bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Is this a Crabapple 'Tina'?

Hey Brent! Thank you for your advice!

I'll tell you my story, so you can understand what i am doing having a Crabapple in the middle of the Caribbean.

I have been experimenting with temperate trees (broadleaf decidious trees and conifers) and temperate plants like Sarracenia or North Amercian Pitcher Plants, Temeprate Aroids and others, here in Page Ranking for the last years. My motivation has been simply to have these marvelous plants here in the Caribbean to enjoy them. I am not the only one that is doing this here in PR, i even know a Farm that is cultivating for comertial purpose Apples and Apricots with a very high success. I have tasted their Apricots and they are as delicious as the ones cultivated in the Continent.

Anyways, to share my methods and experimentations here are the details of my cultivation:

I have 2 diffent places where i cultivate them, here in coastal San Juan City and in the northern central mountains (Camuy). In San Juan temperatures will range from 70'sF to 50's F from late Autumn to Winter. In Camuy temperatures will go from 60'sF to 40's F in these seasons. We have wet Autumns and dry Winters. As for the photoperiods in Autumn and Winter it is 4 hours shorter than in the rest ofthe year, and the angle of the Sun in the Sky produce a weaker light. Not as strong as in Summer.

Here in San Juan i have Sugar Maples, Silver Maples, Zelkovas, American Elms, Okame Cherries, Apricots, Chinese Quinces, Japanese Quinces, Wisterias and many mores. In Camuy i have Japanese Maples and Gingkos. All of them have produced in Autumn change of coloration in the leaves and drop them, entering into drormancy from November to February. This dormancy has always been caused naturaly, no chemicals or any artificial method. In cooler and dry Autumns i have had beautiful coloration in my trees, oranges, reds and yellows. In wet and warmer Autumns, like this one, the leaves just simply turn brown or dark yellow.

Then in february, as the photoperiod increases and the temperatures warm up all of my temperate trees break dormancy and produce the new growth. So far most of them have not produced flowers or fruits, but the reason why is that most of my trees are still young. In the other hand, my Quinces, both, Japanese and Chinese have produced flowers and fruits for me.

My last additions to this experimentation have been this Crabapple, a Japanese Hornbeam and some Oaks. And i agree with you that i will need to wait for a couple of years to see how they act and react in their new environment.

As for the conifers, I have Japanese Black Pines, Leyland Cypresses, Bald Cypresses, Junipers, and Japanese Cedars. They all stop growth in these same seasons and then resume growth as Spring approaches.

For me it is really amazing to be able to cultivate all of these temperate trees here in the Caribbean. It is really exciting.

Cheers,
Jorge Joel...
Emilia's Garden

17-Nov-2006	#5
emilias_garden EMIRIA NO NIWA Join Date: Oct-2004 Location: SAN JUAN & CAMUY Country: PUERTO RICO, USA USDA Zone: 10 AHS Heat Zone: 10 Posts: 61	Hey Brent! Thank you for your advice! I'll tell you my story, so you can understand what i am doing having a Crabapple in the middle of the Caribbean. I have been experimenting with temperate trees (broadleaf decidious trees and conifers) and temperate plants like Sarracenia or North Amercian Pitcher Plants, Temeprate Aroids and others, here in Page Ranking for the last years. My motivation has been simply to have these marvelous plants here in the Caribbean to enjoy them. I am not the only one that is doing this here in PR, i even know a Farm that is cultivating for comertial purpose Apples and Apricots with a very high success. I have tasted their Apricots and they are as delicious as the ones cultivated in the Continent. Anyways, to share my methods and experimentations here are the details of my cultivation: I have 2 diffent places where i cultivate them, here in coastal San Juan City and in the northern central mountains (Camuy). In San Juan temperatures will range from 70'sF to 50's F from late Autumn to Winter. In Camuy temperatures will go from 60'sF to 40's F in these seasons. We have wet Autumns and dry Winters. As for the photoperiods in Autumn and Winter it is 4 hours shorter than in the rest ofthe year, and the angle of the Sun in the Sky produce a weaker light. Not as strong as in Summer. Here in San Juan i have Sugar Maples, Silver Maples, Zelkovas, American Elms, Okame Cherries, Apricots, Chinese Quinces, Japanese Quinces, Wisterias and many mores. In Camuy i have Japanese Maples and Gingkos. All of them have produced in Autumn change of coloration in the leaves and drop them, entering into drormancy from November to February. This dormancy has always been caused naturaly, no chemicals or any artificial method. In cooler and dry Autumns i have had beautiful coloration in my trees, oranges, reds and yellows. In wet and warmer Autumns, like this one, the leaves just simply turn brown or dark yellow. Then in february, as the photoperiod increases and the temperatures warm up all of my temperate trees break dormancy and produce the new growth. So far most of them have not produced flowers or fruits, but the reason why is that most of my trees are still young. In the other hand, my Quinces, both, Japanese and Chinese have produced flowers and fruits for me. My last additions to this experimentation have been this Crabapple, a Japanese Hornbeam and some Oaks. And i agree with you that i will need to wait for a couple of years to see how they act and react in their new environment. As for the conifers, I have Japanese Black Pines, Leyland Cypresses, Bald Cypresses, Junipers, and Japanese Cedars. They all stop growth in these same seasons and then resume growth as Spring approaches. For me it is really amazing to be able to cultivate all of these temperate trees here in the Caribbean. It is really exciting. Cheers, Jorge Joel... Emilia's Garden