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Grape Bonsai Help
Hi folks,
We recently received a grape bonsai from 1-800-FLOWERS, I know this probably isn't a 'true' bonsai - it doesn't have any fruit, but it is visually pleasing. :) It was doing quite well for a while, but we went away for about 4-5 days and came back to discover a little 'fuzz' on some of the leaves. Kind of looked like peach fuzz, or dust even. Should we be concerned? It still seemed to be ok for a while, until recently some of the leaf tips are getting brown and a few are falling off. I'm assuming this is normal though, since the weather has been getting colder here in Seattle. Any help/advice on what to do would be appreciated! Thanks, -p |
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On 19 Sep 2004 at 21:28, Dong Gumong wrote:
Hi folks, We recently received a grape bonsai from 1-800-FLOWERS, I know this probably isn't a 'true' bonsai - it doesn't have any fruit, but it is visually pleasing. :) It was doing quite well for a while, but we went away for about 4-5 days and came back to discover a little 'fuzz' on some of the leaves. Kind of looked like peach fuzz, or dust even. Should we be concerned? It still seemed to be ok for a while, until recently some of the leaf tips are getting brown and a few are falling off. I'm assuming this is normal though, since the weather has been getting colder here in Seattle. Any help/advice on what to do would be appreciated! Thanks, The brown leaves and leaves falling probably are just normal things in the Seattle area this time of year. I dunno about the "fuzz." Can you describe it a bit more? Color. Upper part of leaves or lower? All over? Does it rub off -- then come back? A few words about grape bonsai: 1. They should be outdoors. I believe grapes do OK in the seattle area, but some protection (out of the wind, south side of house, etc.) is advisable in winter. Indoors is NOT good for grapes. 2. They need regular pruning to get away from a vining habit. Pruning should start in late winter (cutting it back to the bare outline) then continue to shape all during the growing season. 3. Don't expect fruit for a few years. 4. They like acid soil, so any normal houseplant fertilizer -- weekly during the growing season -- should be OK. No need to fertilize in winter when they're leafless. 5. They do NOT like wet feet, so need a soil that drains well. When you water -- from the top, NOT by submerging it in a bucket -- water should start running out the drainage hole almost immediately. Water ONLY when the soil feels dry, not by any kind of schedule. As Billy said, if there were rocks glued on to the soil surface, remove them. Fill that space with a GOOD potting soil (not that powdery black stuff you get at Wal-Mart and other places of that ilk). 6. Grape leaves tend to be a bit large, so complete removal of the leaves in early mid summer helps give the leaves a bit more perspective in relation to the size of the plant (leave the petioles [leaf stems] on the plant; they'll fall off as new leaves appear). Fertilize just before you do this. Enjoy. Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Only where people have learned to appreciate and cherish the landscape and its living cover will they treat it with the care and respect it should have - Paul Bigelow Sears. ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
On 19 Sep 2004 at 21:28, Dong Gumong wrote:
Hi folks, We recently received a grape bonsai from 1-800-FLOWERS, I know this probably isn't a 'true' bonsai - it doesn't have any fruit, but it is visually pleasing. :) It was doing quite well for a while, but we went away for about 4-5 days and came back to discover a little 'fuzz' on some of the leaves. Kind of looked like peach fuzz, or dust even. Should we be concerned? It still seemed to be ok for a while, until recently some of the leaf tips are getting brown and a few are falling off. I'm assuming this is normal though, since the weather has been getting colder here in Seattle. Any help/advice on what to do would be appreciated! Thanks, The brown leaves and leaves falling probably are just normal things in the Seattle area this time of year. I dunno about the "fuzz." Can you describe it a bit more? Color. Upper part of leaves or lower? All over? Does it rub off -- then come back? A few words about grape bonsai: 1. They should be outdoors. I believe grapes do OK in the seattle area, but some protection (out of the wind, south side of house, etc.) is advisable in winter. Indoors is NOT good for grapes. 2. They need regular pruning to get away from a vining habit. Pruning should start in late winter (cutting it back to the bare outline) then continue to shape all during the growing season. 3. Don't expect fruit for a few years. 4. They like acid soil, so any normal houseplant fertilizer -- weekly during the growing season -- should be OK. No need to fertilize in winter when they're leafless. 5. They do NOT like wet feet, so need a soil that drains well. When you water -- from the top, NOT by submerging it in a bucket -- water should start running out the drainage hole almost immediately. Water ONLY when the soil feels dry, not by any kind of schedule. As Billy said, if there were rocks glued on to the soil surface, remove them. Fill that space with a GOOD potting soil (not that powdery black stuff you get at Wal-Mart and other places of that ilk). 6. Grape leaves tend to be a bit large, so complete removal of the leaves in early mid summer helps give the leaves a bit more perspective in relation to the size of the plant (leave the petioles [leaf stems] on the plant; they'll fall off as new leaves appear). Fertilize just before you do this. Enjoy. Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Only where people have learned to appreciate and cherish the landscape and its living cover will they treat it with the care and respect it should have - Paul Bigelow Sears. ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
A "true" bonsai is anything woody in a pot.
