Recent content by horibonsai

I prefer pond baskets, which have good drainage and a variety of sizes. The plastic colander will break down too quickly in my area, and the pond basket will last. Standard nursery pots work well and come in different materials (plastic, ceramic, etc.). I also use round bulb pots. They are...

Sekka will brown in the winter, but this is extreme. Take a bucket of water and fill a quarter of a way. Dunk the tree and leave it submerged for 5 minutes. Take it out and let the water drain out. Hinoki needs more water than, say, a juniper. Touch and look at the soil and see if you need...

I use an Ezflo fertilizer injector in my watering. Drip Depot has a sale until 10/31. It's less effective than a dosatron in dosage, but it works for my garden. I use a quick connector and can remove and easily refill the fertilizer.

Defoliation depends on the tree's health and strength. Are you fully defoliating the tree or partially defoliating it? It's common for trident or bald cypress to recover in three weeks. When is your winter dormancy, and the leaves fall on the tree? I'm thinking if it's a couple of months, let...

I think you are referring to expanded slate. It's more of a substitute for lava but will work in conjunction with your mix. The NC Arboretum uses expanded slate in its soil mix. I would recommend this if you can't get pumice. Stalite is the company that extracts and makes this in NC.

I use it for repotting, cuttings, and seedlings. This is not used for established trees but where you want to grow roots.

After repotting, you can use a Fertilome or Bonide root simulator. Ferilome is the brand, and its version is called Fertilome Root Simulator. Bonide's version is called Root & Grow. These are branded names, but you can use any root simulator with low Indol-3-Butyric Acid to stimulate root...

The liquid fertilizer for growing trees: kelp or fish emulsion, humic acid or molasses, and Miracle-gro. Mix this in a fertilizer injector, and I apply this to any trees I'm growing. Try this or a variation and see what works for you.

It doesn't hurt to add seaweed extract, but you are better off using a root stimulator. Here in the US, we have ones made from Ferti-lome or Bonide. You would use it same way with seaweed extract, diluted with water and water into the trees.

The best way to thicken the trunk is to put it in the ground. You can also increase fertilizer to every two weeks and use liquid if you are doing that. You will have elongated needles, but once you get to the thickness and height you want, you can slowly back off the fertilizer and needle...

I would guess a prostrata.

I propagate trees and need something to set up misting in a greenhouse that can run by minutes. The system I use is Linktap. It's a pretty good system running on Wi-Fi with a bridge. It will automatically skip rain days and provide usage by gallons. I have about three Linktap setups: two running...

That's a nice composition with a scroll and tree. Literati is not easy to achieve, and you have done this one justice.

What does it look like if you flip it vertically 180 degrees?

You can always up the pot to a larger pot. I am still repotting junipers here in Tennessee, having fallen behind due to work travel. The roots don't look too established, and you can pull them out easily. Be gentle, chopstick the soil; it would be easier on the drier side so you don't tear into...