monkey pod tree

Evil Giraffe

this is my first post so bear with me.

i am brand new to bonsai.
i bought a seed kit (seeds, pot, soil) from an OSH store, planted it and have been watching it grow for about 6 weeks now. it is a monkey pod tree (Samanea Saman) and is now about 6 inches tall. it has two short branches with leaves about halfway up the tree and then two more longer branches, one at about 4 inches up and one about 5 inches up. there is also a new branch just starting to take shape just below the top of the tree. the two longer branches are roughly the same size as each other and about 3 times longer than the two lower branches. my question is......what next? do i need to do anything besides just letting it grow. i've read about wiring, training, pruning and all, but everything i've read seems to be in reference to older trees. so do i just wait a while longer?
also, i can't find any pictures of this tree and what it is supposed to look like. is there another name for it? please help as i really want this tree to live and prosper.

Advertisement

TreeBay

Some links for you:

http://www.hear.org/pier3/sasam.htm

http://www.i-a-s.de/IAS/botanik/d51/samanea.htm

Letting the tree grow for a couple of years (or more!) in a generously proportioned container is usually a good option. If it is growing extremely fast, during the first year you would want to pinch out the growing tip or cut it back to approximately 4 leaves a couple of times.

This checks the growth a bit, but what it is really intended to do is to decrease the distance between the nodes that will form future branching. If you let it run away wild, you will not be able to get branches at those points later.

Applying a piece of wire early for training can be a good idea. Getting some bend or interest into the trunk can create a more graceful bonsai down the road.

If you have an opportunity, post a picture of your tree and we can give you some more specific suggestions.

Regards,

Matt

__________________

Want to be a seller on bonsaiAUCTIONS? Get authorized today!

bonsaiTALK: Over 100,005.36 Megabytes Served this Month!

Evil Giraffe

treebay,
first off, thanks for the email. as you can see i am on so something is, in fact, working. i am on a different computer (at school/work) so it must be a problem with the new computer at home. will look into that.

and in regards to your post here, thank you. i think what i'll do is go buy a book about the raising of bonsai. to be honest, i'm actually not even sure what pinching off is. i have a lot to learn, aye? but thank you.
and i can't post a picture as i don't have the proper equipment but am looking into getting it in the near future.
i'll be in touch.

Tony

I grew some of these from seed and was amazed at the growth rate. 1 inch diameter the first year. These want to grow short, fat trunks by nature anyway so they make a nice bonsai subject. They get a striped, corky, apperance to the bark real fast too. The large, compound leaves are the major drawback that I see but I think it could be dealt with. If you want them to grow fast and have taper, plant them in large flat pots [something like a kitty litter pan would work] and keep the roots growing laterally. You'll have nice trunks in 2-3 years that way. Oh....... the roots are stinky as all heck so don't be surprised when you get a whiff! I lost mine due to a watering mishap [my fault] but I'll try some more if I ever get room.

Tony

Evil Giraffe

well well well.
i am actually posting here on my home computer. i havent' been able to do that since i first posted this thread.
and i didn't do anything different.
hmmm........

anyway, i pruned my tree two days ago. and it's still alive. yee haw! thanks for the info guys. i will keep you posted on any new occurances.

Chameleon

just been wondering how long after u plant the monkey pod(Samanea Saman) seed before u see it coming through the soil?

Tony

I seem to remember that they germinated quickly, 7-10 days.

Tony

Chameleon

thanks Tony, planted mine last sunday and i was wondering when i could expect to see it.

Chameleon

does anyone have pic of there monkey pod they would like to share with me? i'll probally take some pic of my little guy soon so u guys can give me some ideas of what to start with and how soon..i would like it to look something like the pic at seedrack's