Invinciblesai!

Vide

I just thought I'd share some interesting anecdotes and facts about my relatively new Serissa (had it for 3 weeks) which seems to be some kind of uber-tree.

I heard from dozens of people that these trees drop their leaves at the slightest provocation. In fact, the person who sold me the tree told me it would probably shed all its leaves within 2 days of my bringing it home from the centre. I was pleased to find that it did not, however, and I continued to unwittingly subject it to the cruel mercies of my tender care (ha!).

After bringing it home, I promptly overwatered it and made no real effort to drain off excess water. Over the next few weeks, I would overwater often and then leave it dry for 2 or 3 days at a time. I poked at the soil constantly, curious, fingering roots and feeling soil for moisture over and over and over. Yet it seemed happy enough.

I keep it in a south-facing window where it gets 8 or more hours of direct sunlight per day. The area is so bright that I have to squint when looking at it, yet the leaves don't burn. In fact, I have a clock with a thermometer next to the bonsai and it claims that the temperature on the windowsill ranges from 40-50 degrees C during the day to 10C or colder at night. I often forget to close the window so the tree is subjected to numerous draughts, including some gale-force winds (70 kph blowing through the window in a storm). And yet, it lost no leaves and in fact, began to flower profusely.

At one point, I was busy overwatering my tree and I noticed some pesky little white thing fly off it. Disconcerted, I examined the undersides of the leaves and discovered several little white blobs - aphids. In disgust, I promptly wiped the white spots off the leaves and while holding in the soil, dunked the tree upside down in a soap and water solution for several minutes, then rinsed it off under a strong current. The water the first time was ice cold and when i repeated the process 3 days later, it was nearly scalding. It killed the aphids alright, but not the tree. In fact, it sprouted more flowers and shoots... it seemed irrepressible.

A few days later, I decided to prune my bonsai a tad in order to maintain it's shape. Some branches had grown over 2 inches longer than I wanted. So, using my best grocery store brand all-purpose vegetative clippers (i.e. scissors) I clipped the branches. Luckily, the things made a sharp cut and I was quite pleased with the results. Then I remembered something: aren't Serissa supposed to stink to high heaven when you prune them? Mine didn't. In fact, I stick the branches I'd just clipped right up to my nose and inhaled deeply; no scent. I did the same for the tree and it was completely odourless. Curious, but I continued in my crusade of recklessness as the odessey of madness progressed. Discontent with merely pruning, I decided to ambitiously repot the plant and prune the roots. After combing out the root ball with my fingers, I unceremoniously plopped the plant back in its former pot (it's quite nice) and filled it with god knows what soil. By the way, the roots didn't stink either when I pruned them. After a few more days of scorching sun, blustering gales and overwatering interspersed with drought, the tree was back again, flourishing, and sprouting more flowers and buds. There's also the incident where I accidently watered the plant with fertilizer two days in a row by accident, but that's for another day (If anything, the plant enjoyed it).

And so, looking back at my first weeks with a bonsai as a total novice, I allow myself a reproving snicker. By no means did I mean to be cruel and unusual to the poor tree, nor did I think it enjoyed my version of bonsai S&M a great deal; I was just a pathetically misguided newbie. With three weeks under my belt, however, I can look back and laugh at all my mistakes and thank whomever for the continued health of my tree, which I'm sure will outlive me by several thousand years, no matter what torture it is subjected to by its future owners.

I hope you enjoyed reading these little stories as much as I did living them, and here's to strength through adversity. I'll provide the adversity, it can provide the strength.

Cheers,

Vide.

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TreeBay

I've revised my earlier position. Yes, Virginia, bonsai [u:fff6f1e626]is[/u:fff6f1e626] cruel to trees!

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Tony

"So, using my best grocery store brand all-purpose vegetative clippers"

Is that anything like a potato peeler?

Adam

What a nice little story. I wonder why nothing seemed to bother your serrisa.

Your Friend,
Adam

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simsorbartin

Another thing ...
It could be that the dealer gave you a serisa made of [glow=red,2,300]plastic[/glow]and you didn't notice it!!!

zeb

You're a lucky guy, Vide. With my luck you'd have lost about 10 serissas .
Anyway, those were very *GOOD* mistakes. Now you don't have to do them again and you can save your more valuable trees in the future.


Zeb

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ripsgreentree

Now let me see if I can list the mistakes that you mentioned.
1. Sun light and air circulation.
2. Soaking with a period of drying out and then soaking again.
3. Daily attention touching the soil and tree.
4. Attention to pests and a remidy.
5. Pinching and pruning.
6. fertalizing.
7. Repotting and root pruning.
Does this sound familier to any one?
ripsgreentree

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Carl_Bergstrom

Rip - you're right on the money, like usual!

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zeb

Uhm. Ripsgreentree's right about the mistakes: we all have made at least some of them. I have made all of them .


Zeb

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Two men were walking down a road. The one on the left was interested in bonsai. The one on the right had no money either.