Indoor Mulberry Chinese Elm Dwarf Pomegranate and more

[LiquidSkin]

The Mulberry is an Issai cultivar which is an ever bearing variety. It grows a 6"-12" then fruits over and over. The berries are quite delish. Only this is it will not survive in my hardiness zone. However, the good news is the site I bought it off of says if grown in a pot it can be a indoor tree all year round.

As for the Pomegranate I planted 25 seeds about 1 month ago and they are sprouting starting last week.

The chinese elm is from ebay and is pretty much a stick in a pot. We'll see if she thickens any over the years to come.

Here is a couple shots of Issai Mulberry

The trunk is thickening up nicely. Eventually she will be a shohin size bonsai.

 

[penumbra]

Be aware that a lot of sellers claim they will grow inside. A lot of sellers just want to sell and don't really care what happens. Chinese elm do not do well inside and I seriously doubt the mulberry will do well inside. If you can duplicate tropical weather inside with extreme lighting, high humidity, a nice breeze etc, it is possible. Unfortunately that is not what we usually see and a possible bonsai nut goes away disappointed.
I sincerely wish you the best, but unless you have access to outside, it is going to be really tough for an expert and near impossible for someone with little experience.
I don't want to be the one to tell you this .... I am only the messenger and I truly have your best interest at heart.

 

[Shibui]

Well put @penumbra It can be done but the vast majority of indoor bonsai growers are disappointed when the trees don't grow well or just slowly die. Good luck!

 

[Darth Masiah]

it does fine outdoors here, where temps in winter avg 15°-20° F.

 

[LiquidSkin]

I finally ate the last of the ripe Mulberries and the tree was starting to grow so I cut it back. The chinese elm got a hair cut too!

Sorry I forgot to get before and after pics

 

[Zach Smith]

These young trees need to go outside immediately! The foliage is yellowing; that is not a sign of health.

 

[Darth Masiah]

yep, looks like it needs to go outside.
your lighting spectrum/intensity, temperature/humidity, nutrient and watering schedule must be in harmony with the type of plant you're growing and the substrate you're growing it in. tough to do for an indoor plant type, but for a tree type that needs seasonal change, it's just going to die sooner than later.

 

[LiquidSkin]

I think you will like what you see next. Miss Mulberry has grown back and greened up since giving a bit of fertilizer. She has also set tons of fruit.

Top down view



My cat Mister says hi all



and lastly a view from the side showing fruit set

 

[Perrywinkle]

Good to see that they are doing better. I’m rooting for your success in growing these indoors. Are you in the Southern Hemisphere overwintering them? Or are you growing them full time in your grow tent?

Hi Mister

 

[LiquidSkin]

Good to see that they are doing better. I’m rooting for your success in growing these indoors. Are you in the Southern Hemisphere overwintering them? Or are you growing them full time in your grow tent?

Hi Mister

Thanks! I'm in the northern hemisphere zone 5a and this particular mulberry will not survive outdoors here. It will stay indoors.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Mulberry may or may not survive indoors, but it will for sure over-winter outdoors in 5a.

 

[Perrywinkle]

Mulberry may or may not survive indoors, but it will for sure over-winter outdoors in 5a.

If this is a Morus negra, which I believe the dwarf variety is (at least partially in parentage), it will probably not survive a 5a winter. I had two mulberries planted in my yard, one red and one black, and the black one did not survive a 20F freeze. From my understanding, Morus negra grows best in climates with mild winters and dry summers, aka the mediterranean world.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I stand corrected on M. negra.

 

[Darth Masiah]

looking good. what light are you using? i just finished building a light for tomato experiments

 

[LiquidSkin]

looking good. what light are you using? i just finished building a light for tomato experiments

I'm using 60w cob spot lights

 

[LiquidSkin]

If this is a Morus negra, which I believe the dwarf variety is (at least partially in parentage), it will probably not survive a 5a winter. I had two mulberries planted in my yard, one red and one black, and the black one did not survive a 20F freeze. From my understanding, Morus negra grows best in climates with mild winters and dry summers, aka the mediterranean world.

It is a everbearing form of white mulberry. This is where I bought it https://www.logees.com/mulberry-issai-morus-alba.html

 

[Perrywinkle]

It is a everbearing form of white mulberry. This is where I bought it https://www.logees.com/mulberry-issai-morus-alba.ht

Morus alba, negra, and rubra interbreed readily, making the hardiness of a lot of domestic varieties somewhat difficult to determine. What's more, cultivars are frequently given the wrong species name by sellers. True Morus alba is hardy up into zone 4, but 'Issai' probably isn't a true Morus alba. In any case, a particularly cold zone 5 winter could kill your tree in a pot whether or not it takes Maine winters in the ground.

In your Maine winters, keeping your trees inside is the right thing to do

 

[LiquidSkin]

Here's a quick update

Chinese Elm pruned today



Mulberry I accidentally let it go too long without water and some of the fruit fell off. Still looks healthy though



Ginseng Ficus bought from Walmart



Dwarf Pomegranate it was flowering when I got it but decided to cut them off and let the plant grow

 

[LiquidSkin]

As a side note I have started giving the plants a "night time" by turning the light off at night and on in the morning. I also took a cutting from the mulberry and it has rooted but hasn't started growing. It's been about a month any ideas what to do or not do?

 

[Carol 83]

As a side note I have started giving the plants a "night time" by turning the light off at night and on in the morning. I also took a cutting from the mulberry and it has rooted but hasn't started growing. It's been about a month any ideas what to do or not do?

Do you have them inside? If so, why not put them outside? Just wondering.