I would disagree with that definition. A true bonsai is a woody plant in a pot which has been styled to look like a full-size tree in miniature. You would have less problem with a wild grape you dug up yourself. Another solution is to grow other plants in the same family which are grape-like, but with smaller leaves. Porcelain berry is sometimes used. Iris, Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40 "If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming train." Robert Lowell (1917-1977) |
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dong Gumong" Subject: [IBC] Grape Bonsai Help It was doing quite well for a while, but we went away for about 4-5 days and came back to discover a little 'fuzz' on some of the leaves. Kind of looked like peach fuzz, or dust even. Should we be concerned? It still seemed to be ok for a while, until recently some of the leaf tips are getting brown and a few are falling off. I'm assuming this is normal though, since the weather has been getting colder here in Seattle. Any help/advice on what to do would be appreciated! Thanks, -p Hi, I live in the Puyallup area, 45-50 miles south of Seattle. I have a grape for the last 4 yrs. This time of the year the leaves are turning and falling off. By the middle of October I will have this healed in for winter. This year I had the sweetest tasting bunch of grapes. I actually got them before the opossum. As for the fuzz, I some on mine when I first brought it home. I washed it off and put the grape in a sunny place outside. I have never had the problem again. I did find out that it is happy in the east-south east planter of my yard. Between everyone here on the list and good common sense, you will end up with a nice tree. Good luck, Chriss Flagg Puyallup, Washington The Other Washington ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dong Gumong" Subject: [IBC] Grape Bonsai Help It was doing quite well for a while, but we went away for about 4-5 days and came back to discover a little 'fuzz' on some of the leaves. Kind of looked like peach fuzz, or dust even. Should we be concerned? It still seemed to be ok for a while, until recently some of the leaf tips are getting brown and a few are falling off. I'm assuming this is normal though, since the weather has been getting colder here in Seattle. Any help/advice on what to do would be appreciated! Thanks, -p Hi, I live in the Puyallup area, 45-50 miles south of Seattle. I have a grape for the last 4 yrs. This time of the year the leaves are turning and falling off. By the middle of October I will have this healed in for winter. This year I had the sweetest tasting bunch of grapes. I actually got them before the opossum. As for the fuzz, I some on mine when I first brought it home. I washed it off and put the grape in a sunny place outside. I have never had the problem again. I did find out that it is happy in the east-south east planter of my yard. Between everyone here on the list and good common sense, you will end up with a nice tree. Good luck, Chriss Flagg Puyallup, Washington The Other Washington ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
On 20 Sep 2004 at 22:47, Chriss Flagg wrote:
Any help/advice on what to do would be appreciated! Thanks, -p Hi, I live in the Puyallup area, 45-50 miles south of Seattle. I have a grape for the last 4 yrs. This time of the year the leaves are turning and falling off. By the middle of October I will have this healed in for winter. This year I had the sweetest tasting bunch of grapes. I actually got them before the opossum. As for the fuzz, I some on mine when I first brought it home. I washed it off and put the grape in a sunny place outside. I have never had the problem again. I did find out that it is happy in the east-south east planter of my yard. Between everyone here on the list and good common sense, you will end up with a nice tree. Good advice. Until Nina wrote, I'd forgotten about powdery mildew. I'm sure that's it. A sunny, breezy spot is the BEST control for PM. But if it is indoors, get it outside! Now! Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Nature encourages no looseness, pardons no errors. Ralph Waldo Emerson ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
On 20 Sep 2004 at 22:47, Chriss Flagg wrote:
