Hi everyone,
I will start by admitting up front that I am a complete newbie when it comes to Bonsai and am very interested into getting into it as a hobby. I have been growing and caring for roses for many years now, so I have an idea of what it takes to care for plants that require lots of daily attention, maintenance and pruning. Additionally, I have spent the last two weeks reading everything I could find on the www regarding bonsai, so I think I have an Ok grasp of the basic fundamentals and terminology.
Ok, so onto the question --
Next summer I have a project to remove a lot of old ivy from my yard. I figured this would be the best opportunity to try to cultivate the more interesting pieces as bonsai.
That being said, I am looking for advice on how to properly remove this plant from the ground, and when the best time to do so is. Specifically I'm wondering if, after removal, the specimen should go directly into a bonsai pot, or should it instead spend some time in a nursery pot. Also, is it advisable to mix some kind of rooting hormone into the Bonsai soil to help alleviate transplant shock and stimulate new root growth? Should I remove all leaves from the plant, or leave a good deal of the original growth on top until the plant gets re-established?
Any advice, or links to good articles, would be appreciated. I've read up quite a bit on root pruning for bonsai, so I already have an Ok idea of how that is accomplished. Most of what I've seen, however, seems to address nursery stock that's pretty root-bound.
I'm attaching pictures of what I plan on removing/working with. I have about 5 or 6 of these stubby-trunked ivy specimens to try my hand at Bonsai on.
Cheers and thanks for any advice in advance.
I will start by admitting up front that I am a complete newbie when it comes to Bonsai and am very interested into getting into it as a hobby. I have been growing and caring for roses for many years now, so I have an idea of what it takes to care for plants that require lots of daily attention, maintenance and pruning. Additionally, I have spent the last two weeks reading everything I could find on the www regarding bonsai, so I think I have an Ok grasp of the basic fundamentals and terminology.
Ok, so onto the question --
Next summer I have a project to remove a lot of old ivy from my yard. I figured this would be the best opportunity to try to cultivate the more interesting pieces as bonsai.
That being said, I am looking for advice on how to properly remove this plant from the ground, and when the best time to do so is. Specifically I'm wondering if, after removal, the specimen should go directly into a bonsai pot, or should it instead spend some time in a nursery pot. Also, is it advisable to mix some kind of rooting hormone into the Bonsai soil to help alleviate transplant shock and stimulate new root growth? Should I remove all leaves from the plant, or leave a good deal of the original growth on top until the plant gets re-established?
Any advice, or links to good articles, would be appreciated. I've read up quite a bit on root pruning for bonsai, so I already have an Ok idea of how that is accomplished. Most of what I've seen, however, seems to address nursery stock that's pretty root-bound.
I'm attaching pictures of what I plan on removing/working with. I have about 5 or 6 of these stubby-trunked ivy specimens to try my hand at Bonsai on.
Cheers and thanks for any advice in advance.
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