I have been doing bonsai for over 20 years. I remember the excitement of
all the new trees I could get. I go in for variety. In looking back my
exuberance killed a lot of trees. I've now settled for what grows well
outside in my area. Contrary to whatever fad has just come over from
Japan, I stick to local ingredients for my soil mix, as that's where my
trees are growing. I finally have some very beautiful trees

So it is with fascination that I relive my early years in bonsai through
all your stories and problems. I think most of all, bonsai should be
joyful to do. So if joy for you is in outsmarting the elements by indoor
duplication, I feel that is what is best for you.

That said, the way I choose to grow my trees is with as much help from old
Mom Nature as possible. This is relatively easy if you live in
California. It prevents me from growing anything that is frost sensitive
and it prevents me from growing things that do better with a good
chill. That still leaves me many plants to try to master. At age 62 I
have to choose my battles wisely. So I have a variety of maples and elms,
some pines and junipers and a selection of crab apples.

I am playing with olives and hack berries. I like the hackberries because
they grow more quickly for me than my elms. I can see changes in my
lifetime. I have finished trees that bore me because they only want
maintenance. I enjoy the journey more than the destination. Yet I would
have difficulty giving my grown children away.

I have a small growing ground. Have had much luck with putting in
pyrochomeles villanova and now put some of the olives in the
ground. Trying to decide if the mealy bug nebari on my lady apple is
attractive or not. The feeling comes and goes. It is in the ground and I
will not treat it until I dig it up. I want it a bit shorter to do that.

Would anyone know if the Pyrochomeles is subject to oak root fungus?

If you want to ask me questions about what I know, feel free. If you want
to talk about the variety of ingredients used in soil mixes, I think that
would be interesting. I like to share ideas.

Regards,

Kitsune Miko

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++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Welcome Kitsune Miko.

Strange,
I too enjoy the change, of the Hackberries more than
those of southern Chinese elms.Especially since I
have to pick the leaves off,of the S.C.elms in order
to get the jade green new growth.

As to soils.
Long ago I settled on a simple mix of sifted crushed red
brick,sifted crushed silica sand and compost/manure.
I have no complaints thus far,and full sun placement with
good spacing for those that can handle it has left me
relatively pest or disease free.

Discussions come and go on Serissa's and if they belong
in sub-tropical or warm Temperate zones,but here in the
Tropics,they grow like weeds.

Growing down here is easier in large plastic ends of barrels
than in our ever present sticky clay soils [called sapote].
Actually fukien teas will die in our clay earth and really do best
in artificial mixes.

My latest batch of Black pines from seed is doing well.Slowly
acclimating to sun and no cold.I enjoy starting trees from seed.
A tropical climate allows for rapid growth and seeds are a
great way to start a Bonsai collection.
To All,
Stay Well.
Khaimraj
[West Indies/Caribbean,
Sempre Spring Zone.]

AND my Tamarind is carrying pods,this is my fourth batch,
but normally as a pod.


-----Original Message-----
From: Kitsune Miko
To:
Date: 12 July 2003 9:18
Subject: [IBC] Intro & Stuff


I have been doing bonsai for over 20 years. I remember the excitement of
all the new trees I could get. I go in for variety. In looking back my
exuberance killed a lot of trees. I've now settled for what grows well
outside in my area. Contrary to whatever fad has just come over from
Japan, I stick to local ingredients for my soil mix, as that's where my
trees are growing. I finally have some very beautiful trees

So it is with fascination that I relive my early years in bonsai through
all your stories and problems. I think most of all, bonsai should be
joyful to do. So if joy for you is in outsmarting the elements by indoor
duplication, I feel that is what is best for you.

snip
If you want to ask me questions about what I know, feel free. If you want
to talk about the variety of ingredients used in soil mixes, I think that
would be interesting. I like to share ideas.

Regards,

Kitsune Miko

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

If you want to ask me questions about what I know, feel free.
If you want
to talk about the variety of ingredients used in soil mixes, I
think that
would be interesting. I like to share ideas.

