Most important components for bonsai?

[JonW]

At my moms house/work she has a bunch of orchids that receive no care except regular waterings with the water we wash canoes with. It’s drawn straight from the river with lots of tannins and ultrafine organics suspended. I can’t wait to finish this house so she can retire here and I can get my bonsai there for the water! Between water and light to moderate fertilizing I think my biggest problem will be pruning and I’ll be able to take my trees from 30-40% bark to 10-20% or less I’m hoping. Plus living at work will allow me to water more often during the day instead of only in the morning and evening. I’ve had days where I come home after watering that morning on a hot windy day to dry soil which is terrifying! This is in FL by the way. So in my opinion there is no priority, just a list of best practices and paying attention to what you’re lacking. If your water is very alkaline then pay attention to PH, if your organics plug your soil switch to in organic or liquid organic. Etc. etc. etc. watch what works! The only thing I’m still trying to perfect propagation wise is cuttings. I can’t find the knack for a lot of the tougher trees. Hibiscus I can grow like weeds. So if anyone wants some of my hibiscus (I’ll take pics once they bloom, they were ripped apart and chopped way back after removal from nursery can) I’ll be happy to send rooted cuttings! Lmao

Yep, it's learning one thing at a time. I find I need to fail a few times to learn the knack with each type of plant to propagate it.

Even in Pittsburgh, my trees dry before I get home. I use a drip system that mists for 20 seconds every 2 hours during midday hours.

 

[Mikecheck123]

I agree that keeping it simple is best. Really the only thing that matters is uniform particle size that allows drying out daily in your climate.

 

[JonW]

I see articles that describe CEC=35 to be 'high CEC'. Regardless, in bonsai I fertilize continuously (more or less), so CEC really isn't a concern like it is in agricultural farming.

Turface is inexpensive and readily available locally. It produces very nice root ramification. It is heavier than water whereas most orgainic bits that accumulate in it float which makes it easy to clean by tossing it into a bucket of water, rinse and repeat, until clear, let dry and reuse. I've considered switching to using pumice with some pines and junipers but hort pumice not as easily available and is much more expensive, so I just haven't tried it. Had it been practical, I would have used in experiments that I was doing years ago on repotting in Aug/Sep versus 'as buds swell'. On the other hand, I have pines and junipers doing just fine, so I think the moral of the story is that I've decided to work on 'the art of watering' instead.

Root ramification occurs for lots of reasons, but an important one is that when the growing tip is deflected by a hard particle, it will branch from the outside of the bend. My conclusion from reading this paper, "Root System Architecture from Coupling Cell Shape to Auxin Transport", is that one shouldn't want roots growing straight through soft stuff like Akadama if they want root ramification. Growing through a hard particle of lava might be different, but I see nothing desirable about having my tree's roots embedded in particles of lava or bark, for that matter.

I fiddle with IBA, Ethephon, BA/BAP, GA3 and Cytocel.

I like pumice this far and still like turface. I like how heavy turface is. I've messed with kinetin and ccc.

 

[leatherback]

Do not overthink and just grow the pants. Prune away what is not bonsai. And as Twain used to say, Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.

 

[Paradox]

just grow the pants.

Not sure I wanna know what fertilizer you use for that

 

[Trenthany]

Yep, it's learning one thing at a time. I find I need to fail a few times to learn the knack with each type of plant to propagate it.

Even in Pittsburgh, my trees dry before I get home. I use a drip system that mists for 20 seconds every 2 hours during midday hours.

What pattern jets? I’ve been shopping them and can’t decide what to use to get even wetting and minimal waste. Most seem to spray up and down at my hardware stores. There’s an irrigation company here in town and I’m thinking of going there next because nurseries have all just said whatever the supplier brings and can’t even remember brand and big box store employees have no clue. The local hardware store employees just look at me like I’m crazy. If the irrigation store isn’t enough help I’ll go hit the grove owners up! Lmao. Someone has to have an answer besides buy a bunch and try them!

 

[JonW]

What pattern jets? I’ve been shopping them and can’t decide what to use to get even wetting and minimal waste. Most seem to spray up and down at my hardware stores. There’s an irrigation company here in town and I’m thinking of going there next because nurseries have all just said whatever the supplier brings and can’t even remember brand and big box store employees have no clue. The local hardware store employees just look at me like I’m crazy. If the irrigation store isn’t enough help I’ll go hit the grove owners up! Lmao. Someone has to have an answer besides buy a bunch and try them!

Brent Walston suggests certain ones in one of his articles I haven't tried.

These aren't perfect, and you might need two for larger plants, but I primarily use these:
Orbit 66190 1/2 Flex-Mist Micro Sprinkler

10 seconds every two hours between 10am and 6pm is generally enough to keep the roots from drying, but you might need two on larger plants and it can be hard to get the entirety of the soil surface, though I'm not sure that's completely necessary. I rarely need to water except on the hottest days, and then I turn it up to 20 seconds (then it drips out the bottom of pots). I only hand water with liquid fertilizer twice a week in addition to the drip system.

 

[Trenthany]

Brent Walston suggests certain ones in one of his articles I haven't tried.

These aren't perfect, and you might need two for larger plants, but I primarily use these:
Orbit 66190 1/2 Flex-Mist Micro Sprinkler

10 seconds every two hours between 10am and 6pm is generally enough to keep the roots from drying, but you might need two on larger plants and it can be hard to get the entirety of the soil surface, though I'm not sure that's completely necessary. I rarely need to water except on the hottest days, and then I turn it up to 20 seconds (then it drips out the bottom of pots). I only hand water with liquid fertilizer twice a week in addition to the drip system.

