Fringe Tree
- Thread starter coachspinks
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I tried to tell the post thumbnails then there were like 16 photos???deleted duplicates Hope I get the hang of posting photos soon The 3 trees are in different colanders so hope that makes it easier to deciper
https://bonsainut.com/members/velodog2.20713/
https://bonsainut.com/members/velodog2.20713/
Leo in N E Illinois
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My female Chianothus virginiana purchased Sept 2016, photos May 26, 2017. Roughly 5 feet tall, in a ''20 gallon'' nursery pot. The nursery was going out of business. got this for only $35. Yep, the trailer I live in when ''out on the family farm'', near South Haven, MI.
flowers
base is not quite 2 inches diameter. Note the coarse branches, long internodes. Uneven internodes. There are a bunch of buds, then a long internode, then a bunch of buds.
Notice blooms come from several buds back in the range of the previous year or two's growth. There are a couple short internodes at the end of a branch. This uneven internode spacing will be a training difficulty when trying to turn this into bonsai.
I call this one female because it had berries hanging in Sept 2016 when I bought it. I bought a second, with no berries, hoping it was male, and not just a female that did not bloom or produce fruit that year.
flowers
base is not quite 2 inches diameter. Note the coarse branches, long internodes. Uneven internodes. There are a bunch of buds, then a long internode, then a bunch of buds.
Notice blooms come from several buds back in the range of the previous year or two's growth. There are a couple short internodes at the end of a branch. This uneven internode spacing will be a training difficulty when trying to turn this into bonsai.
I call this one female because it had berries hanging in Sept 2016 when I bought it. I bought a second, with no berries, hoping it was male, and not just a female that did not bloom or produce fruit that year.
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Leo in N E Illinois
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The male did not bloom particularly well spring 2017, no fruit was produced by the female, or male in 2017.
Many members of the Olive family, such as in genus Chionanthus and Osmanthus have separate sexes, trees are either male, or female.
May 26, 2017
male Chionanthus virginiana
flowers - male? I can't tell for certain. Flowers were faded before I got around to taking this photo, I think June 11, 2017. It might actually be a female, I need to bloom it better, and take a good look while flowers are fresh. Pollen present, then it is male.
Many members of the Olive family, such as in genus Chionanthus and Osmanthus have separate sexes, trees are either male, or female.
May 26, 2017
male Chionanthus virginiana
flowers - male? I can't tell for certain. Flowers were faded before I got around to taking this photo, I think June 11, 2017. It might actually be a female, I need to bloom it better, and take a good look while flowers are fresh. Pollen present, then it is male.
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Leo in N E Illinois
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@Rose Mary
I haven't started ''bonsai work'' on these two trees yet. As you can see, they bloomed in pots, but pots are big and the trees are 4 and 5 feet tall.
Your three chinese fringe trees are interesting, I'd love to have them on my bench. To see blooms I think you need to stop pruning for maybe 2 years. Let it run.
The female bloomed well in 2017 - it was in full sun. The male was is a spot that got about half a day of direct sun. It is possible they require full sun to bloom.
@coachspinks - These are deciduous trees. Short term, potting a couple years in 100% pumice right after collecting will probably be good for creating a new roots system, but long term I would use a mix as for trees like azalea. I would make sure it have at least 20% up to 50% composted fir bark or pine bark. Like maples and azalea, they like a moisture retaining, slightly acidic, or at least low calcium mix, with a fair amount of organic material. Akadama or Kanuma would work too.
I do plan to repot this spring into a bonsai mix as for azaleas. I will begin the training process. Don't have a good plan yet, but I will see what I have when I repot in spring. Haven't explored my nebari yet, and the nebari will drive all my styling decisions.
I haven't started ''bonsai work'' on these two trees yet. As you can see, they bloomed in pots, but pots are big and the trees are 4 and 5 feet tall.
Your three chinese fringe trees are interesting, I'd love to have them on my bench. To see blooms I think you need to stop pruning for maybe 2 years. Let it run.
The female bloomed well in 2017 - it was in full sun. The male was is a spot that got about half a day of direct sun. It is possible they require full sun to bloom.
@coachspinks - These are deciduous trees. Short term, potting a couple years in 100% pumice right after collecting will probably be good for creating a new roots system, but long term I would use a mix as for trees like azalea. I would make sure it have at least 20% up to 50% composted fir bark or pine bark. Like maples and azalea, they like a moisture retaining, slightly acidic, or at least low calcium mix, with a fair amount of organic material. Akadama or Kanuma would work too.
I do plan to repot this spring into a bonsai mix as for azaleas. I will begin the training process. Don't have a good plan yet, but I will see what I have when I repot in spring. Haven't explored my nebari yet, and the nebari will drive all my styling decisions.
I have been looking at a pink one online, was going to buy it because they suggested bringing inside for the winter. But they are deciduous? Changes my mind.
Actually, it is a powder puff tree, I was looking at. I guess they're different, or not? @Leo in N E Illinois?
