CJR office bonsai collection

[Cajunrider]

I don't have the luxury of having an office with window. This thread is my way of keeping track of the progression of my bonsai collection in my office. I know that I may end up with having to cycle bonsai in and out of my office. Meanwhile, I'm finding out how long I can keep my plants healthy with a modest grow light.
Right now I got a desert rose, a BC tiny forest, and a green island ficus. It's a baby step.

 

[Cadillactaste]

BC need a dormancy period...other could possibly work. No photo of your modest grow light?

 

[Cajunrider]

I know that I will need to take my BC forest out for dormancy period in the winter. Here a pic with the light. BTW I have a card board hood to keep the UV rays from my eyes when the light is on. I bought the light from Amazon. So far my ficus grows well under the light. The desert rose will be iffy since it requires a lot of light. The BC forest is also iffy but I'll have some fun watching the buds grow before having to take it outside. This is why I created this thread to keep a history of what works and doesn't work for me so that others suffering the same limitation I do can enjoy some bonsai in their work place. No fancy bonsai, just a few plants growing to keep my outdoor spirit up 10 hrs a day.

 

[Cadillactaste]

A tree needs to acclimate itself into dormancy. But, your test subject will give you a lesson...it might not be the one you hoped for. Time will tell. I can say...my BC will lose its foliage and not have swollen buds as it heads into sleeps and is dormant. Come spring...buds will swell. The cycle of a dormant tree. I will say, you aren't the first...nor the last who is attempting what others before have done. It's why we understand the species...and grasp why a dormant tree needs to be outside. Myself...I prefer staking the deck in my favor, by doing what others have found successful.

 

[Cajunrider]

A tree needs to acclimate itself into dormancy. But, your test subject will give you a lesson...it might not be the one you hoped for. Time will tell. I can say...my BC will lose its foliage and not have swollen buds as it heads into sleeps and is dormant. Come spring...buds will swell. The cycle of a dormant tree. I will say, you aren't the first...nor the last who is attempting what others before have done. It's why we understand the species...and grasp why a dormant tree needs to be outside. Myself...I prefer staking the deck in my favor, by doing what others have found successful.
View attachment 214789

In my zone BC are not in dormancy yet. They are still in the second growing season. I will take my BC forest outside when the time comes. I'm using my outdoor BCs as my indicator as to when. Right now my outdoor BCs are still budding and growing a new flush of leaves. They will go dormant in December. I will bring my BC forest outside when we have forecast of the first winter cold front.

 

[coltranem]

Those lights look pretty wimpy I'd get them much closer to the foliage.

 

[Cajunrider]

Those lights look pretty wimpy I'd get them much closer to the foliage.

You are right. I moved it down a little closer.

 

[coltranem]

Here is an interesting article on lights for plants.

https://fluence.science/science/how-to-compare-grow-lights/

 

[Zach Smith]

I learned last year that green island ficus thrive indoors through winter without supplemental light. They even continue growing, albeit more slowly than outside during warm weather. So I'll do the same again this year and see what happens. They sure do brighten up winter.

 

[Cajunrider]

Desert rose had to go outside to get more sun light. This week Fat Catz the gardenia get to go to work with me. The bald cypress is doing well and so is the green island ficus. The moss takes the prize though. It is green and lush.

 

[Cajunrider]

Desert rose had to go outside to get more sun light. This week Fat Catz the gardenia get to go to work with me. The bald cypress is doing well and so is the green island ficus. The moss takes the prize though. It is green and lush.
View attachment 215455

BTW a coworker just gave me an interesting piece of driftwood that I put in the back ground of this picture. I don't quite know what to do with it yet.

 

[Cajunrider]

I was out of my office for 5 days and the trees survived. The BC continue to bud out. The ficus is really healthy. I have to reposition the light and the gardenia. Some of the leaves did not get enough light and turned yellow.

 

[Cadillactaste]

You intentionally...left then 5 days without watering for an experiment? You sure the yellow leaves isn't a water issue? How did you come to that calculation?

 

[Cajunrider]

You intentionally...left then 5 days without watering for an experiment? You sure the yellow leaves isn't a water issue? How did you come to that calculation?

Well, the BC pot was flooded and they thrive in flooded environment so there was still water in the pot when I came back. The ficus survive the lack of watering for 5 days without issue. There was enough moisture in the moss above it to keep it contented. The gardenia pot was put in an outer bowl with 1/2" of water. When I came back the water level was down to 1/8" and the soil in the pot still has proper moisture level according to my moisture meter. Only the leaves that was outside the scope of the light direct cover area turned yellow. I adjusted the position of the pot so all the leaves are in the covered area now. I'll bring the light meter tomorrow to calibrate and see how much light the plants get.

I didn't intend to leave them for 5 days but personal business forced me to take a trip a day earlier than I expected and my plan to take them home wasn't done.

All in all I'm quite pleased. The plants are pretty healthy. I'm seeing new growth and there is a plausible explanation for the one branch of gardenia turning yellow. I'll continue to monitor.

 

[Cajunrider]

So I was curious about the root development of the green island ficus cutting in my office. It turned out I had two crossing roots. I did a quick root rearrangement and put everything back. Btw my tiny BCs are still growing slowly.

 

[Cajunrider]

My green island ficus made its way to the office. It's in a $2 thrift store pot and a plastic plate for water tray.

 

[Cajunrider]

I put a teaspoon each of Osmocote into a couple used teabags with tea leaves still in there and put them on the soil. The tree is growing like crazy.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Is there a reason for leaving the tea leaves in the bag?

 

[Cajunrider]

Is there a reason for leaving the tea leaves in the bag?

Not really. With the leaves the bags stay moist a lot longer though.
I just did a quick check on the leaves. Each branch has grown 2 new leaves in just 8 days.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I drink a lot of tea so im going to try this method out in spring with my deciduous. Thanks.