Cypress187
Masterpiece
I'm a tree hugging newb so I voted No, but i guess in the future i have to choice to sometimes use chemicals.
Bonsai Without Chemicals?
- Thread starter JoeR
- Start date
DougB
Chumono
Yes i know that, learned that back in the 80's. What I meant was in regard to the current topic. Do we treat pre- different than showable-
aml1014
Masterpiece
It generally depend on what your doing, if you need branches thicken or wounds to heal then you need to let it grow out a lot more than show able trees, there's also differences between soil you use, for a prebonsai that you want quick growth you'd use a faster drying soil so the roots have to search for water more so in turn everything grows quicker, for a refined tree you'd want the soil to stay more moist making the tree grow slower making it have shorter internodes which is what you want when your working on fine ramification. Then there is fertilizer, you'd fertilize a prebonsai more then a refined tree, for the same reason as the difference in soil. It all depends on what you want to do.
jk_lewis
Masterpiece
As far away across your yard as you can possibly get it.
wireme
Masterpiece
Definitely a person could chose to treat them differently.
Take my Doug firs for example, Cooley spruce gall adelgids are rampant here, tons of them, they suck sap from young emerging Doug fir needles very quickly creating twisted needles and permanent blotchy spots on the needles. I spray an insecticidal soap let it sit a bit then blast with hose. Gets most of them, there are so many in the landscape they will be back next year no matter what.
So I miss a few sometimes, get a some blotchy needles before I blast again for ones I missed. If I though I'd show a tree I might look into more control, systemic maybe, dormant oils work for adelgids but also discolour needles.
Also on the Douglas fir, rhabdocline needle cast, again discolours needles especially older needles, mildly pathogenic, sometime asymptomatic latent infection, interestingly, infected needles have higher reasistance to some insect predation. I would probably take that more seriously too if showing.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Hahahahahahahaha !
Sorce
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
I do not use any chemicals, but I do use organic sprays including neem oil and pyrethrin. Interestingly, I can't recall any of my bonsai ever REALLY needing it (ie I thought they would die if I didn't treat) but my citrus (in my landscape) DEFINITELY need to be sprayed several times a year or they will die. I have lost two citrus trees to various flying pests, and my landscape hibiscus will occasionally get white fly.
JoeR
Masterpiece
Sorce your video is restricted for me...
But I agree with B-Nut that I dont consider natural oils 'Chemicals'.
But I agree with B-Nut that I dont consider natural oils 'Chemicals'.
cmeg1
Imperial Masterpiece
I have absolutely no problem with insects on Zelkova as long as I inspect every day.The occasional bag worm gets plucked or sprayed with a jet of water.
I've went without topical fungicide and now have decided I am better off using it.
I've went without topical fungicide and now have decided I am better off using it.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
parhamr
Omono
Troll fodder: define chemicals
- Rusty nails stuck into a pot: "not" chemicals
- Iron sulfate granules: chemicals
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sorce
Nonsense Rascal
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
If you water your plants you use chemicals... 
Grimmy
Grimmy
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
I have only had those one time by attrition, indoors - How in the hell do you stop them from hatching bi-weekly?
Grimmy
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
They are more a nuisance than anything. If I have a bush that is infested, I can almost control them by spraying them with water twice per day... if they get wet they fall to the ground and the ants get them.
If I want to wipe them out, I spray with neem oil. It devastates them.
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Indoors on 4 Hibiscus I battled them every two weeks even with Neem treatment. I finally took all four plants to the sink, stripped all the foliage and tossed it along with all the soil and nursery pots. I then rinsed them all with warm water and replanted them fresh. I was treating them for a lot of weeks in indoor quarantine and that was the ONLY thing that worked. If it ever happens again though I will try with straight Neem - Thank You!
Grimmy
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
!!!! Wow. I have had bad infestations before but NOTHING like that.
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
I am guessing it is amplified to some extent being indoors. Honest though every two weeks not just a few but hundreds would "spawn"
My Wife told me why don't you just toss them after a few months of various treatments so I tried the extreme repot Funny thing is they are just being grown as a nice supplement for the Tortoise.Grimmy
parhamr
Omono
Diatomaceous earth powder sprinkled into the soil—plus a layer of mulch on top of the soil—will cut off the reproductive lifecycles for most soil-born pests without using “chemicals.”
justBonsai
Omono
This definitely works as a temporary fix for insects in the soil. It needs to be replied after awhile though.