Leo in N E Illinois
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@Carol 83
My fringe trees are outside right now, nestled up against the last standing wall of the collapsed barn, about 9 miles east of South Haven Michigan. Same place they wintered last year. The farm had one or two nights last year drop to -14 F (roughly -25 C). So far this winter 2017-2018 we have not had the low cold extreme temperatures of last year. This very mild January is making up for the fact that December was exceptionally cold. C. virginiana is fully winter hardy through most of USDA zone 5,
The Chinese fringe tree might not be quite as winter hardy as the American. Before purchasing the Chinese species I would look up its hardiness. Of coarse, once a hardy bonsai tree has been trained sufficiently to be in a small high quality ceramic pot, we do protect them from extreems, more to protect the pot from being shattered by freeze-thaw cycles than the tree. Its important once your pots cost more than $100 each, even if they are fired to a high cone number, there is always the odd flaw, or crack you didn't notice that can break a good quality pot with freeze-thaw cycling, even if they are ''guaranteed'' to be frost proof.
My fringe trees are outside right now, nestled up against the last standing wall of the collapsed barn, about 9 miles east of South Haven Michigan. Same place they wintered last year. The farm had one or two nights last year drop to -14 F (roughly -25 C). So far this winter 2017-2018 we have not had the low cold extreme temperatures of last year. This very mild January is making up for the fact that December was exceptionally cold. C. virginiana is fully winter hardy through most of USDA zone 5,
The Chinese fringe tree might not be quite as winter hardy as the American. Before purchasing the Chinese species I would look up its hardiness. Of coarse, once a hardy bonsai tree has been trained sufficiently to be in a small high quality ceramic pot, we do protect them from extreems, more to protect the pot from being shattered by freeze-thaw cycles than the tree. Its important once your pots cost more than $100 each, even if they are fired to a high cone number, there is always the odd flaw, or crack you didn't notice that can break a good quality pot with freeze-thaw cycling, even if they are ''guaranteed'' to be frost proof.
Leo thank you for responding, hmm over twelve years and still no blooms on mine, They were not that young looking when I got them from the nursery that was going out of business. Maybe they are males? I have tried experimenting with letting branches run to no avail but I am trying again. Tried letting them get root bound, tried repotting
They do get full sun. I even tried some miracid (sp?) last spring to see if that would bump them, didn't. So will follow as you post progress on yours.
I did get a few blooms on my Japanese snow bell last year and the year before. First time and only on one branch. I got the snowbell at the same time as the 3 fringe.
They do get full sun. I even tried some miracid (sp?) last spring to see if that would bump them, didn't. So will follow as you post progress on yours.
I did get a few blooms on my Japanese snow bell last year and the year before. First time and only on one branch. I got the snowbell at the same time as the 3 fringe.
coachspinks
Chumono
I dug this one 3 weeks ago. Once I got it out of the ground and home I ended bare rooting it. The base was actually 6" below the original ground level. I had to hack about 98% of the roots off or else I would have always chased a decent nebari. I wasn't overly hopeful that it would survive but yesterday I found the bud on the second picture. Still not out of the woods but it is a good sign.
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Leo in N E Illinois
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Nice looking stump, @coachspinks ,
Looks like it will grow. Keep us posted.
Looks like it will grow. Keep us posted.
Leo, I posted in the general forum yesterday, perhaps the wrong place.
I just lost one of the fringe trees...it was later budding out than the others, then weakly put out some small leaves before losing its life...
The roots were healthy and strong like a boxwood so I looked further into its cause of death.
I found the tiny round holes first and started carving to see what and where it lead...black shiny butt -then tiny white worm.
After photos I put the tree in the burn pile and looked at the other 2.
Found a few holes in one, used a dropper to put neem oil and tea tree oil down the holes. Hate to remove the chunky bark as I read was recommended. The ones I found were just thru the bark, not hiding underneath.
Suggestions how to treat? The second tree still looks healthy but will it be a goner? what other trees might attract these borers
Have never had a bloom so other than the knarly roots and bark they haven't been a good bonsai prospect anyway in spite of years of care, lol. They don't backbud and the leaves don't reduce well, at least that has been my experience.
bonsai-ben
Mame
coachspinks
Chumono
The bud in the picture turned dark and died. I left it alone since my last post. I just looked and it has multiple buds popping. A couple are already 3" long. It has been in the shade without a lot of wind on it and has been watered enough but not left soaking wet so I guess it decided it wanted to live.
This is my second summer of bonsai since taking a 20 year break. I repotted several deciduous trees and was super, super aggressive. Some were barely trees, more like stumps with a single root. Every single one is living and putting out new growth. The key....timing and after care.
Leo in N E Illinois
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Hi Rose Mary
I would use a systemic pesticide for the borers, imidacloprid, either Bayer's or Bonide. Note: Bayer's 3 in One has dropped imidacloprid from it's formula, read labels.
Neem and other "organic home brews" are significantly less than 90% effective, where the imidacloprid should be above 95% effective.
Leo in N E Illinois
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Mine still in 20 gallon nursery pots bloomed last week, I was not able to get a photo. Many buds on old wood sprouted this year, even without me pruning the tall trunks back. If I get time, I'll do something with them in August. (Too busy right now)
Vasyl
Mame
Leo, I think this is what you mean. I bought it but can't find any instructions for dosage to be applied on a bonsai. The instructions are for large trees and the dosage formula based on a trees' circumference. I don’t think it wouls work on a bonsai. Can you help me with that? Also, can I use it on a ponytail palm?
Leo in N E Illinois
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That is one of the several I had been thinking about.
Okay, this product is a soil drench. Take a picture of the back label, so I can read along with you. Check, the directions label might be multiple pages, all taped to the back. Later I'll try to find it on line. The info we want should be there.
Vasyl
Mame
