Bonsai trees...

[DavidBoren]

I didn't see a section to post about growing or gardening so here we are.

Anyone into growing/shaping bonsai trees? I think I asked this on the old MCB, but that was then and this is now.

I recently picked up a little Elderberry bush to mess with. I didn't really buy it with the intent of making it into a bonsai tree... in fact, I had very little in the way of planning other than "I want a tree". Apparently, Elderberry has hollow canes, making it terrible for trying to shape and prune. Bending them can make them split, and cutting them makes them recoil and dry out near the cut. I didn't know this until I had already got it home, and I have chosen to continue undeterred.

Got it home, pulled it out of the temporary pot it came in, chopped a bunch of the roots away, and stuffed it into the smaller pot I had on hand. I purposefully chose a smaller pot to try downsize the plant a bit for bonsai'ing it... assuming bonsai can be used as a verb. I also chopped the taller of the two canes down even with the shorter of the two.

Not that it matters, but I stuck the top I chopped off in a starter pot with some rooting powder, just to see what happens.

I am going to grow it in this pot over the winter and probably repot it into the more tray-like, wide/shallow bonsai bowl in the spring. Right now, I am going to slowly pull the two canes together, and bend them into kind of a question mark shape... or, at least, that is as much of a plan as I currently got.

[Pumpytrilly1]

I've wanted to buy a bonzai tree, but amazon sellers have mixed reviews.

Tag for interest

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

I kinda grew a mini bonzai pot plant. Lol

Bag seed i put inside a homemade water bottle vase. Bad sunlight and not enough space to grow led to this. Still growing sits behind my bed in the window sill. Only really gets direct sunlight in the morning.

[DavidBoren]

Little buddy is trying so hard...

[KingxSlinky666]

Life uhhhhhhhh finds a way.

[Knuckle Dragger]

I’ve thought about attempting a banzai, but the lady and I decided to grow rosemary, basil, mint and sage because it smells nice and makes a simple indoor plant.

[Mr. Hick]

... assuming bonsai can be used as a verb.

Bonsai is the art of shaping trees and plants. it IS technically a verb. I also don't partake much, but I'll be happy to watch this thread to learn more.

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

I’ve thought about attempting a banzai, but the lady and I decided to grow rosemary, basil, mint and sage because it smells nice and makes a simple indoor plant.

Do you have any pets? If so do they try to eat it? Nice to grow fresh herbs if you enjoy cooking and believe in food actually tasting good. Season your damn meat people.

[Knuckle Dragger]

I have a parrot and she doesn’t bother the spices. She will go after my succulent if I don’t put fresh fruit or veggies in her dish. My mint and basil recently died for whatever reason, so I’m gonna try a different soil. Here’s a tip: when you vacuum your house, suck some dried mint up and the exhaust air will smell nice and minty. May not work if you have a HEPA type exhaust filter.

[Magmoormaster]

I have a fake bonsai tree on my bookshelf haha. I would love to get a real one at some point in my life.

[bellicose]

Knuckle Dragger, how do you kill mint? I knew better, but planted it in my garden 3 years ago anyway, and it's been a losing battle ever since. It takes over, non stop. If I could kill it, I would.

[Knuckle Dragger]

My mint was potted and placed near an east facing window. I think it was the soil or lighting.

[shadow191]

Mint I have outdoors is pretty much forever. I have some planted 6 or 7 years ago that spreads everywhere and comes back every year. Move it inside and I can't keep it alive though. Once it goes into a small pot, it struggles.

[Nish]

I've killed a half dozen of them with the best of intentions.

[Tarsun2]

After years and years of mowing my grandmothers lawn, i created a perfect "wind swept" bonsai Japanese maple, on accident. Just being real aggressive with the string trimmer around the base and the grass under the tree. Also, the mower would break off any low hanging branches when i powered it through.

rough life for a tree but a pretty elegant result.

ill try and dig up a picture

[Archdogg]

I need hobbies that I can work on for 15 minutes. Then stick in the closet for a couple years before getting them out again. Not sure bonsai trees work for me. Definitely very cool though.

[DavidBoren]

Right now is the hardest part... leaving it alone. Lol.

I cut probably 40% of its roots away when I put it in the smaller pot. I have to let to recover from that for about a year, before I repot it into its final bonsai tray.

So, right now I am just letting it bulk up, getting some material to work with later. But I am impatient, and doing nothing is difficult for me. I have started bringing the two main stems together, slowly but surely. Eventually they will be taped/bound and fused into a single trunk.

I think I am going to put it in a little cauldron on a bed of onyx for its tray/pot.

[DavidBoren]

Random, 3 week (ish), update.

I tied her up like the sex midget I keep under my bed...

[DavidBoren]

The leaves fell off betwix the first post and this one.

I almost thought that repotting it had killed it, but I had read that they are hardy... like invasive-type hardy (Elderberry can thicket like blackberries). I don't know why Elderberry gets capitalized and blackberries do not, but I like my Elderberry and spent the weekend chopping the fenceline clear of blackberries.

Anyways, I kept watering it with bong water (I hope that's good for it, becauae that's what it gets), and it started sprouting new growth. I brought it all the way together since it's nice and green and flexible, tied it up with some random polyester ribbon from my daughters' craft drawer, and even intertwined the new growth braided somewhat into the original two canes. Hopefully it will all grow together. I have turned it so the little new branches I stuck between the canes are pointed towards the window to encourage them to grow strong and weave themselves into the "old growth".

I don't have it bound tight enough to fuse, but it should all grow in a tight grouping of canes that have twisted and woven together in an inseparable fashion. This will make it much easy to bind them with wire and tape to fuse them later.

[Tarsun2]

[DavidBoren]

Very cool color. How old is it?

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

Awesome i want a field of tiny trees to frolic in

[DavidBoren]

Quick update. She is growing. I will detail the shaping/weaving at the bottom later...