Brand new Manzanita - general guidance requested

[Bonsai Babby]

Hello, I just got my Austin Griffiths Manzanita in the mail. From reading, it sounds like they need soil that drains very well... emphasized 10x. Should I mix any soil in at all, or just do a 50/50 pumice and gravel mix? I am not sure what steps I should take next. I am planning to let it grow out in a larger growing pot for a few years. Any recommendations on what to do now, and in the future, with this? i.e. should I start shaping it now while it is pliable? When is it ok to prune? I was thinking in the spring. I want to prune for ramification.

I found these notes about pruning, and read elsewhere that it will only backbud where leaves have previously grown. https://eastbaywilds.com/guidelines-for-pruning-manzanitas/

 

[DonielDoom]

In my experience Manzanita is one of those species that is left aside as one needing to be "figured out". It doesn't play well with traditionally known bonsai techniques, at least as far as I've seen. It doesn't seem like there's been the big breakthrough in understanding that we have with other material. I've mostly read of folks hitting the wall with them in one way or another.

I love them. I've killed a few. Never heard them lasting longer than a few years in bonsai practice. If this is one of your first bits of bonsai material, I would personally consider another species to get your legs under you.

There are many nurseries that have found success with them, so container culture is possible. In Oregon and California there are many available varieties. My thoughts would be that you'll be best finding more traditional horticulture and nursery information to base your practices on. You may not find much from a bonsai lens. I hope to be wrong here, though!

Wish I could be more direct help with your questions. Sure would love seeing more manzanita.

 

[rockm]

That’s been the story for a long time. Many many instances of this species being attempted but they don’t pan out well. Doesn’t like root disturbance

You may have a leg up here was yours is already containerized but down the road it will need root pruning etc

 

[Bonsai Babby]

I'll be very careful with mine, maybe it will survive and I can add to the Manzanita knowledgebase.

 

[jerrymc]

Last winter, I purchased a Manzanita sapling from the nursery at California Botanic Garden (Claremont). I managed to kill it in about 6 months, just when it looked like it was starting to thrive in a training pot..I can confirm, they don't like their roots messed-with, but took well to apex pruning & started to back-bud; I think what he didn't like was too much pruning, too early in his development..I will get another tree this year, but this time, I will let him alone for several months, until he is settled in & allowed to develop on his own schedule.

 

[Bonsai Babby]

Last winter, I purchased a Manzanita sapling from the nursery at California Botanic Garden (Claremont). I managed to kill it in about 6 months, just when it looked like it was starting to thrive in a training pot..I can confirm, they don't like their roots messed-with, but took well to apex pruning & started to back-bud; I think what he didn't like was too much pruning, too early in his development..I will get another tree this year, but this time, I will let him alone for several months, until he is settled in & allowed to develop on his own schedule.

I just repotted mine. I hope it's not gonna die. All I did was soften up the root ball and separate the bottom 1/4 a bit so I could make it sit lower in the training pot. Now it is in a 12x12 training pot in 3 inches of 60/60 lava/perlite mix. I hope it doesn't die...

 

[jerrymc]

How old is your tree supposed to be? He looks VERY young to me..also healthy..please post progress reports as time goes on..I'm sure others will be interested, as well..not many manzatnitas out there, apparently, in the bonsai world.

 

[JRidge]

This is Archtostaphylos Uva Ursi which is a manzanita kinnikinick hybrid which I think might be native to the Rockies?
I have had it about 5 years now and it has survived 2 repottings, the first was very intrusive taking from a 1 gallon nursery can into the pot it’s in now.
I have given up on my local manzanita (hairy manzanita) after killing several trying to collect them.
I hope you have success and would love to know what techniques work.
Like Arbutus menziesii these seem to be impossible to cultivate with traditional bonsai techniques.