Question re: Ninebark

[Roni B.]

I'm new to this forum and to bonsai. I purchased a Ninebark last fall and attempted to winter-shelter it here in MN. Question - is Ninebark a hardy plant and how long after you take it out of the winter-shelter and put under lights does it take for leaves to start appearing? Wondering if I might have killed it Thanks

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Ninebark is Physocarpus opulifolius, it is native to Minnesota, and even Manitoba, it is fully hardy in your area. It is an outdoor tree, it wants full sun, most light gardens do not produce the light intensity it needs. If at all possible, after danger of frost has passed, put it outside to grow, and never bring it back inside for more than a day at a time to display it. When winter comes, simply bury the pot it is in up to the rim in the garden, in a spot with winter shade, and it will ride the winter out just fine. If it is in a fancy ceramic pot, slip pot it into a larger plastic pot and plunge the plastic pot up to the rim in a winter shade spot in the garden. This is an easy way to winter a small collection of hardy trees.

More bonsai are killed by too much protection in winter than not enough. If a tree is hardy, meaning sold at local landscape nurseries as a hardy landscape tree, it can be wintered the way I suggested. North side of a building is a good spot for winter shade. Sun in winter can cause twigs to dehydrate, shade also lessens freeze thaw cycling.

If you have no outdoor growing area, try sub-tropical and tropical species for the light garden. Ficus, Eugenia, Malpighia, & Serissa are all good choices.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The original Japanese bonsai tradition, trees were never grown indoors. They were always grown outside. The only time they would be brought indoors and placed in the home's Tokonoma, would be a few minutes before company arrived, and they would be put back outdoors right after the company left, before the dishes were done. They were never grown indoors. We, as westerners see the beautiful photos of the Tokonoma displays and want that indoors all the time. It isn't possible. Now you can grow a marvelous array of sub tropical and tropical trees indoors, in a well planned light garden, but these will not be the same species that you grow outdoors. and will not be the species the Japanese traditionally used for bonsai, because traditionally the Japanese only used locally native, outdoor trees for bonsai.