Office Bonsai - Something Tolerant Of Low Humidity And Not Much Sunlight

Chip Smith

I'd like to get some things started this summer that i can bring into my office over the winter. Ficus is of course on the list. I've got a lot of privet and english ivy in my yard .... and was considering them. I'm pretty sure the ivy can take it (it seems to thrive on neglect!) and want to try to start some cuttings from the privets in my yard . Any experience with a good way to get pretty fat cuttings going from these two ?

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Chip Smith
Nashville's Second-best Jazz Whistler

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BonsaiMon

Hi Chip, Privet are easy to collect from seedlings to fat(12"+) trunks. They will root and break with new growth everywhere.
in a couple years you can have one well on its way to looking like a tree. Indoors they can get pretty shabby, I hear, I leave mine outside or a smaller one i bring into the greenhouse to enjoy.
Ivy .. haven't worked much with any and have no idea what they do indoors in the winter.
Ficus is one alternative, which you have mentioned. There are many varieties. I personally like the willow leaf (nerifolia/salicifolia) another plant is the arboracola. There are some dwarf varieties which can produce a nice tree.. and they handle low light conditions an office would provide.
If I were still in an office environment I would have a nice Bonsai calendar and maybe an artificial tree to strike up conversation and a visiting tree from my nursery for a day or two.

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peace,
tom stoute

http://bonsaiinsights.spaces.live.com/

IsomJ1

Although I guess they are not considered "true Bonsai" in some quarters, how about a Jade tree? Other than over watering them, they seem nearly impossible to kill.

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Jeff Isom
Cleveland, OH / Sunset Zone 39

Chip Smith

Thanks, i've already got a bunch of jade cuttings started. I cleaned up my sisters big jade tree and stuck about 15 finger sized trunks into some potting soil and 'bam' they're growing. I've settled on English Ivy for another project because it's so hearty and shade-tolerant (it grows under my house where there's no sunlight at all !) I'm going to clip some fat trunk sections and attempt to root them indoors in a warm place as soon as i have some time. Any tips on getting this Ivy to root quickly so it doesn't die on me ? I'm thinking scrape some bark off and dip them in some hormone.

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Chip Smith
Nashville's Second-best Jazz Whistler

Jow

Who's the best jazz whistler in Nashville?

Chip Smith

Man, this town has some "industrial strength musicians" ... I've heard people play everything under the sun and do it very very well ! I just didn't want to get 'called out' by one of the heavyweights because i don't whistle in the studio like they do!
Probably Terry McMillan.

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Chip Smith
Nashville's Second-best Jazz Whistler

RWillieK

What about a Chinese Elm?

Robbie

Jow

I was in Nashville for business semi-recently didn't catch any good whistlin' though, sorry to say.

You should get a baobab for your office if you can find one, during their dormant season (about six months) they need NO water, NO humidity, and light doesn't matter either. so that will solve your problem for half the year, if you want something unusual that is

Chip Smith

Thanks for the suggestions of Baobab and Chinese Elm ! I'll be on the lookout for those. I guess i wasn't specific enough in my requirements. I'm really trying hard to keep my costs down, and want to use easily available cuttings and cheaply available stock. I'm looking for interesting gifts for my friends and family. I'm new to this bonsai world and feel that i shouldn't invest too much money until i have several years of successful care under my belt !

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Chip Smith
Nashville's Second-best Jazz Whistler