Recent content by rockm

Callery pear. It’s what happens when Bradford pears are invasive. They revert o this form

Before you order check out possible tariffs on the origin country. For instance As of a couple of months ago Packages under $800 are no longer exempt and depending on the country can add a little or a lot. The exemption can also put a kink in shipping with that new rule since it complicates...

Your soil mix is too lean for Chinese elm without diligent watering. As shibui points out stress can cause this. Lack of water might be the reason. Should be better come spring but make sure it doesn’t dry out over the winter particularly in freezing weather.

I think you’re right about the soil. Remember thought that as the pot gets larger so does the water holding capacity.

Fwiw. You can watch videos and read books. That great however I can’t stress enough that actually seeing and handling bonsai pots is the way to learn the most on your own. For instance You can definitely tell a 200 year old pot from a mass produced one simply by picking each up. You can...

You have a seedling. The truth is It is not anywhere near being a bonsai and won’t be for a very long time. If you’re really serious about making it j in to a bonsai plant it in the ground and wait five to ten years for the trunk to thicken enough to work with

Keep it inside and it will die. It doesn’t need repotting and won’t for five or six years. If you put it outside now and leave it there that might happen. It won’t if you keep it inside. You’re already seeing the first signs the tree is not in the greatest of health FWIW the pots you have are...

ALL conifers (pine cedar spruce etc) HAVE TO BE OUTSIDE. inside light levels even on a window sill is nowhere near intense enough to keep them healthy

Best way to inform yourself is to get out and look at good and great bonsai pots. Bonsai Shows museums etc. also a trip to an Asian art museum can help if that museum has displays of ceramics. Good and great bonsai potters use ancient pottery for examples of glazes and shapes. If you have a...

The conditions you’ve describe are what are in the aphis quarantine requirements and the protocol for importing bonsai into the U.S. I’ve listed all that above. Cultivation in a contolled environment for three years. That period in a controlled environment is the quarantine period. That...

I’ve heard this more than once about this species. Good advice to let it alone for a couple of years AT LEAST. Five would be better. Can be unpredictable with recovery. The First flush of new foliage is NOT an indicator the plant has surviveD FWIW deadwood carving has a TREMENDOUS impact on...

Zelkova leaves tend to be larger longer and more lance shaped. Tiny ovalish leaves are usually Chinese elm FWIW you aren’t very likely to run into an actual zelkova outside of a specialty nursery or more advance bonsai show vendor area. In other words odds are if you find a bonsai marked...

If you’re importing to the U.S. it can take up to threes years of quarantine either in the country of origin or in USDA approved sites inthe us Here’s a noted bonsai professional Adam Jones in Japan on the issue: “Tree House Bonsai works closely with the USDA office in Tokyo to ensure our...

No. Small greenhouses are notorious for “heat gain” in winter. Greenhouses trap heat pretty effectively turning a 32 degree day into a 70 degree one. That drives trees out of dormancy and early bud break in mid winter. That means you can’t keep the tree in the mini greenhouse without adding a...

You do NOT want to bury the pot in the ground. It's unnecessary and can harm your tree. When you dig a hole in the ground, putting the pot below soil level, you have basically created a bowl that will fill with water when it rains. That will rot and kill roots in the submerged pot. Simply...