice.
 

bonhe

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INSERT: after hours of tediously snipping each shoot
OR: after 30 seconds with the hedge shears
???

btw, nice! :cool:
Thank you. Haha, I wish I could use the hedge shears. It took me about more than 1 hour to prune, but still quite a bit of inner small branchlets needed to be removed.
Bonhe

Herons are cool. We see them here a lot. BRT exfoliating bark is also very nice.
Hic, the herons already stole a lot of koi fish from my pond!
Bonhe
 

bonhe

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bonhe

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and this pomegranate.
1st stage of training is removal all of unnecessary branches and keeps some of them in the same places. Put initial wiring. Then wait! :).
Of course, it needs lot of fertilizers, sunlight. Water as needed.


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Bonhe
The tree in post # 537 also has a lot of new shoots at this time
4-22.jpg

Bonhe
 

bonhe

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This crepe myrtle is not ready to have any work on for this year yet.
4-28.jpg

However, this one is! It has a lot of new long shoots
IMG_7199.jpg IMG_7200.jpg

This is the 1st year I try "soft breaking" technique for crepe myrtle. Let see what happens!
Oops, break! The crepe myrtle is so brittle! However it is still better than tamarix!!

I bended 10 shoots, 5 of them are broken! Should I worry about? No, I should not. Crepe myrtle branch is easy to survive with a severe interruption.
IMG_7201.jpg IMG_7202.jpg

Finish.
IMG_7203.jpg IMG_7205.jpg
Bonhe
 

my nellie

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Hello Bonhe,
... ... The crepe myrtle is so brittle! However it is still better than tamarix!!
Do you have any tamarix bonsai?
I would like to look at any photos available if you have posted.
 

bonhe

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Hello Bonhe,
Do you have any tamarix bonsai?
I would like to look at any photos available if you have posted.
Ah, looks like you have tamarix in your area.
Here you are.
On 3/11/17
3-11.png

On 7/29/18
IMG_3116.JPG

After pruning and wiring
IMG_3117.JPG IMG_3118.JPG

Another one on 10/27/17
IMG_4430.JPG IMG_4434.JPG IMG_4431.JPG

Another one is still in training on 7/29/17
IMG_3115.JPG

With just 3 tamarix, they would keep me busy all year, but it is very fun to take care of them.
p/s: I really appreciate my teacher, Mr. Richard Ota, who taught me so much about the tamarix.
Bonhe
 
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