CM BONSAI——-My Garden Activities

[cmeg1]

Pictures of starters I am keeping

I have said many times…….I sooooo need to get back into the outside growing hobby of bonsai.So here we are…..starter trees/seedlings……go figure

Everything is started in Grodan Stonewool products…..Grow Wool,Mini Blocks,Larger Delta Blocks.
I prefer this way of growing…..I started using the media this season and everything seems fine really with healthy ,vigorous growth.Absolutely no overwatering look to these starers….no pale green pine leaves or anything….good dark green.They work fanstastically with an Ebb&Flow system such as mine.
For the deciduous species the extra and even moisture seems very beneficial,especially the very thirsty species like Korean Hornbeam as they start maturing……….dryness is usually the first thing to create black and dry shoot tips on these quite vigorous trees.I once heard the Coreana variety can be willowy in their first season,but I have experienced non of this as they have perhaps a slow start ,but if everything in check nutritionally they are quite vigorous…… and very water consuming trees……….so far they do outstanding in straight Grow Wool ,Grodans most water conserving product……best outdoors.

I have Japanese Maple starting and also Siberian Elms,Zelkova all coming into play by Autumn………Raft Style Siberian Elms,Broom Zelkova……..Field Maple Rafts and regular syles too.

 

[cmeg1]

EVERYTHING HAS GROWN GREAT THIS SEASON


All the experimentation has paid off this season.All seems happy and growth is healthy.

The small amount of sales from this season has paid the bills and enabled me to start my new career in the Health Care Profession.
I completed CNA school and am currently enrolled in Community College for my Associates in Applied Science Degree to be a Registered Nurse.
Looking forward to my new job next week and a lot of study the next few years ……..and peaceful bonsai growing!

 

[cmeg1]

MORE PICTURES FROM THIS SEASON

Ok ,ok,ok …….then I will get back to proper theme of this thread showing the keepers to start my personal collection

 

[hinmo24t]

congrats on making something from your efforts with starters. RN is a fantastic profession. i grew up with/have two in my family

 

[cmeg1]

congrats on making something from your efforts with starters. RN is a fantastic profession. i grew up with/have two in my family

Thanks.My freind suggested this career…….can make your own shift and work double shifts…….to promote more home time!
Good retirement career for sure.
Thanks for words of encouragement.

 

[Shogun610]

Congratulations on setting up a successful side business, and your new career. I’m sure we will be in contact in future about those pines you’re growing. Also, I have a lot of people in my family who are in the medical profession, doctors to nurses. You’re in quite the honey pot for medical field in greater lehigh valley/ Philadelphia Area. Good luck and thanks for hearing the call to serve your community, takes a special type of person.

 

[Tieball]

Your system and systematic approach are working really well. Well done. Mighty fine!

 

[cmeg1]

Brought in the Field Maple for an extended season of growth indoors.

Nice to see this pushing roots after a couple weeks.I brought in many trees for an extended season and some air-layering….After they settle and get higher brix I will proceed.

 

[cmeg1]

Trees lookin’ great outside

Found out the hard way the Field maple don’t like supplimental pure uv.So took all my trees back outdoors and kept Spring sale production only indoors…..except maybe a couple Siberian Elm Raft projects.They are going to plann perfectly,rooting in as little as 7 days at every bend I make….would like several rooted bends and then outdoors in Spring to have some big time sacrificial growth extension and hopefully two inch trunks by late Summer 2022.Check the pics!!!! Way cool project.

The JBP seedling cutting Kabudachi are growing fantastic in the 4” blocks…..healthy color and feeding quite low strength fetilizer……about 1.1 EC…….only mid veg strength.Keepers for sure.

I will also keep some of the Zelkova Brooms too and possibly some Siberian Elm Brooms also if they turn out.I am keeping my eye on them.
The Zelkova Brooms started indoor should be phoenominal as I will air layer them and growth will be VERY close internode and fantastic buding……super stoked!!!!!

 

[cmeg1]

ZELKOVA BROOMS WILL BE AWESOME


They are backbudding every single leaf at 1” growth……
I will straighten them real soon and start training.

Here are instructions to make them…..a note I saved from several years ago.Pasted if anybody is curious.
Best to use thin wire to wrap up…not zipties lol( old photo to give an idea).
—————————————————————————————————————————-

First year technique

-Sprout from seed in complete shade so they grow leggy and have unusually long trunks,deep shade.

-When first two true leaves stabilize,transplant to a grow pot and put in sun/part-sun.

-When they split in the -V- shape,which occurs naturally,let each side grow to 5-7 leaves,then cut back to 4 leaves.(each stem).

-If one side of the -V- is weaker,it don't matter,just start trimming the other side(as explained below) while the weak side catches up to 5-7 leaves.

