Nova bonsai garden

[Mikecheck123]

Also it’s defoliation time. I think that most of you know that when I say ”defoliation” I don’t mean completely removing every leaf on the tree. Never miss an opportunity to strengthen weak growth and defoliation is a golden opportunity on broadleaf trees. Instead of just blindly removing every leaf, I suggest that you do this. First, remove all the leaves on the outer canopy of the tree. Next, remove all the leaves on extending interior shoots. Leave all the leaves on the weak interior shoots that haven’t extended. If your tree has a dense canopy, you’ll want to put it under a bit of shade (I put mine under 50% shade cloth - 30% is probably better) for a couple of weeks to protect the interior shoots from sunburn. The only time I completely defoliate is before a show in order to exhibit the tree without leaves or to show the tree with a fresh set of small leaves.

Heres a Cedar elm I defoliated a couple of weeks ago.
View attachment 495072

If you have a branch that you’d like to strengthen, defoliation is an excellent opportunity for that as well. Just leave more (or all) the leaves on that branch. Here’s an example with a different Cedar elm where I’m trying to strengthen the lower branches.
View attachment 495075

Thanks for the tip. I have a blue oak whose shaded branches always do poorly. Trying it now.

 

[markyscott]

Started building a stone retaining wall around the beer (ahem - bonsai) garden today. I started to build this myself, but quickly realized that this is something for someone who knows what the heck they are doing. Retaining wall is needed because I excavated down about 3’ on the south end of the level pad for the growing area. The southeast side is slightly above grade. So I’ll enclose the north and west side with a wall and fill in behind it with gravel for drainage.

 

[rockm]

Started building a stone retaining wall around the beer (ahem - bonsai) garden today. I started to build this myself, but quickly realized that this is something for someone who knows what the heck they are doing. Retaining wall is needed because I excavated down about 3’ on the south end of the level pad for the growing area. The southeast side is slightly above grade. So I’ll enclose the north and west side with a wall and fill in behind it with gravel for drainage.

View attachment 495999
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Going to be beautiful!

 

[PerryB]

Started building a stone retaining wall around the beer (ahem - bonsai) garden today. I started to build this myself, but quickly realized that this is something for someone who knows what the heck they are doing. Retaining wall is needed because I excavated down about 3’ on the south end of the level pad for the growing area. The southeast side is slightly above grade. So I’ll enclose the north and west side with a wall and fill in behind it with gravel for drainage.

View attachment 495999
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Yeah, good call on bringing in some skilled masons!
I have built some small stone walls in my time for myself, but on some of my large residential projects the guys who know what they're doing have always looked like magicians compared to even my most careful and painstaking attempts.
It's been 40+ years since I hired my first stone masons and my skills improved very little in that time.

 

[markyscott]

First wall section is almost finished.

 

[cmeg1]

Way cool ,man.

 

[Carol 83]

That is going to be awesome.

 

[BonsaiDTLA]

First wall section is almost finished. View attachment 496210

EPIC!

 

[markyscott]

Putting the finishing touches on the first wall section.

 

[BonsaiDTLA]

Putting the finishing touches on the first wall section. View attachment 496321

Fast progress, I love it.

I'm going through a remodel right now and we're just beginning to start the landscaping. Hoping it'll look even half as good as yours is turning out!

Side note, what wood are those benches made out of? Did you apply anything to the wood or is it untreated?

 

[markyscott]

Fast progress, I love it.

I'm going through a remodel right now and we're just beginning to start the landscaping. Hoping it'll look even half as good as yours is turning out!

Side note, what wood are those benches made out of? Did you apply anything to the wood or is it untreated?

Benches are treated lumber. I did not apply any finish.

S

 

[markyscott]

Here’s an interesting question. One year ago I was living near White Post, about 1/2 an hour away. I was picking hundreds of Japanese Beetles off my Cedar elms. This year (knock on wood) - none. Now one possibility is that I got them all last year and now there are none left in Virginia. Seems unlikely. So why no Japanese beetles at the new digs? I’m wondering if it’s the lack of lawn for the grubs or if it’s something else. Any thoughts?

S

 

[Carol 83]

Here’s an interesting question. One year ago I was living near White Pout, about 1/2 an hour away. I was picking hundreds of Japanese Beetles off my Cedar elms. This year (knock on wood) - none. Now one possibility is that I got them all last year and now there are none left in Virginia. Seems unlikely. So why no Japanese beetles at the new digs? I’m wondering if it’s the lack of lawn for the grubs or if it’s something else. Any thoughts?

S

Some years we have tons of Japanese Beetles here, enough to decimate some of our landscape trees, some years we have none. (like this year so far). But I don't know why.

 

[rockm]

Here’s an interesting question. One year ago I was living near White Post, about 1/2 an hour away. I was picking hundreds of Japanese Beetles off my Cedar elms. This year (knock on wood) - none. Now one possibility is that I got them all last year and now there are none left in Virginia. Seems unlikely. So why no Japanese beetles at the new digs? I’m wondering if it’s the lack of lawn for the grubs or if it’s something else. Any thoughts?

S

Japanese beetles are sporadic pests. Infestations can be localized and vary year to year. The local presence of flowers and flowering fruit trees has more of an influence in attracting them than lawns. My cedar elms get them, but not often. They emerge in June after spending the last year in the ground as grubs, so it's Japanese beetle time now.

 

[PerryB]

Here’s an interesting question. One year ago I was living near White Post, about 1/2 an hour away. I was picking hundreds of Japanese Beetles off my Cedar elms. This year (knock on wood) - none. Now one possibility is that I got them all last year and now there are none left in Virginia. Seems unlikely. So why no Japanese beetles at the new digs? I’m wondering if it’s the lack of lawn for the grubs or if it’s something else. Any thoughts?

S

I'm maybe 45 minutes away from you (just inside the Beltway) and have been in this house for 31 years now; we have had less than 10 Japanese beetles in all those years.
[Knocks on wood]

 

[markyscott]

I'm maybe 45 minutes away from you (just inside the Beltway) and have been in this house for 31 years now; we have had less than 10 Japanese beetles in all those years.
[Knocks on wood]

Interestingly, I saw my first one of the year today. Shouldn’t have said anything- probably jinxed myself!

 

[Paradox]

Haven't seen Japanese beetles up here yet but the June bugs showed up in the last week or so. The Japanese beetles usually aren't far behind

 

[Shogun610]

First wall section is almost finished. View attachment 496210

You hiring a live in apprentice and his dog? Kidding , nice set up definitely good to see it come to fruition

 

[vp999]

A little, lol. We had a good life in Houston for many years - there’s a a lot I’ll miss. But onward!

- S

Same with me when I moved away from New Orleans 27 years ago, where we were living wasn't a safe area at all and we didn't have much, but part of me will always miss New Orleans, its in my blood.

 

[markyscott]

Picked a bunch of Japanese beetles off the Crepe Myrtle. Wall is nearly complete. Poured the footers for the shade structure.