Good Indoor Tree for Beginner

[pandacular]

I just got a juniper from my sister actually so looks like I'll be having an outdoor tree.

I think this is quite fortuitous! Often, there are a good clearance sales in the fall, particularly for conifers. I think the best way to learn more is to have a good number of trees, so you can observe more specimens over the next year.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Wigerts is considered a good nursery

Seconded. Ask first if can be grown indoors with personal available light.

 

[penumbra]

Greenhouses are considered indoors, technically, and orchids seem to stay alive and thrive inside of them at nurseries, Lowes', Home Depot, and other places. What do you think might be the reason yours are not staying alive?

Greenhouses are technically indoor spaces, but their total function is to replicate outdoors. Orchids do Not thrive at big box stores mentioned. They thrive at the nurseries that grow orchids and start slow decline as soon as the are delivered. I have plant rooms with appropriate lighting and humidity for orchids, but they always do so much better outside given what the require. I have actually given away most of my orchids because they got so large outside that they took up too much indoor space in the winter.

 

[Bonsai Forest]

I do have a balcony. Building upon what paradox said, the winters do get pretty harsh here sometimes well below 0F. Besides some cheap wire garden fence, how would I protect an outdoor tree against wind/cold temperatures?

From a tree health perspective: A proactive way to build winter protection in trees is to develop a strong vascular system and ensure it has plenty of sugars and other nutrients to hold/use to withstand the temps and lower the internal freezing temp (the tree wants to prevent water inside of it from freezing, it wants to avoid freezing/internal cell damage, etc.)

Proper pruning, feeding, and photosynthesis will be an ongoing process of winter defense. The healthier the tree, the more beefed up, the better it will withstand the elements.

 

[Gabler]

This is not true. Oxygen is necessary for cellular respiration in the roots. Without oxygen, the roots cannot create energy from the glucose produced by photosynthesis.

That said, I have no idea what the message you were replying to was trying to say.

I think what @rockm meant is that trees produce more oxygen during photosynthesis than they consume during respiration, because a portion of what they make during photosynthesis is incorporated into new growth, and comparatively little is burned for energy.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

My balcony gets sunlight a good amount of the day. Going to be getting a feel for how much sunlight outside get's tomorrow with a plant out there. I'll have to look into the insulated cold frame

I just got a juniper from my sister actually so looks like I'll be having an outdoor tree. I did buy ~10 nursery stock hinoki cypress and mugo pine at a local garden center but have not had any luck keeping them alive. I would love to have outdoor trees once I am in a more permanent location. Have looked into amur maple

Were you keeping the cypress and pines indoor? If so, there is no chance to keep them healthy without an extreme effort.

Juniper is a great start! Keep it outside on the balcony and see how it does! It may open you up to other plants. Junipers need as much sun as possible, so if the juniper thrives and grows, you shouldnt have problems with other trees. 6+hours of sun should be perfect for that balcony.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

From a tree health perspective: A proactive way to build winter protection in trees is to develop a strong vascular system and ensure it has plenty of sugars and other nutrients to hold/use to withstand the temps and lower the internal freezing temp (the tree wants to prevent water inside of it from freezing, it wants to avoid freezing/internal cell damage, etc.)

Proper pruning, feeding, and photosynthesis will be an ongoing process of winter defense. The healthier the tree, the more beefed up, the better it will withstand the elements.

Even the maximizing tree health wont protect a japanese maple, or usda zone 6 max tree from harsh minnesota winters without protection. In a pot on a balcony with no protection, the OP will be dealing with effectively a Zone 1 or 2 climate.

 

[dancing with butterflies]

hi i saw a tree species wigerts carries


dwarf orchid tree??


good or not?

 

[AmateurBonsai]

What kind of light does your balcony get?

My opinion is that you can probably get away with cold hardy outdoor trees if you get some decent sun. With basic winter protection for USDA zone 4 or so like an insulated cold frame. Something like Larch, tsuga, native pines, or juniper may do ok on a balcony.

I think you may be limiting yourself by giving up on the outdoor.

Balcony get's sunlight from about 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM everyday. I currently have the Juniper outside on a TV tray hahaha

I plan on getting some more permanent shelfing of sorts to put more outdoor trees if I stay here in the future. I don't think the tree's would recieve adequete lighting without being propped up closer to the edge of railing on the balcony

 

[AmateurBonsai]

Were you keeping the cypress and pines indoor? If so, there is no chance to keep them healthy without an extreme effort.

Juniper is a great start! Keep it outside on the balcony and see how it does! It may open you up to other plants. Junipers need as much sun as possible, so if the juniper thrives and grows, you shouldnt have problems with other trees. 6+hours of sun should be perfect for that balcony.

I was keeping the cypress and pines outdoor. I believe my issue with those trees it was more so of a potting and watering issue. I did not remove them from the plastic nursey containers they were bought in and needed to be repotted for success.

So far this juniper has been doing great. I have been rotating it, to ensure the light gets to all sides. If 6 hours is enough then I should be able to grow some outdoors. I need some furniture to prop up the plants to get more light without being shaded from the railings

 

[pandacular]

You can build or buy benches for cheap. The most common design I see is just a couple of 2x8s on a stack of cinder blocks. If you stain and paint them, it even looks nice!

That's a ton of light for a balcony, I say go for it.

 

[AmateurBonsai]

Even the maximizing tree health wont protect a japanese maple, or usda zone 6 max tree from harsh minnesota winters without protection. In a pot on a balcony with no protection, the OP will be dealing with effectively a Zone 1 or 2 climate.

I assumed that the raised elevation along with no protection would lead to an even harsher environment which lead to my concerns over outdoors. I am going to do some research on what winter protection would be best suitable so I can maximize my species potential for outdoor trees

I would like to get some Maples, like you said though the Japanese Maple is certainly not an option right now and is not nearly hardy enough for my climate. I looked into some Amur's through Evergreen gardenworks but I believe they were out of stock when I lasted checked

 

[AmateurBonsai]

You can build or buy benches for cheap. The most common design I see is just a couple of 2x8s on a stack of cinder blocks. If you stain and paint them, it even looks nice!

That's a ton of light for a balcony, I say go for it.

Awesome, I would love to have more outdoor trees (Bonsai really should be outside). I am more than glad to hear that the lighting is sufficient.

2x8's on the cinder blocks are a wonderful idea. I just might have to follow suit

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I assumed that the raised elevation along with no protection would lead to an even harsher environment which lead to my concerns over outdoors. I am going to do some research on what winter protection would be best suitable so I can maximize my species potential for outdoor trees

I would like to get some Maples, like you said though the Japanese Maple is certainly not an option right now and is not nearly hardy enough for my climate. I looked into some Amur's through Evergreen gardenworks but I believe they were out of stock when I lasted checked

With some basic protection, youd be surprised what you can keep alive.