A tale of a bonsai in Connecticut

thhynes

Greetings everyone,

after having killed several purchased bonsai trees that really are not native to this area, I had decided last fall to try a whole new approach to having a healthy living bonsai.

I was going to use one of the silver maple seeds that tend to sprout like weeds. However, last weekend during the holiday weekend, spending time doing yard work, while waiting for the Seeds to fall from the many local maple trees in the area...I found what appeared to be a 1 year old seedling.

I thought, Hmmm instead of sprouting one from scratch, I thought this might be the one to try. It has a really nice shape, is begining to branch out and was really cute.

Taking the trusty metal shovel in my hand I dug out a root ball. Well, because it was growing in a sandy soil, it soon fell apart. the root ball was not all that large, perhaps 1/4 inch round if that. I figured i was in trouble. It was going to DIE.

Having nothing to loose and everything to gain, I found one of the bonsai pots that I had stored, and potted up the tree in some Miracle Grow Potting soil, gave it a good drink of water, kept it out of the hot sun for the day. I awoke the following morning to see that the tree had not wilted. It made it. Well I moved into the bright sun for 1/2 the day, gave it water, then moved it to a shady area during the peak hours of sun...and did this over the last 4 days till now.

The tree is still alive, it made it through the transplant, and its now a week old, and standing strong.

So, now heres my question...what do I do next?

My thought was to leave it alone this year, just let it do its thing. But what do I do with it this winter. I mean, its an outdoor plant...if I leave it outside im am afraid that the heavy snows and ice and freeze will kill the plant since its roots will not be deep enough for it to survive the winter.

Bringing it in could cause another problem as it wont go through its dormant period as these trees should right?

Maybe I bit off more than I can chew.

Any suggestions as to the next step would be greatly appreciated. If needed I can post pictures too.

Thanks!

Tom

Advertisement

pootsie

Hi, Tom, and wlecome to bonsaiTALK! Please take a minute to fill out your user profile so answers can be best suited to your situation from heree outr (even though we now know you are a Yankee in CT).

There has been much discussion of "wintering" here, and if you use the search function above for that word you will find a wealth of info and discussion.

As to what to do now? A year-old seedling will need a lot of growth before it becomes workable even for the smallest of bonsai. I suggest you spoend a few $$$ at a good nursery (I think Shanti Bithi is in CT?) and get some good styock to occupy your hands as the seedling grows a decent trunik over the next few years.

Good luck!

pootsie

__________________
p.s. My cat is a bonsaiTALK Master.
Columbus Bonsai Society

md4958

Hey Tom!

Nice to see another yankee boy from CT on this board. Basically you should let nature take its course. Leave the tree out all summer and into the fall. Once the leave fall in autumn you are safe to put the tree in cold storage (an unheated garage, tool shed, or a cold frame).

This will provide the tree with some protection from the harshest winter has to offer, but still allow it a nice rest in its dorman cycle. In the spring when the weather warms up the tree will start to throw out some buds and should then be moved to the outdoors. This past winter was a real pain in CT because it was 75 during the day and 30 at night...i would bring the trees out before work and back in again when the sun went down.

While your trees are in their dormant period you just need to provide them with the occasional drink of water (they shouldnt dry out completely, but they probably wont require daily watering)

As pootsie mentioned Shanti Bithi is in CT and is great... but their hours leave much to be desired (they are closed most sundays) I prefer to take a drive up to New England Bonsai in Bellingham MA (near Foxboro-- Patriots Stadium. They have wonderful selections of pots, finished bonsai, starter plants and some great classes.
Bonsai West is very nice too, as is Royal Bonsai Garden, but if I am going to spend 1.5hrs in the car I want to make the trip worth my while, and Ive never left NE Bonsai disappointed. Look them up on the web too.

Private Message me if you have any more questions, as I am happy to help.

-Moe

P.S. Bonsai Gardens of CT is a waste of time...you'd be better off buying from home depot.

__________________
"Bonsai do not belong to us; it is our responsibility to care for them and pass them on to future generations"

Repotter

I agree with looking for some stock that is more mature to start with as bonsai.
To overwinter your little maple, I would put the pot into the ground on the south side of your house, (protecting it from the north winds) and mulch it in sometime in November, (after the mice and chipmonks have found thier own winter homes.)
It will survive getting moisture from snow and rain. I don't like the overwintering in a garage because it will rely on you for water. Too easy to forget.

Good luck and enjoy bonsai, ...Hector

__________________
http://www.tellys.com

http://www.Fourseasonsbonsai.com
The original Four Seasons Bonsai Club of Michigan.
Guest master Pedro Morales visit was a huge success.
Tellys Greenhouse, 3301 John R road, Troy Mi. 48083

Four Seasons Bonsai Club meetings monthly.
Troy, Michigan

"Anything is possible when you don't know what you are doing"................someone famous I think.

thhynes

Over the years I have learned to be a bit patient and to enjoy those things that come with time. This tree is an experiment, to see if I can get it through what is left of spring, through the summer and fall. If it happens to die I figure no big deal as it was going to be tossed into the heap of weeds and grass clippings that is located just beyond the edge of the wooded area

I have another 35 years to live so who knows by then it may be something people will fight about owning

I shall keep an eye out for another potential plant to work with in the mean time, and do some more reading on the subject of Bonsai.