Thank you!

 

[roberthu]

I always wonder why people have different opinions regarding turface. Some say it retains too much water while others say it retains less water than akadama does. Some say it does develop good roots while others say it develops fines roots very well. I wonder how much of the different experiences are due to climate and how much is due to personal care routines. Species also make a difference I am sure.

 

[leatherback]

Life Without Turface…

…is full of sweet birdsong and rainbows. I feel the need to comment on Turface, which is still, unfortunately, a common bonsai soil component. I used Turface and Oil-Dri for years before star…

crataegus.com

 

[Clorgan]

I'm not talking about skills etc, but the material components for good growth. For example...

• Inorganic soil: Lava, pumice and turface, which has a balance of drainage and holding moisture. Turface increases CEC. I might try American Bonsai Supply's Mini
• Fertilizer: I use dyna gro foliage pro 2x a week at half strength, and some CRF in the spring. Currently, I use Osmocote Plus, but I might switch to something organic, like Jobes (and while I don't trust Miracle Grow, their newer organic products look decent). Something pelleted so it doesn't clog up my soil.
• Humic Acid: I just started using this, so I haven't seen an effect yet, but my understanding is it can lower the PH making ferts more absorbable and increase CEC helping nutrients hang around longer in the soil, thus requiring less ferts and reducing the salt content, which facilitates water uptake with transpiration and consequently photosynthesis and healthy growth.

I know other people use other additives, such as...

• Chelating agents: I think dyna gro has most micronutrients in sufficient amounts and available forms.
• Micronutrients: As I said above, I think I have most covered. Though I don't think Dyna Gro has boron, which I was just reading about in a plant physiology textbook. I know a lot of people add calcium.
• PGR: I've experimented with this briefly on a few test plants, but not certain of the outcome.
• Mycorrhizae: I tend to think the spores from nature will make their way into bonsai, but I also get the point that they may be less prone to thrive in inorganic soil, if we use chemical ferts, if the soil humidity is less consistent... and if you repot frequently, so I could imagine there could be some benefit to certain plants.
• Bacteria: same as above... I think mycelium and bacteria are reasons to consider not bare-rooting plants, especially once they have an established nebari/root ball. Many of my plants are too young and get bare rooted each repotting.
• PH+/-: as I mentioned in regard to humic acid, making ferts more available allowing you to reduce the quantity you use would seem beneficial to transpiration and photosynthesis, but I haven't gotten into measuring and adjusting my water PH.
• Rain water: I've thought about getting a barrel, but I have limited space. There are benefits like reducing chlorine would could harm your soil ecosystem, but tap water has important nutrients.
• Type of pot: pond basket or bonsai bag for air pruning? Nursery pot because it warms up the roots for faster growth? Unglazed ceramic for water wicking? Plaster/Mica for longevity? Some people swear by the type of pot they use. I have mostly plastic bonsai pots but may try some bonsai bags or pond baskets, especially if I decide to put a plant in the ground and want the pond basket to facilitate digging it up.
• Other?

I know some of you use all the above and others was to keep it simple, but wondering what you think makes the biggest benefit.

I don't know what most of these words mean

 

[Mikecheck123]

I always wonder why people have different opinions regarding turface. Some say it retains too much water while others say it retains less water than akadama does. Some say it does develop good roots while others say it develops fines roots very well. I wonder how much of the different experiences are due to climate and how much is due to personal care routines. Species also make a difference I am sure.

The reason is simple: people who use it are wrong.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Back to learning one thing at a time

What is
"CRF fert"

Please, at least once in every post, "use the words people".
I'm sure once someone spells this one out it will be something I have heard of, or maybe not.

So what the hell is "CRF fert"

 

[Trenthany]

Back to learning one thing at a time

What is
"CRF fert"

Please, at least once in every post, "use the words people".
I'm sure once someone spells this one out it will be something I have heard of, or maybe not.

So what the hell is "CRF fert"

I had to go back because out of OP’s context I couldn’t remember. It’s controlled release fertilizer like osmocote plus.

 

[leatherback]

I had to go back because out of OP’s context I couldn’t remember. It’s controlled release fertilizer like osmocote plus.

Do people use that stuff on bonsai? ? ?

 

[Trenthany]

Do people use that stuff on bonsai? ? ?

All the time! Lol. The trend is definitely towards organics and liquids but watch enough videos and you see it. I want to say I most recently saw it in one of the big arboretum’s videos. Can’t remember where now. I’ll check history and update you.

 

[Trenthany]

@leatherback of course I can’t find it but I did find this one immediately so I figured I’d share it. This at a botanical garden no less.

 

[BobbyLane]

I had to go back because out of OP’s context I couldn’t remember. It’s controlled release fertilizer like osmocote plus.

ah so just another term for slow release ferts, i think most of us are more familiar with the words slow release fertiliser. yes im familiar with osmocote ferts, never used it though. there are so many slow release ferts on the market, chicken shit is cheap and works wonders the list is endless and they all do what they say on the tin!
you can go to the pound or dollar shop and those ferts will do a similar job.

 

[roberthu]

The reason is simple: people who use it are wrong.

I have been wrong for years then

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Tree, draining media, pot, water, sun, cutting tool, fertilizer, knowledge, good design application, (heart).
Cheers
DSD sends