Regards,

Kitsune Miko

Some of us know that Kitsune is one of the old-time members of
the IBC.

We used to have her wonderful illustrated essay on pinching back
maples in our FAQ; maybe it's still available, somewhere -- but
the illustrations probably won't show as well, anyway, in all
these new-fangled e-mail programs that use proportional fonts; it
was done for (and I suspect, with) straightforward Courier 10.

Welcome back! And I too like hackberries -- through mine are so
small I don't have to wait too long. ;-)

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - The phrase
'sustainable growth' is an oxymoron. - Stephen Viederman

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Hi
Thanks very interesting I made a copy for my soil notes
I made my own soil last year
I used dried and sterilized Oak leaves tea leaves sand a sprinkle or oligo
elements some bone meal and let *ripen* it for the winter ( most probably I
should have kept it one more year before using )
I used it whole for my maple..

The root pad of this 25 years old deshojojo about over 3 ft tall , that I had
drasti ically reduced ( had any root trimming for 3 years because of some
frost damage and was really a mess) filled the pot again in 3 months from april to
june 03.. I could pull out the whole tree and root pad by pulling it up by the
trunk

but no sprouts / shots since the first two pairs of leaves I had in spring the tree
looks very healthy but absolutely still..
I took it out from its container and replaced withoutz touching the roots inside a
very flat wooden box and added to fill up gaps around akadama allover and covered
with shredded sphagnum..
I want to see if the crown of leaves will start sprouting again
we had an extremely hot weather since yumid may 30 35° celsious..

Kitsune Miko wrote:

I have been doing bonsai for over 20 years. I remember the excitement of
all the new trees I could get. I go in for variety. In looking back my
exuberance killed a lot of trees. I've now settled for what grows well
outside in my area. Contrary to whatever fad has just come over from
Japan, I stick to local ingredients for my soil mix, as that's where my
trees are growing. I finally have some very beautiful trees

So it is with fascination that I relive my early years in bonsai through
all your stories and problems. I think most of all, bonsai should be
joyful to do. So if joy for you is in outsmarting the elements by indoor
duplication, I feel that is what is best for you.

That said, the way I choose to grow my trees is with as much help from old
Mom Nature as possible. This is relatively easy if you live in
California. It prevents me from growing anything that is frost sensitive
and it prevents me from growing things that do better with a good
chill. That still leaves me many plants to try to master. At age 62 I
have to choose my battles wisely. So I have a variety of maples and elms,
some pines and junipers and a selection of crab apples.

I am playing with olives and hack berries. I like the hackberries because
they grow more quickly for me than my elms. I can see changes in my
lifetime. I have finished trees that bore me because they only want
maintenance. I enjoy the journey more than the destination. Yet I would
have difficulty giving my grown children away.

I have a small growing ground. Have had much luck with putting in
pyrochomeles villanova and now put some of the olives in the
ground. Trying to decide if the mealy bug nebari on my lady apple is
attractive or not. The feeling comes and goes. It is in the ground and I
will not treat it until I dig it up. I want it a bit shorter to do that.

Would anyone know if the Pyrochomeles is subject to oak root fungus?

If you want to ask me questions about what I know, feel free. If you want
to talk about the variety of ingredients used in soil mixes, I think that
would be interesting. I like to share ideas.

Regards,

Kitsune Miko

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

--



Think like an Alien and visit your own Planet
Theo
http://www.byjoke.com/

Would anyone know if the Pyrochomeles is subject to oak root fungus?


Which oak root fungus? Do you mean Armellaria root rot?

Pyrachomeles is, (I think), a hybrid of Osteomeles and Pyracantha.
Pyracantha is moderately to highly susceptible to Armellaria, so the
susceptibility of the hybrid will depend on the susceptibility of the
other parent, and I don't know that, Osteomeles being an obscure
genus.

Anyway, to inhibit Armellaria, which spreads by shoelace-like
rhizomorphs, just trench around your trees once in a while.
--
Nina Shishkoff

Frederick, MD

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++