Cherry Blossom

[gregkthompson]

I am interested in purchasing a cherry blossom bonsai, but it seems every thing I have read contradicts itself. I couldn't find much on the Nut about them. So me questions are;
1. I'm in zone 6b so should they be stay outside like my junipers or inside like my tropical?
2. What kind of light. Direct or indirect?

Thanks for the help!

 

[JoeR]

I am interested in purchasing a cherry blossom bonsai, but it seems every thing I have read contradicts itself. I couldn't find much on the Nut about them. So me questions are;
1. I'm in zone 6b so should they be stay outside like my junipers or inside like my tropical?
2. What kind of light. Direct or indirect?

Thanks for the help!

First of all, it depends on what variety you are talking about. I assume you mean Prunus serrulata?

If so, yes in full sun but some shade in summer.

MUST be outside.

I also have had trouble looking for anything On prunus in General, I suppose because of their fungal issues. Not at all common in the US.

 

[BonsaiEngineer1493]

Bill should have some for sale. Check out his 2015 catalogue.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Grab a yoshino; they should be plenty hardy outside all year in your 6B climate. I've had no problems with mine, except one died back and rotted after a severe trunk chop, but they're prone to thwt anyway and quickly grow through it. Full sun is better; they can handle it as long as you keep it well-watered.

Here is one from a volunteer I've been growing out for the last 8 years, and potted up to start branch development a couple years ago.

 

[discusmike]

How well do leaves reduce with yoshinos?

 

[edprocoat]

I am interested in purchasing a cherry blossom bonsai, but it seems every thing I have read contradicts itself. I couldn't find much on the Nut about them. So me questions are;
1. I'm in zone 6b so should they be stay outside like my junipers or inside like my tropical?
2. What kind of light. Direct or indirect?

Thanks for the help!

Hey Greg, grow a set and buy it. Whats the worse that could that could happen, you could lose a plant, big frckin' deal. On the other hqnd you could grow something that others would look at and say Greg was the first person I seen who had the balls to grow this plant as a Bonsai.

ed

 

[JoeR]

Grab a yoshino; they should be plenty hardy outside all year in your 6B climate. I've had no problems with mine, except one died back and rotted after a severe trunk chop, but they're prone to thwt anyway and quickly grow through it. Full sun is better; they can handle it as long as you keep it well-watered.

Here is one from a volunteer I've been growing out for the last 8 years, and potted up to start branch development a couple years ago.

I was deciding between this variety or a nanking. I think Bill has this in his seed catalogue.

 

[DougB]

When folks refer to Bill I am assuming they mean Valavanis. His 2015 catalog is available on his website. http://www.internationalbonsai.com/seedling%20list. Remember these are seedlings/pre-bonsai.

but he does have:
The Akebono Flowering Cherry Prunus x yedoensis ‘Akebono’
Kojo No Mai Cherry Prunus incisa ‘Kojo No Mai’

No recommendations or comments: just informatin.

 

[Bunjeh]

When folks refer to Bill I am assuming they mean Valavanis. His 2015 catalog is available on his website. http://www.internationalbonsai.com/seedling%20list. Remember these are seedlings/pre-bonsai.

but he does have:
The Akebono Flowering Cherry Prunus x yedoensis ‘Akebono’
Kojo No Mai Cherry Prunus incisa ‘Kojo No Mai’

No recommendations or comments: just informatin.

Have your ordered from him? I'm interested in the bundle of Korean Hornbeam.

 

[JoeR]

Have your ordered from him? I'm interested in the bundle of Korean Hornbeam.

Although I have notordered from him, I have Heard nothing but really good stuff about him/internationalbonsai. I am going to order from him this week a cherry, the shimpaku, and maybe even red pine seedlings. Black pine principles apply to red pine, right?

Joe

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Although I have notordered from him, I have Heard nothing but really good stuff about him/internationalbonsai. I am going to order from him this week a cherry, the shimpaku, and maybe even red pine seedlings. Black pine principles apply to red pine, right?

Joe

Bill has done so much for American bonsai over the last 50 years. Order from him, a lot and often.

Black pine principles basically apply to red pine. Compared to JBP, Red pines are slower growing, more brittle, like drier soil, are more cold-hardy, and require more diligent bud slelection in fall.

 

[JoeR]

Bill has done so much for American bonsai over the last 50 years. Order from him, a lot and often.

Black pine principles basically apply to red pine. Compared to JBP, Red pines are slower growing, more brittle, like drier soil, are more cold-hardy, and require more diligent bud slelection in fall.

