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#1
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[IBC] Keeping Shohin Alive
John:
Have you ever tried placing several of your trees in a bed of sand? Keeping the sand wet should also help keep the pots from frying the roots? Just a thought! Carl L. Rosner John T. Jarrett wrote: There's a Shohin thread in the Gallery running and that is one of my favorite sizes to work with. Easy to collect natives that size, easy to repot, easy to get cheap plastic training pots for...but... Where do you keep these? I'm outside Austin, Texas, USDA Zone 8a, and with weird 17 degree F freezes after winter's over, then summers with whole weeks over 110 F (about 6 weeks over 100 each year, at least a couple days around or over 120)...I can't keep anything that small alive outside! Miss just one of the two or three daily waterings and, csheeeek! Toss at least one on the compost pile! I've tried moving on to larger potensai, and this year find the pots much more expensive...and that it takes A LOT more sifting for the repotting! Whew... :) What's your secret? How do you keep them alive without either being retired or having help? John T. Jarrett Austin, Tex ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#2
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[IBC] Keeping Shohin Alive
"John T. Jarrett" wrote:
There's a Shohin thread in the Gallery running and that is one of my favorite sizes to work with. Easy to collect natives that size, easy to repot, easy to get cheap plastic training pots for...but... Where do you keep these? snip What's your secret? How do you keep them alive without either being retired or having help? John T. Jarrett Austin, Tex I can't be much help since I'm in southern NY state, but I have two junipers that are shohin size--actually closer to mame size. I just treat them like everything else and they're happy as clams. Craig Cowing NY Zone 5b/6a ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#3
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[IBC] Keeping Shohin Alive
There's a Shohin thread in the Gallery running and that is one
of my favorite sizes to work with. Easy to collect natives that size, easy to repot, easy to get cheap plastic training pots for...but... Where do you keep these? I'm outside Austin, Texas, USDA Zone 8a, and with weird 17 degree F freezes after winter's over, then summers with whole weeks over 110 F (about 6 weeks over 100 each year, at least a couple days around or over 120)...I can't keep anything that small alive outside! Miss just one of the two or three daily waterings and, csheeeek! Toss at least one on the compost pile! John, Ninety percent of my bonsai are shohin-size trees, and more than half of those are under 6 inches tall. As far as temperature goes, yours and my climates are similar, but I do have quite a bit more humidity. Carl has given you an excellent suggestion. Depending on how large your shohin are, and how many you have, purchase one or more 10x20-inch flats (WITH drainage holes). They're 2-3 inches deep, usually. Sometimes your local nursery will give you one or two (or you can buy a flat or two of petunias for your yard ;-) then make use of the flat(s). The 70-pound (I think) bag of all-purpose sand sold at Home Depot should be OK for this purpose (it is MUCH too fine to mix into bonsai soil!). Fill the flat, then embed the pots in the sand and water thoroughly (REAL thoroughly, the dry sand will want to repel water at first). The sand will stay damp for quite a while (especially if you keep the trees under a lathe screen or shade cloth). Except on the very hottest of days you may even be able to get away with a once-a-day (in the morning) schedule. The other option -- and the one I use -- is to set up a DripWorks (or similar) system on a timer that waters a couple of times a day. This system will cost you about $150 for the tubing and the emitters and a decent timer (I use the battery-operated Gilmour timer, carried in my area by both Home Depot and Lowes). There are timers that you wire into your electrical systems which are as reliable as your power company, but if you change your batteries every 6 months, the battery-operated systems are fine. This can be a hands-off system -- which isn't the best way to grow bonsai, especially small ones, but . . .) DripWorks is reachable via www.dripworksusa.com. You can also get timers through them. You may find a local supplier. HD and Lowes carry similar systems, but they may be a bit more expensive and do not provide the wide range of options. I have my system set for every-other-day watering this time of year (though it has been off for 4 weeks because of the RAIN!!!!). In summer, I set it for once-a day, in the evening. I check my trees in the A.M. and provide supplemental watering if necessary. But then, I'm retired and can do that. You can set the timer for once- twice- thrice- or whatever-times-a-day. Shade from your Texas sun will be a MUST for all of your small trees. Even if they didn't dry out, the summer sun could heat up the pots so badly that you would cook the roots -- and if the roots were damp, you'd par-boil them. Last year, our club's April show was held in sunny 90-plus-degree weather. It is always outdoors (alas) and trees in dark pots really suffered. I had a bald cypress grove there and I blame the loss of three trees over the winter on that early exposure to heat. Hope this helps. Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry David Thoreau - Walden ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#4
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[IBC] Keeping Shohin Alive
These trays can also be bought mail order (5/$5.25) with or without
