Longtime lurker, first time poster

[MR422]

I’ve been reading the forums for about six months now and have just made my first bonsai. I’m 19 and worked at a garden center from April to Christmas and found that I absolutely love plants.

I have a bunch of succulents, but this is my first bonsai. A Mediterranean Cypress. I didn’t have any copper wire, so I used broken pieces of terra cotta and a few rocks to hold it in place and to keep the roots from spreading.

 

[t_fareal]

thats interesting...
looks nice
how big do those get in the wild?

 

[sorce]

2 minutes late yeah?

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Welcome to the site!!

 

[Rid]

I’ve been reading the forums for about six months now and have just made my first bonsai. I’m 19 and worked at a garden center from April to Christmas and found that I absolutely love plants.

I have a bunch of succulents, but this is my first bonsai. A Mediterranean Cypress. I didn’t have any copper wire, so I used broken pieces of terra cotta and a few rocks to hold it in place and to keep the roots from spreading.
View attachment 222121

What have you learned while looking on the site, and how did you used that knowledge here?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Your tree is Cupressus sempervirens Also called Italian cypress, Mediterranean cypress. It is related to Mendocino cypress, Monterey cypress, Arizona cypress and others. All make fairly good bonsai, all follow roughly the same growth pattern and same bonsai techniques. Read in the ''Other Conifers'' section looking for the cypress articles. In terms of bonsai techniques, what works for one will work for all of them. Horticulturally, some are more winter hardy than others. All like pretty much full sun. What part of the country are you in? Depending on your climate, you may be able to leave it outdoors year round, or you might have to protect it in winter.

 

[MR422]

Thank you for all your responses! I'm in Northern Delaware. I'm zone 7. Delaware is very hit or miss when it comes to our winters though. Right now, it's fairly mild, but I wouldn't rule out snow for February and March.

 

[t_fareal]

What mix did you pot it in?

 

[MR422]

What mix did you pot it in?

Just regular bonsai mix. Hoffman’s I think.

 

[JudyB]

Thank you for all your responses! I'm in Northern Delaware. I'm zone 7. Delaware is very hit or miss when it comes to our winters though. Right now, it's fairly mild, but I wouldn't rule out snow for February and March.

You should put your location in your profile so it shows up with your name. That way good advice can be given for your climate.
Just curious, why are you trying to stop the roots from spreading?
Welcome to bnut!

 

[MR422]

You should put your location in your profile so it shows up with your name. That way good advice can be given for your climate.
Just curious, why are you trying to stop the roots from spreading?
Welcome to bnut!

Thanks for the advice.

I’n not so much as trying to stop roots from spreading as much as I am from trying to slow the spreading down so I don’t have to cut back many roots in the coming years.

 

[JudyB]

Thanks for the advice.

I’n not so much as trying to stop roots from spreading as much as I am from trying to slow the spreading down so I don’t have to cut back many roots in the coming years.

You want lots of roots, that is what feeds your tree. And cutting the roots back is how we rejuvenate trees that are in containers. You should do some research and study of basic bonsai fundamentals to learn how and why things are done.

 

[MR422]

So it’s dead. I killed it, but it was my first and I learned a lesson. Listen to others and always research. I’ve been intensely following the Bonsai sub on reddit and I’ve picked out some potential “Yamadori” in my backyard. One maple, a rose of Sharon I put in to a pot last September, two privet, and a few bush honeysuckles. Bush honeysuckles are very invasive where in Northern Delaware so I think it would be a good starter.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

So it’s dead. I killed it, but it was my first and I learned a lesson. Listen to others and always research. I’ve been intensely following the Bonsai sub on reddit and I’ve picked out some potential “Yamadori” in my backyard. One maple, a rose of Sharon I put in to a pot last September, two privet, and a few bush honeysuckles. Bush honeysuckles are very invasive where in Northern Delaware so I think it would be a good starter.

Hate to hear it died. Good opportunity to look back at what you did right and wrong though!

 

[MR422]

Hate to hear it died. Good opportunity to look back at what you did right and wrong though!

Biggest thing I’ve learned definetly is that MOST Bonsai CANNOT be kept indoors unless they’re tropical or succulents. And even still that’s only during the wintertime.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Biggest thing I’ve learned definetly is that MOST Bonsai CANNOT be kept indoors unless they’re tropical or succulents.

Yeah that can be a bummer. Its a good lesson to learn though! Your next tree will be the better for it. ?

 

[MR422]

Yeah that can be a bummer. Its a good lesson to learn though! Your next tree will be the better for it. ?

Thanks! I’m looking at it like this; the little Italian cypress was going to be thrown out anyway and in my opinion at least it went out teaching me a lesson.