Desert rose, succulent bonsai. adenium obesum

Hello my friends. As bonsai has become popular the quest to make many different plant species into bonsai has also become popular. The pursuit of bonsai has led many away from the realm of woody plants into succulents. Many of you already know this, and to others this may be very surprising.  A very popular tree to use a s succulent is the Crassula or jade tree. I have no experience with those. I do have a desert rose though.

adenium obesum is native to sub Saharan Africa. Its range extends to parts of Arabia. It loves warm sunny places and can tolerate drought. One thing of note is that if the temperature drops below 50F then it will lose its leaves.

Some people love the flowers on this plant. Some varieties do produce amazing colors. I however dislike the flowers as they remind me of Oleander. That is probably so because both plants are in the dog bane family. What I find so pleasing about this plant is that it has an incredible trunk and exposed roots, it is fairly simple to maintain healthy, It has incredible growth rate, and it is easy to clip and grow.

The trunk of this tree is like a barrel. It will be thick and if it is pruned correctly it can have a very nice taper. It will grow roots from the side of the trunk. These roots will also grow and thicken giving the plant nice character.

 I found baby adenium obesum at a big box store. They could not have been bigger than four inches. I bought one for myself and one for my mother in law. My mother in law loves plants. I potted my desert rose in turface and volcanic sand. She potted her plant in potting soil. In two months my plant had grown nice branches . Hers had rotted away. I kept my tree moist in my potting mixture. She had kept her plant wet. I water my desert rose everyday during spring and summer months and it has grown exponentially. The key is to keep it in medium that stays moist but not wet. Turface is great for this (see: http://bonsai-misadventures.blogspot.com/2016/03/bonsai-soil-medium-plethora-of-choices.html).

During the spring and summer months I fertilize with liquid fertilizer every week to every two weeks. It's amazing, three days after applying fertilizer you can see the new growth.  Since I bought my plant last year it has tripled in size.

Even though I don't especially like the flowers when the tree is covered in flowers it does look pleasing. I have Not had any flowers on my tree. Perhaps this is so because it is a young tree. Moreover, I believe that the flowers have not grown because of my clip and grow method. Desert rose can grow long branches. They are not really branches like a tree. They are fleshy fingers that grow out. These fingers can grow long. I cut them down to the size i like to keep the foliage closer to the trunk. I usually cut under the node. I have found that if you cut above the node the new branch will grow on the top most node  and take the place of the piece that was removed. No new branches will grow. Cutting under the node will promote branches growing from the rest of the branch.

I have re potted the plant once in a year because the growth rate was incredible. I have placed the tree in a pot that is a little too big so that it has plenty of room to grow this next year. I think I will try growing a few from seed just for fun. Cheers.  

Bonsai from chain store home improvement centers

Many people put down big box stores or even regular plant nurseries as potential bonsai sources. I say, nay. Are these places the best place to pick up bonsai material? Of course they are not? Then why visit these places? The reason to visit them is because they are more convenient than a bonsai nursery. On a google maps I searched bonsai and got seven listings in the greater Los angeles area. I searched Home Depot and got 12 listings, then I searched Lowes and got 5 more listings. Just by my house there are two Home Depots and 1 Lowes with in a 4 mile radius. There are no bonsai nurseries within that radius, but there are three plant nurseries. Another reason to visit these places is the price. I have bought some trees with amazing trunks for six dollars and change. These trees at a bonsai nursery would easily sell for three to four times as much.

$6.95 for a fosemary with a great trunk

I think it very funny that people who badmouth trees bought at these stores highly prize wild collected trees. These wild collected trees are very difficult trees to work on because they grew however they wanted. It's much easier to work on nursery raised plants than wild plants.

This juniper i found at a regular nursery

There are some drawbacks. First, when we look for plants at a big box store we are looking for the jewell. We want the cream of the crop. It may take time to find a suitable plant. Heck we might not even find anything that week. The second negative is the plant selection. Most of these plants are for landscaping. What that means is that the same plants will be sold in your general area. On the flip side those plants are happy in the climate in which you live.