drainage. See your Charley's catalog p.39. Bart ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Lewis" To: Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 10:11 AM Subject: [IBC] Keeping Shohin Alive There's a Shohin thread in the Gallery running and that is one of my favorite sizes to work with. Easy to collect natives that size, easy to repot, easy to get cheap plastic training pots for...but... Where do you keep these? I'm outside Austin, Texas, USDA Zone 8a, and with weird 17 degree F freezes after winter's over, then summers with whole weeks over 110 F (about 6 weeks over 100 each year, at least a couple days around or over 120)...I can't keep anything that small alive outside! Miss just one of the two or three daily waterings and, csheeeek! Toss at least one on the compost pile! John, Ninety percent of my bonsai are shohin-size trees, and more than half of those are under 6 inches tall. As far as temperature goes, yours and my climates are similar, but I do have quite a bit more humidity. Carl has given you an excellent suggestion. Depending on how large your shohin are, and how many you have, purchase one or more 10x20-inch flats (WITH drainage holes). They're 2-3 inches deep, usually. Sometimes your local nursery will give you one or two (or you can buy a flat or two of petunias for your yard ;-) then make use of the flat(s). The 70-pound (I think) bag of all-purpose sand sold at Home Depot should be OK for this purpose (it is MUCH too fine to mix into bonsai soil!). Fill the flat, then embed the pots in the sand and water thoroughly (REAL thoroughly, the dry sand will want to repel water at first). The sand will stay damp for quite a while (especially if you keep the trees under a lathe screen or shade cloth). Except on the very hottest of days you may even be able to get away with a once-a-day (in the morning) schedule. The other option -- and the one I use -- is to set up a DripWorks (or similar) system on a timer that waters a couple of times a day. This system will cost you about $150 for the tubing and the emitters and a decent timer (I use the battery-operated Gilmour timer, carried in my area by both Home Depot and Lowes). There are timers that you wire into your electrical systems which are as reliable as your power company, but if you change your batteries every 6 months, the battery-operated systems are fine. This can be a hands-off system -- which isn't the best way to grow bonsai, especially small ones, but . . .) DripWorks is reachable via www.dripworksusa.com. You can also get timers through them. You may find a local supplier. HD and Lowes carry similar systems, but they may be a bit more expensive and do not provide the wide range of options. I have my system set for every-other-day watering this time of year (though it has been off for 4 weeks because of the RAIN!!!!). In summer, I set it for once-a day, in the evening. I check my trees in the A.M. and provide supplemental watering if necessary. But then, I'm retired and can do that. You can set the timer for once- twice- thrice- or whatever-times-a-day. Shade from your Texas sun will be a MUST for all of your small trees. Even if they didn't dry out, the summer sun could heat up the pots so badly that you would cook the roots -- and if the roots were damp, you'd par-boil them. Last year, our club's April show was held in sunny 90-plus-degree weather. It is always outdoors (alas) and trees in dark pots really suffered. I had a bald cypress grove there and I blame the loss of three trees over the winter on that early exposure to heat. Hope this helps. Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry David Thoreau - Walden ************************************************** ************************** **** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ************************** **** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#5
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[IBC] Keeping Shohin Alive
Shade from your Texas sun will be a MUST for all of your small
trees. Even if they didn't dry out, the summer sun could heat up the pots so badly that you would cook the roots -- and if the roots were damp, you'd par-boil them. Last year, our club's April show was held in sunny 90-plus-degree weather. It is always outdoors (alas) and trees in dark pots really suffered. I had a bald cypress grove there and I blame the loss of three trees over the winter on that early exposure to heat. Hope this helps. Jim Lewis On the subject of cooking your roots: On a trip to visit Nick Lenz with our club, I noticed pieces of wooden boards propped up against all the pots in his collection of trees. When asked what they were for, Nick said to protect the pots from the sun. I thought then that it was a good idea. This way if you wanted the tree to get sun but didn't want the pot to heat up you could just shade the pot. I realize this would not be good at an exhibit when on display but it should work good for any tree in your yard no matter what the size. Len PLEASE NOTE MY NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS: http://www.bonsairi.com http://www.rhodeislandbonsaisociety.org ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#6
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[IBC] Keeping Shohin Alive
Shade from your Texas sun will be a MUST for all of your
