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kev_w
White Belt
Joined: 03 Sep 2005
Posts: 2
Location: midlands
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 Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 9:49 am Post subject: wise move or not |
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hello to you all , i have brought a Chinese elm - ulmus parvifolia from a local garden centre, i am new to the bonsai trees and the tree was purchased in a litttle tub with the tree in the middle and a nice rockery set around it. Now i have been reading around and it states in places that you should take the tree out and re pot if you buy one from a garden centre and the rockery wont do it any good, is this true????
it would be a shame if it is as that was one of the reasons i purchased it as it looked nice.
pls help thanks  |
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Stymie
Black Belt
Joined: 18 Aug 2004
Posts: 10435
Location: S.Yorks.UK Yow! My poor head feels as though it's in a vice.
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 10:38 am Post subject: Re: wise move or not |
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Hiyah Kev.
The rocks may be okay but if they have been glued in place to hold things together in transit, they will be interfering with efficient watering practice. In this case remove them. You could perhaps re-introduce some loose stones which will not restrict the passage of water. The medium which your tree is planted in should be free draining i.e. water should pass through it without forming puddles on the surface. You should arrange your watering to keep this just moist at all times.
This variety is often sold to less knowledgeable people as an 'indoor tree'. Believe me when I tell you that it will be healthy and long lived only if you keep it outside. Indoors is not natural when you think about it. Please read through my sticky post at the top and let us know more details if there are any. We're waiting for you to come back. |
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Dick
Black Belt
Joined: 21 Aug 2004
Posts: 9269
Location: Western New York State, USA - Zone 4b
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 4:19 pm Post subject: Re: wise move or not |
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Hi Kev,
To add to what Stymie stated, it may not be necessary to repot your tree. There seems to be a prevelent thought that when you buy a bonsai fo rthe first time that you need to immediately repot it. That's just not so, unless there are other problems, e.g. poor soil, lack of drainage, etc. If you have free draining soil, you can probably let the tree be for a couple of years before repotting it. And by allmeans, keep it outdoors just as Stymie said. If you want indoor bonsai, then you need to buy truly indoor bonsai trees. |
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LGTilley
Yellow Belt
Joined: 24 Jan 2005
Posts: 89
Location: Rugby, Warwickshire
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 8:11 pm Post subject: Re: wise move or not |
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| Stymie wrote: |
| This variety is often sold to less knowledgeable people as an 'indoor tree'. Believe me when I tell you that it will be healthy and long lived only if you keep it outside. Indoors is not natural when you think about it. |
I've got one indoors which is doing very nicely, now in its thrid year. But indoors/outdoors is a bit of a simplistic distinction. It's a matter of light, temperature, air and water. Mine's in a very shallow pot which I made myself, with it's own little drip tray. It has a large drainage hole and a very free draining compost. I water it every day in summer and often leave the water to puddle in the drip tray, but not so that it is touching the drainage hole. It sits on a south facing window sill and gets blasted with direct sunshine - that's contrary to what my book says about protecting it from such, and in mockery of all my effort to make it a little "Japanese" style screen from laquered wood and translucent paper - used it in year one, in year two I didn't bother, and the tree did just as well. We don't have heavy central heating, just a storage radiator, a real fire with chimney and an ill fitting front door. So the airflow is probably better than many homes in winter. In summer the top light of the window where the tree sits is often open.
I also have one that I keep outdoors. It's doing well too, perhaps now, after 3 years, slightly more vigorous than the indoor one - but it's not a fair comparison as the outdoor one is in a flowerpot with much more soil. And of course the outdoor one behaves deciduously, while the indoor one... so far... is a little bit of summer in my living room all year round.
Your rock, which may well be stuck in with a lump of cement (like a serrissa that I bought, still clinging on to life but only just) is less of an issue than the soil. Try digging into it a bit with a pencil. Gouge a bit out. If it looks clayey with dense small particles, then it will probably be better to replace it with a bonsai compost - you can buy a small bag from any garden centre, for less than the cost of your plant. Good luck. |
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kev_w
White Belt
Joined: 03 Sep 2005
Posts: 2
Location: midlands
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 1:09 pm Post subject: Re: wise move or not |
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i brought this one because i have have a apartment and wanted a indoor one, which they said this is, hmmmm 
thanks for all your other help on the matter, been truly great.
i have moved the posiotion of the tree and i'll see how it does, have set a tray with water beneath it and mist spray the tree. |
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m5eay
Yellow Belt
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 108
Location: Westbury
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 7:29 am Post subject: Re: wise move or not |
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Hi Kev,
I also have two small ones which I keep indoors on the kitchen windowsill and I have several which are always outside. As long as you keep the humidity up which you are going to do wit the tray it should be okay, I started this way, you need to be careful, though, bonsai breed fast, before you know it you will need a bigger flat!!
Geoff. |
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