I have been to bonsai nurseries where they sell lantana for landscaping. These are beautiful 3 gallon plants. I walk to the bonsai section and the same lantana are in a bonsai pot. The new price is eighty five dollars. I am for cutting the middleman out if I can. I need to pinch those pennies.

If you have more time than money than you should look at the big box stores. So, what should you look at when buying plants? That will probably depend on your taste. I will tell you what I look for. First, the plant has to be healthy. There is no point in buying something that will die no matter how great the ramification is. The rest is arbitrary. I love to find plants with great trunks. It takes time to get a thick trunk. If the plant starts with a nice trunk you can invest time on other parts of the tree. Price is important to me. Plants that are around seven dollars are gold. Also, the plant species is important. To me some species are more desirable than others.

A dwarf olive with incredible potential bought at a home improvement center

When choosing a tree always remember that you will be reducing the size that you start with. If you want to end up with a twelve inch bonsai do not buy a thirteen inch tree. For a twelve inch bonsai you might have to start with twenty four inches. Sometimes none of the branches look like they will be helpful, but the trunk looks amazing. For that I lop all the branches off and start fresh. There is no point in keeping something bad just to try to fix it later. That's not to say that you should do that with all trees. If you are unsure of what to do leave it. As new branches and leaves grow you might get a clearer idea of what to do.

I cut all the branches from this pommegranet

Yes you can find material for bonsai at home improvement centers. You will have to look through some plants. I find that specific HIC have the best of one kind of tree. For example one might have great rosemary and another great boxwood. This probably has to do with suppliers in the area. Have a great time hunting for those trees. Cheers.  

 

Time, what is it good for?

It's all around us but we never have enough of it. Time, the first and most important lesson in bonsai. Some people do talk about time and patience. However, time is the common denominator in all bonsai. Time is the most important ingredient in making a bonsai. Do what we do to speed things up we can not make a plant grow two seasons worth of growth in one season.

  

My wife (I apologize for using you as an example) loves bonsai. If she did not I would have to find another hobby. Whenever we bought plants she would want to pot those plants right away. There would be no growth, no refinement. I understand what she was doing. I am guilty of doing it too. However, I came to realize that by potting plants before they were developed somewhat I was stunting their growth. Now, it would take even longer to have a bonsai with some refinement.

California Juniper, It's probably more than a hundred years old

If you want to become a master at anything you have to dedicate time to it. You have to sacrifice countless hours training your muscles and mind to do what you want them to do. There is a dichotomy with bonsai. A bonsai has to be worked on and manipulated. There is pruning, wiring, and fertilizing. We have to apply our time to develop the tree. Then there's the part where you give the tree time to grow. The tree has to grow new branches, new leaves, and more roots. That part also takes time. Not doing anything and letting the plant just grow might be the hardest thing for a neophyte bonsaiphile. Although, some trees don't need as much time as others. Then there is the time of rest. That time there is no growth.

I submit to you that the only way to master time is to subjugate to it. In other words, understand that time is not something that we can control. We can not rush time. We can not make a tree grow faster than it does. When we accept that, then and only then can we begin to develop all the other skills needed for growing bonsai.

I was once asked how a trunk could be thickened. The short answer is time. Cheers.   

The bonsai and penjing Museum at the National Arboretum Washington DC

My wife went to a convention in Washington DC and I was lucky enough to tag along. I wanted to see all the usual stuff. I saw the war memorials, and the museums, and even a trip to the National Archives and Library of Congress. It was amazing. The icing on the cake was the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum at the National Arboretum.