Any help/advice on what to do would be appreciated! Thanks, -p Hi, I live in the Puyallup area, 45-50 miles south of Seattle. I have a grape for the last 4 yrs. This time of the year the leaves are turning and falling off. By the middle of October I will have this healed in for winter. This year I had the sweetest tasting bunch of grapes. I actually got them before the opossum. As for the fuzz, I some on mine when I first brought it home. I washed it off and put the grape in a sunny place outside. I have never had the problem again. I did find out that it is happy in the east-south east planter of my yard. Between everyone here on the list and good common sense, you will end up with a nice tree. Good advice. Until Nina wrote, I'd forgotten about powdery mildew. I'm sure that's it. A sunny, breezy spot is the BEST control for PM. But if it is indoors, get it outside! Now! Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Nature encourages no looseness, pardons no errors. Ralph Waldo Emerson ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
On 20 Sep 2004 at 22:47, Chriss Flagg wrote:
Any help/advice on what to do would be appreciated! Thanks, -p Hi, I live in the Puyallup area, 45-50 miles south of Seattle. I have a grape for the last 4 yrs. This time of the year the leaves are turning and falling off. By the middle of October I will have this healed in for winter. This year I had the sweetest tasting bunch of grapes. I actually got them before the opossum. As for the fuzz, I some on mine when I first brought it home. I washed it off and put the grape in a sunny place outside. I have never had the problem again. I did find out that it is happy in the east-south east planter of my yard. Between everyone here on the list and good common sense, you will end up with a nice tree. Good advice. Until Nina wrote, I'd forgotten about powdery mildew. I'm sure that's it. A sunny, breezy spot is the BEST control for PM. But if it is indoors, get it outside! Now! Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Nature encourages no looseness, pardons no errors. Ralph Waldo Emerson ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
Iris Cohen wrote:
A "true" bonsai is anything woody in a pot. I would disagree with that definition. A true bonsai is a woody plant in a pot which has been styled to look like a full-size tree in miniature. This is a tangent, but a related one. Consider this as a possibility--a bonsai can not only represent a full-sized tree in miniature, but can also represent a tree that has been dwarfed by nature. Another thought--the issue of scale comes up as well. Not scale as in those troublesome insects, but scale in terms of leaf size. I know this is an issue that is kicked around endlessly, but it is not possible, with a few exceptions, to get leaves down to scale with the trunk size, with junipers and kingsville boxwoods, Hokkaido elms and other Chinese elms, and a few other plants as exceptions. Having said this, I'm not advocating bonsai that are 12 inches high with 6 inch long leaves either. But there has to be some flexibility. I realize Iris didn't raise this issue--it's mine. I'm just throwing it in for consideration. snip Iris, Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40 "If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming train." Robert Lowell (1917-1977) Craig Cowing NY Zone 5b/6a Sunset 37 ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
Iris Cohen wrote:
A "true" bonsai is anything woody in a pot. I would disagree with that definition. A true bonsai is a woody plant in a pot which has been styled to look like a full-size tree in miniature. This is a tangent, but a related one. Consider this as a possibility--a bonsai can not only represent a full-sized tree in miniature, but can also represent a tree that has been dwarfed by nature. Another thought--the issue of scale comes up as well. Not scale as in those troublesome insects, but scale in terms of leaf size. I know this is an issue that is kicked around endlessly, but it is not possible, with a few exceptions, to get leaves down to scale with the trunk size, with junipers and kingsville boxwoods, Hokkaido elms and other Chinese elms, and a few other plants as exceptions. Having said this, I'm not advocating bonsai that are 12 inches high with 6 inch long leaves either. But there has to be some flexibility. I realize Iris didn't raise this issue--it's mine. I'm just throwing it in for consideration. snip Iris, Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40 "If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming train." Robert Lowell (1917-1977) Craig Cowing NY Zone 5b/6a Sunset 37 ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
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