Bonsai in the Desert

mrcloakny · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 2:37 am Post subject: Bonsai in the Desert

Hello,
I am new here. I have 2 trees; a Juniper and a Chinese Elm. From what I have gathered they are both outdoor trees. I live in Phoenix, AZ which is a desert. The temps now can get up to 110 F (43C) and higher. I water them every morning and they get about 4 hours of direct afternoon sunlight where they are right now. I figure I should take it slow, so the first questions I have are... Are they getting too much sunlight? Will the insanely hot and dry climate kill them? It's scary, they are so fragile. The Juniper is drying out a bit. It has lost some of its color and is looking a bit... pale. The Elm is looking good, it grows fast. Would it be wrong to prune it once a month? I don't want it to outgrow its pot too quickly. Wow, there's so much to learn. Thanks in advance for any and all help!!

Carol · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 3:55 am Post subject: Bonsai in the Desert

Hello - and welcome to Bonsai Help. There is a sticky at the top of this page giving some basic advice for your Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) - read that, and ask any questions you may want to clarify.

As you can see, I live in Australia in an area of Victoria called the Dryland Mallee. I'd imagine conditions here are pretty similar to yours - summer temperatures mid to high 40's with bursts of 50+. Additionally, we've had drought conditions for several years so water restrictions are pretty severe. Having said that, I can only make suggestions for your trees based on my experience here.

For starters, it isn't the amount of sunlight that's the problem, rather the heat generated, therefore I'd move your trees to an area where they get morning sun rather than afternoon sun - morning sun isn't as severe as afternoon sun. Although both your trees are definitely outdoor trees, they may well need protection from the most severe heat - I have almost all of my trees under shadecloth through summer.

Watering may well need to be more frequent than daily - make sure the soil is free draining, i.e. when you water from above, the water should run through the soil and drain out the bottom within 20-30 seconds. This may sound strange to you, but the idea is to prevent root rot and other nasties which come from keeping roots continuously wet. Additionally, as the water drains through the soil it brings oxygen with it, and roots also need oxygen to grow and function as they should.

However, as the soil should be kept moist - NOT dripping wet - at all times, this free draining also means that you need to ensure that the tree gets the water it needs. Bonsai trees grow in very reduced amounts of soil, therefore it's up to you to ensure its needs are adequately met. In the severe summers that we experience, the trees may need to be watered 2 or 3 times daily - but check moisture before watering. You'll get to know when the tree needs watering by weight of pot, colour of soil, appearance of foliage etc., but until you do, just push a chopstick or similar into the soil, leave for a couple of minutes, then remove the stick and check how moist it is (rather like checking the oil in your car with a dipstick!). If it's wet, leave watering for another day, but if it's dryish, then water.

I've found my Chinese elms have coped with our summers much better than my junipers. Initially they were not under any cover, but my husband has built an extension onto my shadecloth area, and the elms have now been relocated there. Although they did reasonably well in the open, there's no point tempting fate!! Laughing

Your elm can be pruned through the growing season - cut back new shoots to 2 or 3 sets of leaves, with the top leaf pointing in the direction you want it to grow. However, if your trees are very young, you might want to let them grow to develop trunk and branch size. Perhaps if you could post some pictures, we'd have a better idea of how to advise you. You can't post direct to this forum (although you can to all the others if you're a full member - highly recommended) but you can post to a photo-hosting site such as www.photobucket.com which is free, and then copy the URL here - we'll then be able to download the pictures and advise you further.

There are numerous books available - you would probably be able to access several through your local library - and I'd advise you to read as much as you can, as well as tapping into the enormous amount of experience available on this site. One book I'd recommend for people new to bonsai is Harry Tomlinson's "Complete Book of Bonsai". It's very easy to read, and there are a large number of individual species which have their needs specified very clearly. Both your trees are included.

No doubt others with more experience than I will be along in due course, but I hope some of the above will be helpful for you. Once again, welcome to Bonsai Help, and please come back with any other questions you may have.

Cheers
Carol

Surrey John · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 9:02 am Post subject: Re: Bonsai in the Desert

Carol I was fascinated to read your extremely succinct summary of bonsai survival in conditions of extreme heat - Mrcloakny has a good mentor in you! Phoenix AZ sounds a little hotter and drier than East Molesey Surrey, by the River Thames near London England, so I don't have the experience to add to what you have alrrady written so clearly except to remark that trees can keep themselves cool if they hace enough water supply - they just evaporate water vapour through the leaves, and this is what cools them. Feel te leaves of a healthy tree in the sun on a hot day, and feel a nearby stone in the sun - the eaves remain cool, the stone heats up. But of course in extreme conditions such as you and Mrcloakny are experiencing in Aus and the USA the radiant heat of the sun can be way too much, hence the need for the shading. Your success shows the way! SJ.

Valerie · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 9:52 am Post subject: Re: Bonsai in the Desert

Hi there. I've been doing a little research as I am concentrating on growing acacia tree bonsai.
I have found some interesting stuff with regards to trees needing constant watering. I'm not sure if anyone on the forum has heard of it or has tried it but it is growing trees in sphagnum moss.
I have found a 3 part video on the subject of sphagnum moss and using it to grow bonsai. The video tutorial is on You Tube and you can find part 1 here:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPVaAXgRoKk&feature=related

I'm going