White Pine, Goyo Matsu

I stayed at the Gaylord resort which is in the National harbor across the potomac south of Alexandria which is about 25 minutes from Washington DC by car. However I didn't have a car and I had to rely on public transportation. The National Arboretum is east of the Mall. To get there I had to take two buses and go on the subway. Travel time was about 2 hours, the temperatures for the day was a high 44 degrees and super windy. One thing about Washington DC is that in the winter there fixing everything up perhaps because there's less tourists. So, they take the time to make things better for spring and summer. This was so at the National Arboretum and the bonsai and penjing museum. To my surprise the museum was under construction. One more thing that you need to know about visiting the bonsai and penjing museum in the winter many of the trees are not on display. True enough many of the tables for the bonsai were empty. So, to sum up my experience at the National bonsai and penjing museum is that, IT WAS AMAZING!

I don't know how much time I spent at the BPNM, but I loved every moment. I was the only person in the museum. It was all mine and I didn't have to share it. There wasn't even a curator to be seen. I felt like I owned the place.

Cascading black pine Koru Matsu at the entrance of the bonsai and penjing museum

Even though they didn't have all the trees that they usually have out, they had a great many trees on display. They had Pines, Elms  chamilias, junipers, and a bald cypress. They had a great variety of species and they had tropical bonsai in a green house.

The Bonsai were split into two sections. One was the Chinese pavilion and the other one was the tropical conservatory aka the greenhouse. To see the Bonsai in the Chinese pavilion you have to go through the gate and through the circular path door.

Once you go through that circular doorway there is a door to the right. Before you even walk through it you see the first few bonsai. It is an amazing feeling because I was the only person there and I could take all the time in the world.

Sheilla P. does this Bonsai look familiar?

One thing that happened while I was at the museum is that I decided that my favorite type of Bonsai to look at is the goyo Matsu the Japanese white pine. Needles of the goyo Matsu is what you see in some ukiyo-e that depict bonsai. The color is beautiful, the needles are compact, and in tight bundles. When the bundles are all positioned up it makes the Bonsai look very beautiful and textured. I have one white pine seedling. They are very large compared to the black pine, but I'm definitely going to focus on growing many more white pine.

Goyo matsu

Goyo Matsu close up

And of course they had that 390 year old white bonsai that survived the atomic blast at Hiroshima. You can read an article about that on this link:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-390-year-old-tree-that-survived-an-atomic-bomb/2015/08/02/3f824dae-3945-11e5-8e98-115a3cf7d7ae_story.html

I do find it interesting that the white pine is shaped like a mushroom you know like an atomic blast. Also there was a stigma associated with atomic blast survivors in Japan. I don't know if all this led to the donation of the tree.

That's it for this post but I will continue with my adventure at the bonsai and penjing museum. Cheers.

Air layer of an apple tree or how to make bonsai from tree branches

Air layer is an ancient technique used for cloning plants. But Ivan, why would I use an air layer to make a bonsai? I’m glad you asked that question. There are many reasons to use an air layer to create material for bonsai.  In the same time that it takes to grow a seedling you can have a decent size trunk with mature leaves and branches. Also, some plants may flower after maturity is reached, which may take several years when grown from seed. Air layering trees that flower will produce new plants that are able to flower with in the same season.  Sometimes a bonsai will get too big and air layering will reduce the size and give you a second tree to work with. Perhaps a plant is hard to come by and air layering will produce viable copies.  Many times in bonsai an air layer is applied to a bonsai whose trunk is long and foliage is high. Air layer where the ideal trunk size starts. Air layer can also correct problems with exposed roots. Exposed roots are desired, but not when they are growing in an unpleasing way.  There are many more reasons to air layer. However, I am using it because I believe that certain branches on an apple tree would make great bonsai. So, great question.

