Q for Padi56 re Bonsai tree trims.

[Andad]

That Bougainvillea is amazing Peter.

[joeychitwood]

How much time per week/month do you spend working with your trees?

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Andad

That Bougainvillea is amazing Peter.

Thank you Eddie Bougainvillea has to be one of the most stunning varieties of flowering Bonsai trees and they can flower for 6-8 months of the year. Very suitable for cultivation as indoor bonsai the species copes very well with warm dry conditions of modern centrally heated houses. But best kept more dry over winter, I start to water and feed well in mid March and if you do it right will be rewarded with stunning flowers on the ends of new growth. Bougainvillea must be kept at a minimum of 4 to 5 Celsius in winter. Otherwise treat like any other house plant or indoor bonsai. Bougainvillea are happy outdoors for most of the time but they need to be protected from frost. These types bonsai trees need a lot of bright light, water and a lot of good bonsai fertilizer when in growth to flower well.. And myself only ever re-pot during periods of good active growth in summer using a free draining proper Bonsai Soil Mix.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

How much time per week/month do you spend working with your trees?

March is the busiest time in the UK as most re-potting is done around this time with mainly deciduous trees, myself leave the pines to late August after full growth of needles. Repotting is the very most important technique involved in the successful cultivation of bonsai trees. Today with many its the most misunderstood and poorly done there is plenty of ignorance and bad information exists regarding re-potting than many other bonsai tasks plus this leads to many problems and failures with bonsai trees. Myself have spent around 50 odd years learning about Bonsai at all levels and many stages of development. Over that time I have learned that having a strong dynamic root system and healthy soil now that's most important factor in cultivating bonsai trees and keeping them healthy and alive. Mainly because because bonsai grow in quite a small pots and amounts of soil so the Bonsai tree over time fill it’s pot with roots. Over a period of around 2-3 years for mature deciduous trees, and around 5-7 years most evergreens like Pines. If not re-potted bonsai trees will begin to suffer. So to keep the tree in a healthy condition repotting is required, now this may or may not involve root pruning. But in general because we use very free draining soil so it's almost impossible to over water. Once tree is styled and healthy just let nature take it cause, on very dry times we just water them sometimes twice a day may be needed in very hot climates.So apart from repotting time as my trees are all well stablished they take up very little of my time.

[padi56]

Japanese mountain maple winter image leaves go a nice red colour before they drop,tree now well over 40 years old.

[TheHulk]

Love Bonsais. Ive killed 3 of them though. Not the best at remembering to water them, Better them than my dog…..

[Moondoggy]

Originally Posted by padi56

Japanese mountain maple winter image leaves go a nice red colour before they drop,tree now well over 40 years old.

Wow such intense colours.

[padi56]

One of my favourite Pines is the one below a Scots pine Pinus Sylvestris this one is well over 50 years old.Widely indigenous accross western Europe and into Asia its a two needle pine unlike the Japanese white pines which are 5 needle pines

[Moondoggy]

I still cannot wrap my head around how big the tree is compared to the tiny root system it defies physics.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Moondoggy

I still cannot wrap my head around how big the tree is compared to the tiny root system it defies physics.

Not so much physics but more nature the roots of Bonsai grow around the pot and you would be quite surprised the length of roots over a few years.Bonsai tree roots and fungus now not all fungi are bad the fungi world is teeming with activity. If a bonsai tree is to be healthy its root system needs to be surrounded by a healthy well balanced mini eco-system of good natural organisms,and micro-organisms,so the natural bacteria and fungi all pulling together to do their part in keeping soil and tree healthy.Bacteria and fungi are responsible for breaking down most of the organic compounds like fertilisers in the soil, to release nutrients for their own growth and also the Bonsai tree growth.Most all plants including Bonsai have a symbiotic relationship with a group of soil born fungi called mycorrhiza, and many trees even in the wild and in pots could not survive with out it, these microscopic mycorrhiza spores which will increase the root area a million times .

