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 +++++

"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 +++++

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 +++++

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 +++++

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 +++++

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 +++++

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 +++++

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 +++++