Newcomer- My knowledge ends with these questions

youngsai

hello all,

I am complete beginner at bonsai besides a juniper mallsai I killed at 17 years old. But i am a good learner and a much better listener, and so I ask you sages for advise to question I could not find answers to.

I now have three bonsai, a ficus something, a something maple, and a something spruce (not sure what specific species these are). The spruce was a mini-christmas tree and I need practice wireing, the ficus is from home depot. I am going to be styling and wireing the spruce and/or ficus soon. Which leads me to my first question. When is the best season to style or wire my spruce/ficus? I am in philadelphia pa, which i think is either zone 5b or 6a. Question 2- if i wire my spruce (all branches including main branch are green and young) and after wireing I pinch back the apex bud, will this cause the entire main branch to die back and make that wired branch hardwood and strong? Question 3- how long should the plant soil take to dry? Im now watering the plant every two days after making my own soil mix of sand, dirt and organic material; two days is about the time it takes for my concoction to dry. thank you for your willingness to share your knowledge and wonderful forum.

Sorry about the long post, I asked one question and I got carried away.

-Joshua

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BONSAI_OUTLAW

I will let some of the newbs answer your questions. They love those kinds of questions.

I think that it is very important to know what type of plant you are working with. I just moved near you and Joined two clubs in your vicinity. The one you are closest to most likely is the PA Bonsai Society. I think it is a pretty good club and an excellant place for you to bring your plants and get some advice not to mention plant ID's. They have a website and I hope you will be able to make a meeting sometime.

http://pabonsai.org/

Mcspeed

younsai, as suggested by outlaw knowing about a something kind of tree is important enough that you should figure out what kind of tree you have before you buy it let alone start to turn it into a bonsai. The horticulture is the first aspect that needs to be taken into consideration, if you can't keep it alive then whats the point.

There is a beginners section on this and other sites as well that have some great threads for beginners, there are also articles that can provide a wealth of knowledge. You are jumping in with both feet, but it's deep water so we are going to suggest SLOW down a bit. Do a bunch of reading, especially on soils and watering, if for no other reason your description of your "soil".

Great that you are joining our "gang", but it tough to throw out care and styling for 3 trees to someone without the basics, there is too much to cover in one thread. Read absorb and you will be able to ask question that you can get good answers for.

__________________
If at first you don't succeed -- skydiving is not for you.


Always remember that you're unique -- just like everyone else

Enjoy this day.
Bill

chansen

I noticed that your at college right now, are the trees living inside? The ficus can survive indoors, but the spruce and maple aren't going to make it too long.

BarbaraM

Mcspeed

Barbara - I for one have noticed that your posts are well thought out, you present yourself very well. Good points for youngsai and others.

__________________
If at first you don't succeed -- skydiving is not for you.


Always remember that you're unique -- just like everyone else

Enjoy this day.
Bill

youngsai

Thank you all for your input, it is much appreciated. Outlaw, I am definitely going to try my best to make the 2/15 meeting. Chansen, I think I misrepresented myself, I do know a little about Bonsai, although a very little adn even then I've had no literal practice (my maple and spruce are outside, and when it gets too cold I put them in my basement; my Ficus is in my room under a grow light).

My thought process when I saw the large amount of information on bonsai was to learn as I needed to with plants of my own, basically cross each bridge as it came, and in the meantime read, read, read. For example, I learned how to trim my ficus throughout summer so it would create more leaves and now, a year later, it is thick with leaves and almost ready for styling. I have also replanted it into a tall skinny pot to encourage root growth, and I am planning on placing a rock in between the roots for a root-over rock style, but I will research root over rock style before i do this. The soil mixture I chose because I know the spruce soil needed to be in quick draining soil...the mix I have now is a temporary solution (where do you guys advise ordering conifer soil mix from?). As far as the spruce, I will take Mcspeed's and Barbara's advise and research the proper spruce soil mixture as well as research wireing techniques and methods.

The reason I tell you guys this is because I would like you to see where I am as far as bonsai knowledge, and also to perhaps give me advise on where my methodology is flawed. I'll post pics of my plants as soon as I can, and hopefully that will help me decide what my next step will be. Please keep the advise coming; as Im sure you all know it is so helpful and will save me a lot of time wandering in the wrong directions.

-Joshua