[Moondoggy]

Originally Posted by padi56

Not so much physics but more nature the roots of Bonsai grow around the pot and you would be quite surprised the length of roots over a few years.Bonsai tree roots and fungus now not all fungi are bad the fungi world is teeming with activity. If a bonsai tree is to be healthy its root system needs to be surrounded by a healthy well balanced mini eco-system of good natural organisms,and micro-organisms,so the natural bacteria and fungi all pulling together to do their part in keeping soil and tree healthy.Bacteria and fungi are responsible for breaking down most of the organic compounds like fertilisers in the soil, to release nutrients for their own growth and also the Bonsai tree growth.Most all plants including Bonsai have a symbiotic relationship with a group of soil born fungi called mycorrhiza, and many trees even in the wild and in pots could not survive with out it, these microscopic mycorrhiza spores which will increase the root area a million times .

Wow, I have so many questions, my first one is why doesn’t that theory work in the wild with “normal” trees. mycorrhiza, that is a word.

So the root system is weak generally but “power in numbers”?

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Moondoggy

Wow, I have so many questions, my first one is why doesn’t that theory work in the wild with “normal” trees. mycorrhiza, that is a word.

So the root system is weak generally but “power in numbers”?

No the theory is the same just look at say weeds that grown out of say cracks in a wall hardly any soil but they survive a strong root system is needed in all plants to survive. While trees in the wild there roots may go down but they also spread out, and with say a forest all the root system will be interlinked by the mycorrhiza fungi in the soil. Nature has taken millions of years to evolve, just like trees which are the lungs of this fragile world we live in, and are the oldest living things on this planet earth. When I was a very young lad around 10 if I remember, on a visit to London zoo, in one of the display houses there was a large mirror with a sign on the bottom. It said you are now looking at the most dangerous animal on this planet man, think today its getting truer every day. Nature is a fantastic thing but now we all must try to work with it, instead of trying to destroy it with things like global warming plus many others. And yes Mycorrhizas is a word they are a beneficial fungi mainly growing in association with most all plant roots, they exist by taking sugars from plants which they exchange for moisture and some nutrients gathered from the soil by the fungal strands. The most beneficial mycorrhizas fungi greatly increase the absorptive area of a plant, acting as vast microscopic extensions to the root system.

[padi56]

My Pinus parviflora Japanese white pine having a repot about two years ago now, notice the white stuff, thats the mycorrhizas. Which is 100% essential for the pine to be healthy most of it was saved and replaced in its new soil and slightly larger pot as its original one got cracked getting tree out of its pot..

[Moondoggy]

Originally Posted by padi56

My Pinus parviflora Japanese white pine having a repot about two years ago now, notice the white stuff, thats the mycorrhizas. Which is 100% essential for the pine to be healthy most of it was saved and replaced in its new soil and slightly larger pot as its original one got cracked getting tree out of its pot..

Thanks Padi I am slowly digesting it. It is physics at work but on a platform I never knew.

[padi56]

Buxus Sempervirens common Box tree this now almost a Bonsai tree was taken by myself around 20 odd years ago from a hedge, that a neighbour was cutting down to put in a rubbish skip.Now very healthy and growing well but still a long way to go in styling ,but that will be up to my grandson.

[MrGoat]

I cannot get over how amazing your trees are Peter. Then adding the chameleons to the mix, your vast knowledge of the history of our watches and you’re in the leagues of a few members here who fascinate me incredibly.

Thank you for continuing to share your passions with us.

I notice you list hobbies and one is marine fish.

Do you also have fish?


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[padi56]

Originally Posted by MrGoat

I cannot get over how amazing your trees are Peter. Then adding the chameleons to the mix, your vast knowledge of the history of our watches and you’re in the leagues of a few members here who fascinate me incredibly.

Thank you for continuing to share your passions with us.

I notice you list hobbies and one is marine fish.

Do you also have fish?


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I made my marine tank myself many many years ago in the house was 8ftX3ftX3ft half inch plate glass double half inch base,was divided into two separate tanks with different filtration systems around 420 UK gallons.One for corals and small reef fish lighting 2X400 Watt 6500K Metal Halide Bulbs plus Actinic tube lighting,the other side for large marine fish.I had only two large fish left which had for long time I brought up from tiny juveniles both well over 18 years old,but when they died closed the tank down.I sold the tank and all equipment it was quite a journey getting it out of the house had to take the bay window out.Tank was very heavy if I remember their was about 10 of my friends helping to get it out and safely into van.I did miss it but as a PADI dive instructor long now retired I did see plenty fish coral in the open sea.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by TheHulk

Love Bonsais. Ive killed 3 of them though. Not the best at remembering to water them, Better them than my dog…..

