Bilbo's JBP Contest Thread

[shimbrypaku]

So I made these today after reading the Bonsai Today #20 article again. I figured if my seedlings ever sprout and make it through the cutting I will transfer straight to these pots I make. The article I believe waited until the second year to move to a colander.

 

[DirkvanDreven]

So I made these today after reading the Bonsai Today #20 article again. I figured if my seedlings ever sprout and make it through the cutting I will transfer straight to these pots I make. The article I believe waited until the second year to move to a colander.

View attachment 177646View attachment 177647

They look great! just make sure to make some feet for drainage, I use bolts with a round head for feet, also under my pond baskets

 

[Viking808]

What did you make these out of?

 

[shimbrypaku]

@Viking808
They call it Plastic Canvas, it the stuff you find in the craft section of wall mart. Its for needle point I think. I also use it for the bonsai pot drain holes. I don't think it a long term pot solution but it will last at least 2 season before the pond basket.

Here a link to amazon Plastic Canvas
https://www.amazon.com/Bulk-Buy-Pla...id=1518551148&sr=1-23&keywords=plastic+canvas

 

[shimbrypaku]

@DirkvanDreven
Yes good idea thanks.

 

[Viking808]

Thanks

 

[Bilbo_Baggins]

Super excited.
Got my first 8 seedlings cut and finished.
No time now but I'll post some pics later.

 

[Bilbo_Baggins]

They look great! just make sure to make some feet for drainage, I use bolts with a round head for feet, also under my pond baskets

With respect, would you guys mind carrying this discussion over to the owner's thread?

 

[Bilbo_Baggins]

@Viking808
They call it Plastic Canvas, it the stuff you find in the craft section of wall mart. Its for needle point I think. I also use it for the bonsai pot drain holes. I don't think it a long term pot solution but it will last at least 2 season before the pond basket.

You sent me a PM apologizing for hijacking my contest thread and I replied "no worries."

But now, instead of posting these things in your own contest thread, you continue to hijack my contest thread.
If you have some questions/suggestions about my entry or my work on my project, feel welcome.
Otherwise, I'd appreciate it if you'd take your pots and your discussion over to your own contest thread.

Thanks,
Bilbo

 

[Bilbo_Baggins]

OK, as I mentioned yesterday, I selected 7 seedlings (and today I added an 8th) to work the magic cutting process with.
I added a Pinus aristata (#5.1).

Now, as I'm sure you'll notice, the stem color is still green.
But, this is a great example of the guess work I'm going to have to manage adapting the process, described for JBP, to other species.
Notice also the actual stage of development is FAR beyond where JBP would be with this same stem color.
So, bottom line is, I don't know, but we'll find out together!

 

[Bilbo_Baggins]

OK, so, for the actual cutting process, I twice milled some good quality New Zealand sphagnum and mixed it 50/50 with sifted perlite (#6x#18).
I marked two match sticks with my preferred stem dimensions.
Gathered my selected seedlings, got my scissors, my hormone and my razor blades and got busy.

 

[Bilbo_Baggins]

I found that it wasn't necessary to actually hassle with bare-rooting the seedlings.
The stems were long enough on all but two so I could just snip them at the soil line and then fine tune the cut with the razor to the exact measurement dictated by the match stick.
Dip in hormone and then use the other match stick to create the proper depth hole and insert the cutting.
Then I used a tool not shown above to compact the moss/perlite medium up against the sides of the hormone covered stem.
Cut them all, a good dose of fresh water and mist, then on with a hood and onto the heating pad.
The heating pad is keeping the interior of the tray between 72°F and 75°F.
And that's it.
Here's the finished group of 8 (the empty 4 slots are for some other cuttings not associated with the JBP contest).
5. = Pinus aristata
15. = Pinus sylvestris
19. = Pinus Thungergii
21. = Pinus virginiana

So, I'm not sure, but I think these may be the first actual seedling/cuttings officially presented for this contest (not that it matters).

 

[Bilbo_Baggins]

Ok, time for more cuttings!

Inspected the sprouts from the first group (the green group) and found six more candidates but alas only on JBP was ready today.

#15 = Pinus sylvestris




#19 = Pinus thunbergii


#21 = Pinus virginiana

 

[Bilbo_Baggins]

Post taking the 6 new cuttings.
I kept the lid over the 12 original cuttings to shield them from my potentially clumsy fingers and to help keep them moist.

 

[Bilbo_Baggins]

Close ups of each.
#15 = Pinus sylvestris
#19 = Pinus thunbergii
#21 = Pinus virginiana

 

[Bilbo_Baggins]

Full group picture of all the cuttings to date
The four on the left in the middle row are some Cedrus atlantica glauca cuttings I took to round out that row.

 

[Gsquared]

So are you growing the seeds then cutting off the roots to strike as cuttings? I seem to remember that article in Bonsai Today many (many) years ago. I was always intrigued by that process. Going well? Are you putting the cuttings in perlite and sphagnum? Are you growing under grow lights? What rooting hormone are you using?

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

Thank you for the update. Looking goood...

 

[Bilbo_Baggins]

So are you growing the seeds then cutting off the roots to strike as cuttings?

yeppers, most of them anyway.
Some I'll be cutting for the sphagnum, and some I'll be cutting for a device I'm testing, and some I'll just be doing some more focused root management.

Going well?

Too early to tell yet. I only just cut the first 8 four days ago.
I'm a bit underwhelmed at the seed success rates so far, but that is a different issue.
I've got boat loads of seeds and can just keep planting if I have to.
I'm also testing different states of development as a sign for cutting readiness as well as testing about 18 different species for success or failure in the same processes.

Are you putting the cuttings in perlite and sphagnum?

Yes. a 50%-50% mix of New Zealand sphagnum (twice milled) with sifted perlite (#6x#18)

Are you growing under grow lights?

Yes, for now, so I can get an early start on Spring. I have 3 racks with 432 watts of 64,000K T5 HO each.
When it gets warm enough, I'll move my operations outside and that may be soon, as it is looking more and more like Spring is here for me.

What rooting hormone are you using?

I used Hormoden 3 (0.8% IBA) for these.

 

[Gsquared]

Wow that's quite a set up. I'm going to wait a little longer and grow them outside.