-After you cut back to 4 leaves,cut the top-most 4th leaf leaving 1/3 of the leaf,cut the 3rd leaf leaving 1/2 of the leaf,cut the 2nd leaf leaving 2/3 of the leaf ,and leave the bottom leaf whole.(each stem)

-Remove 1 of any opposed leaves pointing at each other and clashing from different stems.

-Repeat this process of cutting and restraining leaves all season(just keep repeating these steps).They keep sprouting.

-In winter,tie up the branches with the ribbon and cut off to appropriate height(the trunk should be 1/3 of eventual tree height).

-Done.

This whole technique is to be done in first season only.
—————————————————————————————————————————-

enjoy!

 

[cmeg1]

Siberian Elm Brooms should be nice

close internodes and mega backbudding…..I just topped them a few days ago….great color too on the new growth.
These will also be air-layered at the base quite early on…….should root in days!

 

[cmeg1]

THE UPDATED LIST OF KEEPERS

Rather than make 50 threads about my collection I will just update it here.

Here is current collection….the past year was so busy I was not really ddialed in on growing a personal collection as I thought so.

Now is different.I really enjoy growing the pines……I also have a Siberian Elm air-layer…although neglected on watering a couple times,has sprang back into life…..has a very nice base from air-layering.
Will only get better.

Not many…….so here they are.

( people would be appauled at the bonsai stock I throw away into the yard).

About 10 projects now…..JBP cuttings and regular seedlings……and four seedling zelkova Broom projects.

 

[cmeg1]

ONE YEAR OF GROWTH!!

Now in second season these are vigorous…….here is August 2021/ August 2022
Really put on some growth!!!

Potted into a Rootpouch with about a 50/50 mix of grade #3 Perlite and Grodan Grow Wool.
Great mix……especially in a pouch….( works great in a flood table to not get particulates in my resevoir).

 

[InstilledChaos]

You are doing impressive things! I definitely enjoy watching your approach to growing material, since it is so different.

 

[InstilledChaos]

It occurs to me that your method might be amazing at producing mini sumo style shohin maples at breakneck speed. Perhaps experimenting with adaptation of Onuma’s techniques is in order? https://bonsaitonight.com/2020/03/03/onumas-mini-bonsai-growing-techniques/

 

[cmeg1]

It occurs to me that your method might be amazing at producing mini sumo style shohin maples at breakneck speed. Perhaps experimenting with adaptation of Onuma’s techniques is in order? https://bonsaitonight.com/2020/03/03/onumas-mini-bonsai-growing-techniques/

Very fine article thank you I am getting some local Trident maple seeds and putting in the new facility outdoors with room and grow space so stuff like this could very well be in order.

 

[Guy Smiley]

Trees from cmeg1 are incredibly vigorous. The seedings I purchased earlier this summer have continued to explode with growth. You might need to start shipping your trees with hazmat stickers.

 

[cmeg1]

THINGS ARE GROWING!!!

Easing into a Bloom formula…..bit extra potassium….No need for all the nitrogen after this last push of Summer…….my resevoir will be totally full of Bloom formula by the next 4 waterings….about a week since I usually only add 5 gallons a day.

The 3 pines look great…..One of them is absolutely loaded with branching and should be very interesting next season and should push some massive candles……had 18” candles this season!!!

These 3 pines are in their first grow season started February indoors!!!!

The Siberian Elm air-layer is starting to shape up.The bole of the tree is fattening up too since I leave all the bottom shoots natural and full of leaves.I strip the interior and topmost shoots to balence growth.The trunk will be impressive next season.
Excited for the Autumn color this season!!!

 

[cmeg1]

GAVE A GOOD FOLIAR FEED LAST EVENING!!!

I usually do this in the early morning,but every now and then I foliar feed the 5:2 ratio Fulvic Acid/Kelp in the evening to get a very thourough soaking all evening and it also mixes with the dew that forms overnight and is way cool.Maybe there are low grade mineral in the dew?There definately is in the fulvic acid and kelp.
Not sure,but at any rate the foliar feed has yucca powder also and is a very good ,albeit mild, fungicide.Not to mention also beneficial as whatever makes desert plants so strong is absorbed into the plant leaves during foliar application…….. I’ve touted the properties of kelp so so much ….back budding is incredible and it literally is like giving a plant two more hours of sunshine I’ve read because of the extra photosynthesis.
I love seeing the kelp and fulvic acid mixed with the dew in the morning Knowing it has absorbed into the leaves all night and actually the fulvic acid caryy it into leaves in as little as four hours!
***** NO MORE THAN ONCE A WEEK…THE CYTOKENESIS WILL ACTUALLY CREATE TOO MUCH HEAT AND BURN THE LEAVES!!!***

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I love reading your threads. I may have to come visit