My Tintillo from Puerto Rico

[Poink88]

Early this year I was given this Tintillo as a freebie as part of a 6 tree order.

January 2012
View attachment 27675

After 5 months 06/19/2012...
View attachment 27677

After 10 months of pinching and a bit of rough carving, this is how it looks now 11/11/2012
View attachment 27676

It is going inside today in preparation for winter. Looking forward next year.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Lot of progress in a very short time! I can't really see any of the branch structure, but the foliage looks nice and tight and everything looks healthy. What are you using to stabilize your deadwood?

PS some of your dates you marked 2011. I assume you meant them all to be 2012?

 

[Poink88]

On top of the regular pruning, I actually reduced the foliage about 40% just last month to correct an awkward branch. It grows very vigorously and agree that the branch structure is hidden but it really is in its infancy so it will be exposed later...but I am working on it.

No wood hardener yet. I will let it weather first. I used to use MInwax Wood Hardener but I plan on using PC Petrifier on this and onward.

Thanks!

 

[Poink88]

PS some of your dates you marked 2011. I assume you meant them all to be 2012?

You are right. I edited and corrected them. Thanks!

 

[Anthony]

Evening Dario,

I did some checking and Tintillo is Randia Aculeata, a shrub to about 6m.
Interesting plant. Please come back and say more about your growing and training experiences.
Thanks in advance.
Anthony

 

[Poink88]

The plant is very low maintenance...all it need is water and sunlight. It has thorns but if you pinch regularly (like I do) they hardly develop large thorns. I usually cut back branches to 2 leaves which usually encourages branching/ramification. The thorns of this plant can leaf and branch out. It loves sunlight. The wood is very hard, leaves are thick and a bit leathery.

Mine have not bloomed yet.

If you see the first pic I posted, most of those branches were chopped back hard leaving me almost nothing. Had I known it grows this quick...I would have been more brutal. Most of this tree is dead and less than 1/4 of the trunk is alive. (all the trunk shown are dead...with just a strip of live vein at the back).

Hope this helps.

 

[stacy allen muse]

??????????????

 

[Poink88]

Thanks Stacy.

Yeah, I wasn't expecting it and was surprised as I was pulling plants from the box. I also got a small but nice Ficus Nerifolia as freebie included in that order...8 for 6, not bad!

 

[Poink88]

This tree is surviving inside but slowly deteriorating. It dropped/lost half of its leaves already. I hope I can take it out for good next month. I plan on chopping it back farther once it is out since it need to grow new leaves anyway.

Next months (Feb and March) will be busy (for me)...have to do some repotting,chopping, & carving.

This coming (long) weekend, I hope I can collect a few trees (weather permitting).

 

[KennedyMarx]

Great specimen, Dario. It looks like it's developing nicely, but it's going to look really good once you get it back outside again.

 

[Poink88]

I moved all my tropical trees in last night because of a cold front...so I thought. I just realized this afternoon that I left this Tintillo out as I was watering. I hope it is still okay...all the leaves are now shriveled.

 

[Dav4]

That sucks, Dario...how cold did it get?

I haven't owned a tropical bonsai in over 14 years. My one and only was a 18" tall fig with a 4" thick trunk my Fiance (wife now) won at a raffle at Bonsai West. I kept it on my 3 season porch on cold spring and fall nights, and one night in October it got so cold the soil froze...game over. It was a nice tree, but I never wanted to get another one...too much trouble/effort. Hope your tree does better then my fig did.

 

[jkd2572]

You need to keep the tropicals together so you can make a clean sweep when they are ready to go inside. Was it hidden with non tropicals?

 

[Poink88]

The temperature only went down to lower 40s I think so I am hopeful it will make it. Problem is, it will be stressed going in to the winter set-up which weakens it more in time. Hope this one makes it.

My tropicals are scattered everywhere...partly because of the tight space and their sun exposure requirements. This was on a lower shelf and I over looked it. Good idea and something I would have done if I can.

Thanks guys.

 

[jkd2572]

I'm not talking about all summer but when the fall hits and you know you are going to have to move quick soon. Was not criticizing. I know you keep most in the garage ,but do you have a favorite that spends the winter in front of a bright window?

 

[Poink88]

I'm not talking about all summer but when the fall hits and you know you are going to have to move quick soon. Was not criticizing. I know you keep most in the garage ,but do you have a favorite that spends the winter in front of a bright window?

I know you weren't criticizing. As I said, good suggestion.

I might have to keep some by the window this year...I sold one but the rest grew much bigger already and will occupy bigger area each. To top that, I saved some cuttings & airlayers and almost all took. Those too will occupy additional space. A blessing and a curse.