A Neea I am playing with...

[Poink88]

I got this Neea a year ago...

View attachment 42818

...and this is a pic today. Before winter, I pruned this, reducing the foliage down to 5% so I can store it properly. This baby grows like weeds!!! I am sure the foliage will be 10x this before summer. The branches at the lower right/back are saved for "cuttings" later.

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[KennedyMarx]

Looks like a great start. How tall is it?

 

[Poink88]

Looks like a great start. How tall is it?

From top of soil...about 17"

 

[Poink88]

Update pic.

View attachment 39096

 

[Forujames]

I love neea's. If I were just starting out in bonsai that would be my first choice. Robert Pinder's nursey in Palm City, Fl has a bunch to pick from-small leaves, grow like crazy, back buds, easily shaped, cute yellow bell shaped flowers, small red berries-perfect. (cold sensitive, even for me-comes in when temp is 40 or below.) james

 

[misfit11]

This is nice material, Dario. Let the foliage run a bit in order to thicken the branches. Then they'll be more in proportion with the trunk and you're on your way. Also, the roots emanating high on the main trunk bother me. I'd remove them and do some carving to resolve the scars that would otherwise take forever to heal.

Is this Neea buxafolia? I'm not familiar with this species but have seen it posted elsewhere. I thought it was tropical. Correct?

Cory

 

[jkd2572]

Where did you get this? Puerto Rico? How do you winter it?

 

[Poink88]

This is nice material, Dario. Let the foliage run a bit in order to thicken the branches. Then they'll be more in proportion with the trunk and you're on your way. Also, the roots emanating high on the main trunk bother me. I'd remove them and do some carving to resolve the scars that would otherwise take forever to heal.

Is this Neea buxafolia? I'm not familiar with this species but have seen it posted elsewhere. I thought it was tropical. Correct?

Cory

This is indeed Neea Buxifolia and yes it is a tropical.

Neea do not heal well. The wood is soft and rots fast...faster than the bark can roll/heal which is very slow also. If you see the front deadwood...that was since last year...not even a slight sign of bark roll yet.

Where did you get this? Puerto Rico? How do you winter it?

Yep, this is from PR. It goes in my garage with about 20 other plants. I have shelving and lights for them there. It doesn't want temps below 50*F. I believe it had leaf burns when I left it out on a 48*F temp weather. It loves heat...of all the plants I have, I think it is the most vigorous grower when the temps are scorching.

 

[jkd2572]

Yes my dream is for a heated greenhouse. Always want what we cannot have. For me it's more tropicals.

 

[Poink88]

I snapped a pic of my Neea today. It was trimmed last weekend and sports a pom-pom look for now.

 

[nathanbs]

arent you worried that your soil is a little too fine and that it will clog easily?

 

[Poink88]

arent you worried that your soil is a little too fine and that it will clog easily?

LOL.

That is just my heat shield. With our summer, I found that using lava as "mulch" really help the pot temps down and help reduce drying. The actual soil for this Neea is actually mostly organic.

 

[Poink88]

Today is my 2nd year bonsai anniversary and decided to post a few updates for some of my trees in training. (hope you don't mind)

 

[Anthony]

Dario,

they are all doing well. Just need about 5 years or so to fully harmonise.
Thanks for posting and I will anxiously keep watch.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Poink88]

Anthony,

I am building the branches right now (though it may not seem like it) under those pom-poms. It came with just a few twiggy branches when I got it and I am pleased how they bulked up (I know they are still think ) given the time frame. This was very bushy before the haircut last month.

 

[jkd2572]

The apex needs to come down, but I know how you grow so it will come. With that being said you could let the apex branches grow out and pull them down and get there quicker. It's a tropical. You won't see it in the winter.

 

[Poink88]

The apex needs to come down, but I know how you grow so it will come. With that being said you could let the apex branches grow out and pull them down and get there quicker. It's a tropical. You won't see it in the winter.

The apex is chopped lower, as well as some other branches. Part of the moving in winter protection "reduction". I will do more during winter to "scratch the itch".

 

[jkd2572]

Have you been thinking about a response on this for a month?

 

[Poink88]

Have you been thinking about a response on this for a month?

Nope...I am bored and decided on dredging old posts than wrestling in the mud with hecklers.