small trees. Even if they didn't dry out, the summer sun could heat up the pots so badly that you would cook the roots -- and if the roots were damp, you'd par-boil them. Last year, our club's April show was held in sunny 90-plus-degree weather. It is always outdoors (alas) and trees in dark pots really suffered. I had a bald cypress grove there and I blame the loss of three trees over the winter on that early exposure to heat. On the subject of cooking your roots: On a trip to visit Nick Lenz with our club, I noticed pieces of wooden boards propped up against all the pots in his collection of trees. When asked what they were for, Nick said to protect the pots from the sun. I thought then that it was a good idea. This way if you wanted the tree to get sun but didn't want the pot to heat up you could just shade the pot. I realize this would not be good at an exhibit when on display but it should work good for any tree in your yard no matter what the size. It's a bit hard to imagine that the sun would ever cook anything up in THAT neighborhood. I know, heat is relative to what preceded it, but . . . WE travel up there to cool off in the summers, while YOU come down here to warm up in the winters. Down here, those who don't have sufficient shade use aluminum foil -- shiny side out -- to keep pots cool in summers. Ugly as sin, but effective. Shade, however, is best. Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry David Thoreau - Walden ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#7
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[IBC] Keeping Shohin Alive
I visited Vito's Bonsai down here last year - he's going out of biz and had
little left. He has a 'Shade House' - greenhouse but with screen over the top and sides instead of plastic - that had a couple maples in it...the only maples on the lot. I asked, 'Do the maples stay in here ALL year and still look this bad?' You know, like some little kid sat there with a magnifying glass burning all the leaves... He said, 'Yep.' And there are Oaks shading the screening! Oh well, what we put up with for no snow, eh? -- John T. Jarrett http://logontexas.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Web Design - Program - Host - Maintain - Databases - E-Commerce $9.95 Nationwide Dial-Up ISP new customers welcome... --------------------------------------------------------------- "Jim Lewis" wrote in message news:001801c2e4ef$db3cb260$ec112cc7@pavilion... Shade from your Texas sun will be a MUST for all of your small trees. Even if they didn't dry out, the summer sun could heat up the pots so badly that you would cook the roots -- and if the roots were damp, you'd par-boil them. Last year, our club's April show was held in sunny 90-plus-degree weather. It is always outdoors (alas) and trees in dark pots really suffered. I had a bald cypress grove there and I blame the loss of three trees over the winter on that early exposure to heat. On the subject of cooking your roots: On a trip to visit Nick Lenz with our club, I noticed pieces of wooden boards propped up against all the pots in his collection of trees. When asked what they were for, Nick said to protect the pots from the sun. I thought then that it was a good idea. This way if you wanted the tree to get sun but didn't want the pot to heat up you could just shade the pot. I realize this would not be good at an exhibit when on display but it should work good for any tree in your yard no matter what the size. It's a bit hard to imagine that the sun would ever cook anything up in THAT neighborhood. I know, heat is relative to what preceded it, but . . . WE travel up there to cool off in the summers, while YOU come down here to warm up in the winters. Down here, those who don't have sufficient shade use aluminum foil -- shiny side out -- to keep pots cool in summers. Ugly as sin, but effective. Shade, however, is best. Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry David Thoreau - Walden ************************************************** ************************** **** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ************************** **** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#8
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[IBC] Keeping Shohin Alive
I was re-reading a Pen-Jing book the other day where ALL the plantings are
on flat pieces of marble. They suggested laying the planting on the marble on top of a bed of moist sand. And he's obviously someplace much nicer than here. Must be a good idea :) Thanks, Carl. -- John T. Jarrett http://logontexas.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Web Design - Program - Host - Maintain - Databases - E-Commerce $9.95 Nationwide Dial-Up ISP new customers welcome... --------------------------------------------------------------- "Carl L Rosner" wrote in message ... John: Have you ever tried placing several of your trees in a bed of sand? Keeping the sand wet should also help keep the pots from frying the roots? Just a thought! Carl L. Rosner John T. Jarrett wrote: There's a Shohin thread in the Gallery running and that is one of my favorite sizes to work with. Easy to collect natives that size, easy to repot, easy to get cheap plastic training pots for...but... Where do you keep these? I'm outside Austin, Texas, USDA Zone 8a, and with weird 17 degree F freezes after winter's over, then summers with whole weeks over 110 F (about 6 weeks over 100 each year, at least a couple days around or over 120)...I can't keep anything that small alive outside! Miss just one of the two or three daily waterings and, csheeeek! Toss at least one on the compost pile! I've tried moving on to larger potensai, and this year find the pots much more expensive...and that it takes A LOT more sifting for the repotting! Whew... :) What's your secret? How do you keep them alive without either being retired or having help? John T. Jarrett Austin, Tex ************************************************** ************************** **** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ************************** **** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
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