Burning Bush

Myrtle

Here's a pic of a Burning Bush I bought a week or so ago. Wise choice? You tell me.

Myrtle

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bbush2.jpg (66.4 KB, 96 views)

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Myrtle

Here's a couple more pics.

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	burnbush.JPG (59.8 KB, 48 views)
	burnbush2.JPG (58.6 KB, 40 views)

rschlafer

I've never tried one, But the trunk looks good!

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- Todd

coloradobonsai.com
Specializing in Yamadori Bonsai/Pre Bonsai.

redhawkbonsai

Myrtle:

Could we see a full picture with all the branches too??

redhawk

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jfecme

I have one of these, and like this one appears to be, it is full size, not the dwarf variety.

It needs full sun. It has been very tolerant of the soil mixture of pine bark, turface and granite chips it is in. It needs a good and regular program of fertilizer, and if your soil is coarse enough a little 20-20-20 would be ok once in a while.

It puts out a mass of roots. I've had mine about two years and am planning on repotting it this year.

Last Fall it produced a lot of red color in the fall. It could/should have been more, but the drought and heat in Ga. probably took its toll on it.

I have found that in a pot it is a slow grower, therefore pay attention to its fertilizer program.

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Myrtle

Todd, Thanks, we'll see where it goes.

Redhawk, I'll try to get a better picture posted sometime later today.

jfecme, Thanks for all the info. I know what you mean about the drought. I'm in Chattanooga, TN and it has been pretty rough. It's finally getting cold now, thankfully. Now we just have to watch out for that late spring freeze we always get.

Myrtle

jfecme

Also, I have never wired this tree. When I bought it its trunk at the base was about 2 1/2 inches across, and it had already formed some rather stout branching in the top . After I gopt all the leaves cut away wher i could see into it I chose to simply hard prune and develop it bu the clip and grow method, keeping the natural growth ramification. For three reasons: one, the hands atre getting arthritic and wiring and bending is getting to be a bit of a problem; concern about breaking brittle branches; I sort of like letting my trees "do their thing" under the guidance of my pruning tools.

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Myrtle

Thanks, jfecme
I'm glad to hear it takes well to hard pruning. I had been wondering about the wiring thing, even the newer growth seems really stiff.

How hard do you root prune yours?

Thanks for the info,

Myrtle

jfecme

Myrtle, and everyone else,

I've only root pruned it once, when I removed it from nursery can to bonsai pot. The mass of roots was extensive, and I chose to remove only enough to get into the pot which is about 16" by about 3.5" deep. That was two years ago and it has survived nicely, but I am sure it is ready for a repot this spring. How much root pruning I'll do I want know untill I inspect the mass again. This was a "5 gallon" nursery pot, so you can imagine that there was an extinsive network of fine roots in it originally.

It will take hardpruning as I had a lot to do to get the "starter" shape I wanted. I sealed the cuts, but it does seem to be taking a good amount of time to completely callous over. I have resisted trying to baby it too much, only do light twig for shaping and leaf pruning in the spring, feed it normally as noted before, and it is doing nicely.

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Over 25 years experience - good and bad, and still learning!