MaverickLancer
Mame
I recently visited a bonsai nursery at the suggestion of a friend and promptly fell in love with this Grewia (not sure if occidentalis or caffra?). However, there doesn't seem to be as much info on it as other flowering bonsai. Like my bougainvillea thread, Im going to lay out what I've seen on it so far. Please feel free to correct anything or offer your own advice! Thanks.
Soil
The one source I found suggested 50% organic (potting mix or pine bark), 25% pumice, and 25% lava rock. I've also seen that iron deficiency (chlorosis) is a common problem, so additives may be necessary.
Fertilizing
Since the Grewia likes acidic soil, I was wondering if it was worth it to use azalea fertilizer. Alternatively, I've seen that Apple cider vinegar could be used to achieve the target 5.5 pH.
Watering
I've seen conflicting information on this one. Some say to soak through until water comes out the bottom and wait to water until the soil is dry. Others say to keep the soil moist, but never wet. Anyone with experience here?
Pruning
Flowers need to be pinched continuously on young trees to promote more growth. Trees can be pruned heavily, but Im not sure about the roots. Do those need to be pruned regularly, or do Grewias like to be more rootbound?
Roots
The one thing that really makes me nervous on this tree is the roots. There seems to be a clump of dried/dead roots near the base. They are very thin, and many are just hanging off, barely touching the soil. Do these need to be removed, and are the indicative of a larger problem?
Styling
The trunk has a rather interesting twist, which means there is a bright future as an informal upright. I plan to refine the triangular shape it already has, but would it look better if I allowed full growth along the branches, or isolated pads like I see on a lot of junipers?
Blue Leaves
I've noticed that a few of the leaves have some sort of blue residue on them. I was thinking it was from a fertilizer the nursery may have used, but I'm not sure. Any ideas?
Soil
The one source I found suggested 50% organic (potting mix or pine bark), 25% pumice, and 25% lava rock. I've also seen that iron deficiency (chlorosis) is a common problem, so additives may be necessary.
Fertilizing
Since the Grewia likes acidic soil, I was wondering if it was worth it to use azalea fertilizer. Alternatively, I've seen that Apple cider vinegar could be used to achieve the target 5.5 pH.
Watering
I've seen conflicting information on this one. Some say to soak through until water comes out the bottom and wait to water until the soil is dry. Others say to keep the soil moist, but never wet. Anyone with experience here?
Pruning
Flowers need to be pinched continuously on young trees to promote more growth. Trees can be pruned heavily, but Im not sure about the roots. Do those need to be pruned regularly, or do Grewias like to be more rootbound?
Roots
The one thing that really makes me nervous on this tree is the roots. There seems to be a clump of dried/dead roots near the base. They are very thin, and many are just hanging off, barely touching the soil. Do these need to be removed, and are the indicative of a larger problem?
Styling
The trunk has a rather interesting twist, which means there is a bright future as an informal upright. I plan to refine the triangular shape it already has, but would it look better if I allowed full growth along the branches, or isolated pads like I see on a lot of junipers?
Blue Leaves
I've noticed that a few of the leaves have some sort of blue residue on them. I was thinking it was from a fertilizer the nursery may have used, but I'm not sure. Any ideas?