So overall would you recommend them as a beginner species to pine? I want a pine and was going to get a black, mugo, or red and am not sure what to go with. I have to order them online anyway so why not pick the best.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

So overall would you recommend them as a beginner species to pine? I want a pine and was going to get a black, mugo, or red and am not sure what to go with. I have to order them online anyway so why not pick the best.

Black pine is more forgiving to a beginner, and more information is available should you need guidance.

For starting out in pines, it's important to start with something that already has a defined trunk and primary branches. If you don't know pines, growing them from seedlings is a totally different animal than growing out D-trees, where you can grow it, whack it, and know something useful will sprout.

For your first JBP, buy from George Muranaka on ebay:
http://stores.ebay.com/muranakabonsainursery1978?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

 

[JoeR]

Black pine is more forgiving to a beginner, and more information is available should you need guidance.

For starting out in pines, it's important to start with something that already has a defined trunk and primary branches. If you don't know pines, growing them from seedlings is a totally different animal than growing out D-trees, where you can grow it, whack it, and know something useful will sprout.

For your first JBP, buy from George Muranaka on ebay:
http://stores.ebay.com/muranakabonsainursery1978?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

I was thinking about them just due to the amount of info on the internet I can access. Not being rude or dissrespectful but it seems those are a bit overpriced, imho. Am I wrong?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I was thinking about them just due to the amount of info on the internet I can access. Not being rude or dissrespectful but it seems those are a bit overpriced, imho. Am I wrong?

He's hit or miss. This batch is maybe on the high side, but generally, you'll have a hard time matching his trees' level of development for the price. You might contact Brent Walston (Evergreen Gardenworks) or Don Blackmond (Gregory Beach Bonsai) or Gary Ishii (Chikugu-en) and ask them if they have something in your price range, for a beginning pine, with established primary branches. See what you find. I highly recommend them all, based on my own buying experiences with them, and they each have a niche; George's JBP are easy pines to start with.

 

[JoeR]

He's hit or miss. This batch is maybe on the high side, but generally, you'll have a hard time matching his trees' level of development for the price. You might contact Brent Walston (Evergreen Gardenworks) or Don Blackmond (Gregory Beach Bonsai) or Gary Ishii (Chikugu-en) and ask them if they have something in your price range, for a beginning pine, with established primary branches. See what you find. I highly recommend them all, based on my own buying experiences with them, and they each have a niche; George's JBP are easy pines to start with.

Thank you, ill give them a call this week when I order from Bill at International Bonsai.

 

[jk_lewis]

Have your ordered from him? I'm interested in the bundle of Korean Hornbeam.

You can order from Bill with COMPLETE confidence.

 

[dick benbow]

Interesting thread, the way it weaves back and forth between species and places to purchase.

What got me started on domestic pines, was a traveling japanese sensai, who found it intereting that Americans had to have japanese and then work to meet conditions found in the Island nation. Said it made more sense to do as the Japanese and use soemthing local as it's already conditioned locally.
Since that time I have kept one black and one red and the rest of my pines have been found in the pacific northwest. I'm happy with that. So much so, I had to bring it up. Much of my interest has been with members of the white pine family (limber, white-bark) and they match up perfectly with japanese methods.
Please consider local pines.....

 

[mcpesq817]

I was deciding between this variety or a nanking. I think Bill has this in his seed catalogue.

I'm growing out a Nanking cherry in the ground. Bought it a few years ago as a small seedling, and after a few years of ground growing, I've managed to get a good 2-3" of trunk caliper on it. The grow strongly, more shrubby than tree like, with long straight branches. I had to chop it back this year because I was having work done on my porch, but it budded back very nicely.

It's an interesting variety. The bark is very dark, almost black, and the flowers and cherries are very tiny. They should make pretty nice shohin or maybe chuhin trees. Brent used to carry them, but I don't see them on his website anymore.

 

[JoeR]

Interesting thread, the way it weaves back and forth between species and places to purchase.

What got me started on domestic pines, was a traveling japanese sensai, who found it intereting that Americans had to have japanese and then work to meet conditions found in the Island nation. Said it made more sense to do as the Japanese and use soemthing local as it's already conditioned locally.
Since that time I have kept one black and one red and the rest of my pines have been found in the pacific northwest. I'm happy with that. So much so, I had to bring it up. Much of my interest has been with members of the white pine family (limber, white-bark) and they match up perfectly with japanese methods.
Please consider local pines.....

I agree. I have my eyes on one that I am waiting to dig up, not quite sure of variety but it has shaggy, short 2-3 inch cones and two needle pairs of roughly 2 or 3 inches as well. Looks like a very promising variety.