Basically what you are doing in an air layer is removing a ring of bark all the way past the cambium layer from a branch. This will disrupt the normal flow of water. Then you will have to add some moist medium such as sphagnum moss held in place with a plastic bag. This will give the branch moisture that will keep it from drying out. I will add a rooting hormone to help the branch make roots faster.  The key to a successful air layer is three parts. First, the entire cambium layer should be removed. That layer is the white soft part behind the inner bark. You will know that you have removed it when the wood starts to look slightly more yellow instead of the white. Second, the medium in the bag has to remain moist. There should not be a pooling of water in the bag. That means that there is too much water.  An air layer will take time to develop the sufficient root mass to survive on its own. During this time I use a basting syringe to add water. Third, let the roots grow to a size that is able to support the foliage the branch has. Leaves equal perspiration. The more leaves a tree has the more water that is lost. You can reduce the amount of leaves, or you can let the roots grow out.

      This apple tree started growing about four years ago.  I’m pretty sure it was delivered by a bird through its waste. The Apples are very tasty. They look like small Pink Ladies.  Apple tree bonsai look very nice, especially in the spring when they are flowering. I will be making multiple air layers on the same tree. This specific branch I feel has much potential because of its scars. They are already healing. The branch is small and thin and can be shaped by wire easily. Also, I want it to be a very small bonsai.

The desired branch

After choosing the branch, score it in a way that will allow you to peel a ring of bark off. I use these shears to do that. You must make a deep cut in the branch. Then, without loosening your grip move the shears around the branch until it comes back to the original position. Repeat the same procedure an inch away from the first cut. 

Scoring the branch

Deep cuts work best

With a pair of pliers tightly grasp the bark and move them back and forth. Do not move them side to side.  But Ivan what is the difference? Yet another great question. Move the pliers so that they are able to spin the ring of the bark. Now, this branch has a knot so it won’t spin. Make sure that not one fiber of the cambium is touching both sides of the wound. 

I used a knob cutter to remove the protrusion 

I have made air layers in the past. Those were made without rooting hormone. I will use this rooting hormone to see if it will speed up the process.

It is important that you do not breathe in the hormone, and wash your hands after using it. Dust some of the powder on to the edge of the wound on the side that has the branch you want to make a tree. It is important that the powder make contact with the exposed layers and not just on the bark.

I cut the ends of a zip lock bag. This bag will hold the medium. This can be the trickiest part. Sometimes you won’t be able to use a bag because of branches or what not. You will have to use a sheet of plastic (in other words, cut the bag open so that it is no longer a bag but a plastic sheet). This will make holding it and filling it awkward.

Use a rubber band to securely tighten one end of the bag. I am securing close to the fork on the main branch so that there will be space to add the medium.

I used peat moss as the medium. My father in law grew up in Latin America. He said that they used many layers of fabric as the medium. Some people do not use a plastic bag for air layer. The use a plastic pot and cut it so that the trunk fits in the middle, they fill it with dirt and keep adding water when it starts to dry out. This can only be done with vertical trunks and branches.

Make sure that the medium is always moist. I added a piece of aluminum to block the sun and retain more heat. You will know that it has roots when you see a white hair like strands against the dark background. Ivan how do I know if the air layer failed? Another great question my friend. If the leaves turn brown and the branch loses its color the air layer has failed. on successful air layers leave the bag on until you see a great many fine roots.  On a future post I will show you my triumphs and my defeats concerning this apple tree. Cheers.  

Update May 16 2016

The tie came off one of the air layers. I took a picture so you can see the growth.

Update July 23

I'll be the first to admit that I somewhat neglected these air layers. I volunteer at a number of organizations, plus work, family, and life's ups and downs...well, I could have paid more attention to the apple tree. Heaven knows that I want these little guys to survive. I made three air layers on the apple tree. I decided to plant one just to see if it would survive. Normally i wait until i see long stringy roots. I opened the plastic sheath and saw white clumps. I think there are no stringy roots because i neglected to water the air layer many times during heat waves. Nevertheless, I took pruning shears and cut the air layer. the air layer did have new branches that grew after I started it.  I cut those in half to reduce the number of leaves to limit perspiration. this picture was taken twenty four hours after I cut the air layer.

The tree looks fine, I water this part of my garden daily, so the tree has probably seen more water in the last 24 hours than from when I made the air layer to when I cut it.