Myself have lost a few some from my own mistakes early into the bonsai hobby and some just down to nature.


One of my Yemen Chameleons indoors and out in garden he was not happy to be taken out of his warm vivarium .





A Red flower Hawthorn about 30 years old called Pauls scarlet Hawthorn.





English Yew this one was just a little stump dug up from a friend's farm field many years ago.

[Moondoggy]

Amazing.

[padi56]

This tree was bought for me by my wife around 2015 sadly she passed away early 2018, so its quite a special tree for me. Buddist Pine podocarpus macrophyllus although classed as a indoor tree,they can be outdoors summer in semi shade, but when temperatures say drop around 10-12c best moved indoors but still needs light and water.

[Moondoggy]

Originally Posted by padi56

This tree was bought for me by my wife around 2015 sadly she passed away early 2018, so its quite a special tree for me. Buddist Pine podocarpus macrophyllus although classed as a indoor tree,they can be outdoors summer in semi shade, but when temperatures say drop around 10-12c best moved indoors but still needs light and water.

What a lovely memory to have.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by MrGoat

I cannot get over how amazing your trees are Peter. Then adding the chameleons to the mix, your vast knowledge of the history of our watches and you’re in the leagues of a few members here who fascinate me incredibly.

Thank you for continuing to share your passions with us.

I notice you list hobbies and one is marine fish.

Do you also have fish?


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The guy who took picture of myself taking a few pictures on reef, my diving buddy for many years and a close friend he was killed in the terrorist attack at the Ghazala Gardens hotel Egypt's resort of Sharm el-Sheik. Myself was working in Sharm with him at that time, but had to fly home back to UK as my mother was taken very ill and expect I would have been there with my friend .

[padi56]

One of my favourite native trees the English Hornbeam great trees for Bonsai, leaves can be made to go smaller over the years. This one been in my care for many years now and quite east to care for, but now getting quite rare in the Bonsai world especially mature trees.

[Moondoggy]

Originally Posted by padi56

One of my favourite native trees the English Hornbeam great trees for Bonsai, leaves can be made to go smaller over the years. This one been in my care for many years now and quite east to care for, but now getting quite rare in the Bonsai world especially mature trees.

Ok, I’m a physics guy and this is amazingly top heavy

[Maleg]

Originally Posted by Moondoggy

Ok, I’m a physics guy and this is amazingly top heavy

The leaves weigh little compared to the stem (trunk). And the stem is ridiculously strong.

Beautiful tree.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Moondoggy

Ok, I’m a physics guy and this is amazingly top heavy

Forget about the physics proper bonsai pots will have a large drainage hole plus small holes to pass wire through to securely fix tree in pot.The pot bottom is filled with a small layer of proper bonsai soil then roots are either trimmed first then spread out like a round fan tree then wired securely in pot.Then bonsai soil added firmly to fill the pot level to top then watered.After a few weeks-months tree will be well established and firm in its pot for many years till re-pot time.

Originally Posted by Maleg

The leaves weigh little compared to the stem (trunk). And the stem is ridiculously strong.

Beautiful tree.

Thank you much appreciated.

[padi56]

Korean Hornbeam quite different from the English Hornbeam the trunk bark is more of a white colour,and leaves turn bright red into Autumn before total leaf drop over winter.

[padi56]

Black pine growing strong around 40 plus years old, today many White Pines are grafted onto Black pine root stock as they are more strong growing than White pines.

[padi56]

My Japanese mountain maple just getting its new spring leaves after winter leaf drop, great trees for Bonsai all the Acer family but quite expensive now to buy mature Bonsai Acer trees. Over the four seasons the acer family shows a great variety of colour and in general very hardy trees, leaves will turn more of a green colour over summer time then turn red as autumn approaches.

[MrGoat]

They’re all stunning Peter. How many bonsai trees do you have?


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