[IBC] Two Warnings
 

#1: The Iseli company is marketing starter plants of 'Jacqueline Hillier'
elm. They are for sale around here & probably elsewhere. The tops are nice and
the label specifically says they are for bonsai, but the root balls are a cosmic
horror. When I went to repot mine, I found the entire root ball was as solid
as a block of wood. They must have been potted a few years ago & never
touched. I finally had to saw it literally with a hand saw to get a root mass that
would fit in a bonsai pot. Leaving it where it was or even putting it in the
ground would not have helped. I have no idea whether it will survive this
treatment.

#2: Some of the people who make commercial bonsai potting mixes sell a
"Tropical Mix." It is not what you think. I found out the hard way after I killed a
few trees. Tropical Mix is not intended for indoor bonsai in the North. It is
formulated for outdoor growing in very hot dry areas like Texas. Regular mix
is the most suitable for indoor bonsai, with some adjustments for your
conditions or a particular species. If you already have a bag of Tropical Mix, it can
be made suitable for the North by adding a liberal quantity of chicken grit
and Turface.
Iris

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