Nursery Lantana Pre Bonsai

     When I was a kid I hated this plant. I hated its smell, its coarse leaves, and that sphere of green and blue berries it left. When I started bonsai i read that Lantana made great indoor bonsai. However, because of my prejudices i would not consider that species as possible bonsai material for my collection. Then one day i was looking at plants at one of my favorite nurseries when i found the discounted section. There I saw a lantana with amazing taper and these itty bitty leaves. It changed the way I saw Lantana forever.
     So, last weekend I saw this little tree:

Lantana Camara

     The price for this tree was almost $7 U.S. I do not have a lot of disposable income. The more inexpensive I can get a tree the better. I am the first to admit that the branching needs tremendous amounts of work, but the trunk at least to me is superb. The trunk has a nice thickness that tapers and curves. I am picturing broom style for this tree.

Long way

     This is a close up looking down at the tree at an angle. I love those knobby places on the trunk. Lantana are considered weeds in some places. They are fast growers if well watered and fertilized. If planted in the ground and established they can be drought tolerant. By the end of this growing season this tree should have good ramification. Ramification is when you have branches, then you have smaller branches growing on those, and even smaller branches growing on those. This helps reduce leaf size, and gives the tree a good silhouette.

Close Up

    After I see new growth I will prune the tree to the desired length ad watch it grow. Cheers.

Update May 15, 2016

Here is the tree three months later. I have cut it back once a month and fertilize it every two weeks. It has very little ramification and that is what I will be working on. However, as you can see it has a lot of foliage and the placement is much better.

Update October 1

Well, This little tree has come a long way. Not only has it changed its appearance, but it has survived calamity. In july as I was watering the garden the hose fell on it breaking off the apex. Then a recent heat wave almost defoliated the whole tree. 

Broken Apex

I was going to give it away as a gift. I couldn't because of these setbacks. Yet a month later the growth was so much that I had to cut it back. Even with constant pruning the branches had grown too big. I cut off about one fourth of the overall size. Now two months after I snapped the apex I have this:

Its coming back

I bought this little tree which measures now about ten inches for six U.S. and change. It needs a bit more to go. It will be potted in a ceramic pot next late february. Here is a picture for my friend Luke:

Before and After

I started working on this tree in february. It has come a long way in eight months.

Siberian crabapple

     Stratifying some Malus baccata aka siberian crabapple seeds. they were 40 days into a 90 day stratification when I noticed that some of the seeds had sprouted. I took these seeds out and planted them.

Malus baccata next to scissors

     One week after planting the germinated seeds I saw this. Here in Inglewood the winters and summers are very mild. It rarely dips below 40 degrees fahrenheit.

Add caption

     This is a close up

Close up

     It's amazing to see how much these seedlings have grown. When they get about 4 to 6 inches I will cut the tap roots and plant them in individual containers.

Two weeks after planting

Close up

Update june 24:

Five months later and the crabapples are looking gteat. Growth was slow at first. A little fertilizer and they pepped up.

Rosemary

Rosemary

  One of the great advantages of rosemary is the small leaf size. It also can have a great green color and silvery accents. Some people myself included find the aroma of the essential oil very pleasing. I saw this tree at the local box store. I think i paid around $8.00 U.S. for it. it was tall and had many twisting branches. What I really liked about this tree was its trunk. The trunk looked braided, and it had bark that looked like it was peeling. It had a branch on the side that I was not sure if I was going to keep. I decided to keep it.

Close up

           The look I’m going for is of a gnarly old oak. Here in California we have a lot of live oak. The old trees have huge branches that touch the ground and then come back up. I am going to give it a domed top and have the branches go down then back up.

Planned silhouette

     I potted the rosemary in mostly volcanic rock and Turface. I would say 70 inorganic and 30 organic. Organic materials retain water. Since I didn’t add that much organic material the soil dries out quickly. To compensate for the lack of organic material I added a layer of moss. This will slow evaporation a little bit.

Back or future front?