Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
[IBC] Begginer with some questions!
Adam,
The thick trunks happen only on much older trees that have been allowed to grow large to thicken and then are cut back to a smaller branch for a new apex. Over many years and reductions the trunk is very fat and there is lots of taper. You can fuse lots of smaller fig trees together to form a larger trunk and the ones in the middle just fuse into the whole trunk. They do this happily and they don't get squeezed to death. Hope this helps. Jerry Meislik Whitefish Montana USA Zone 4-5 http://www.bonsaihunk.8m.com/ But anyway recently ive been cruisin the net lookin at bonsai pictures and I have noticed some bonsai trees have very thick trunks! ANd I was wondering how you achive this. I was thinking about one picture specificaly, cant think of where it was of a ficus, and it almost looked like several trees with their trunks all "braided" as i can best describe it together. Of course it didnt have the uniformity of say a hair braid they were just twisted tightly together to fourm one large trunk, and a very thick canopy. But I was thinking then more, as those trunks thicken with age woudlnt that cause bad problems? like the ones in the middle would get squeezed to death? SO then is the only way to achive a very thick trunk just to let it thicken with age? ;( that takes to long. But I guess this is kinda a hobby that takes time eh? Sorry fo sucha long question! lol Adam ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
[IBC] Begginer with some questions!
Also the ficus has
a neat tropical look which Iike. And I think they are of good bonsai quality because they come small, and specialy sold as "bonsai starters" for fairly cheap, around $4-$10 depending how big ya want. I was thinking about one picture specificaly, cant think of where it was of a ficus, and it almost looked like several trees with their trunks all "braided" as i can best describe it together. Hi Adam! Do you want something that's already a bonsai, or do you want to style your own? I'm surprised at how many beginners don't want to trim or style; they don't want a hobby, they want an ornament for their coffee table. You, on the other hand, sound like someone who wants to dig in. If so, you are starting with the wrong tree for your location. Figs will survive indoors, but they won't prosper. To get growth, your tree needs heat and light. You can put your tree outside during the summer, but it probably won't get a long-enough growth period. You can set up artificial lighting, augmented humidity and warmth, and you might be able to get your tree to look like the pictures you were looking at on the net. But those trees were almost certainly raised in the tropics. The only way for you to acchieve something like that is to buy a finished bonsai from a Florida nursery. I own figs that I started from cuttings, and my mistletoe, after maybe 13 years, has a trunk diameter of 3/4 of an inch. It's never going to do better than that. You'll have better luck with an easier species: willowleaf fig gets a husky trunk even indoors. But aerial roots (the braiding you noted) is difficult to get except under conditions of high humidity. I think you should buy a fig and have fun, but if you really want to style your own bonsai, you should seriously consider natives of Colorado. You've got some great plants to work with: besides pines, you've got those woody potentillas, and all manner of shrubs. Me, I love my ratty figs, but my blueberries are ten times the bonsai my figs ever will be, because they like their habitat and grow like the devil. -- Nina Shishkoff Frederick, MD ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
[IBC] Begginer with some questions!
Andy, I to live in Colorado (Colorado Springs), I have a decent sized
Ficus that I saved from Home Base (it was in a pot with the rocks glued on it which I removed immediately) over 6 years ago. I has been flourishing in a southern exposed window. I have bee taking it outside for the first time to acclimatize to the out doors. Since our nights are still cool I bring it in after a few hours of sun. A friend of mine from our Bonsai Club grows numerous varieties of ficus with great success. Are you a member of the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Club? They are having a show at the Botanical Gardens this weekend. You may find some vendors with some trees with larger trunks at a reasonable price. Good luck! If you would like the names of vendors I use in the area please feel free to e-mail me off the list. Manny -----Original Message----- From: Internet Bonsai Club ]On Behalf Of AdamA Sent: Monday, June 09, 2003 7:54 PM To: Subject: [IBC] Begginer with some questions! Hello! I've been expeimenting with bonsai for almost a 2 years now and im ready to try a serious Bonsai that hopefuly will turn out nice! My plant of choice is a ficus trees because for some reason there seem to be tons at my local nursery (im in Denver, Colorado by the way), they are also cheap and hard to kill ive noticed so far! Also the ficus has a neat tropical look which Iike. And I think they are of good bonsai quality because they come small, and specialy sold as "bonsai starters" for fairly cheap, around $4-$10 depending how big ya want. Also ive been trying my luck doing cuttings off my ficus when i pruned them this spring, hopefully those will turn into free bonsai! hehehehe They are still alive after 2 weeks! But anyway recently ive been cruisin the net lookin at bonsai pictures and I have noticed some bonsai trees have very thick trunks! ANd I was wondering how you achive this. I was thinking about one picture specificaly, cant think of where it was of a ficus, and it almost looked like several trees with their trunks all "braided" as i can best describe it together. Of course it didnt have the uniformity of say a hair braid they were just twisted tightly together to fourm one large trunk, and a very thick canopy. But I was thinking then more, as those trunks thicken with age woudlnt that cause bad problems? like the ones in the middle would get squeezed to death? SO then is the only way to achive a very thick trunk just to let it thicken with age? ;( that takes to long. But I guess this is kinda a hobby that takes time eh? Sorry fo sucha long question! lol Adam ************************************************** ************************** **** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ************************** **** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
begginer question | Bonsai | |||
begginer question | Bonsai | |||
begginer in need of help | Bonsai | |||
[IBC] begginer in need of help | Bonsai | |||
Begginer with some questions! | Bonsai |