Moving

[tree4me]

I will be moving from South Florida to Charlotte NC in February. I have mostly ficus and Bougies. I know the temp change will be dramatic. Should I take them and hope for the best. I look forward to a whole new bonsai learning experience having only dealt with tropicals for years, but hard to part with some of my babies. Just wanted some opinions. Thanks

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Well most ficus and all bogies can't take a freeze, so I would suggest picking a few of your favorite and getting a t5 big enough to fit them under inside or next to a big window. Check out Redwood Ryan's set ups for some ideas. Also be careful not to leave them over night in the freezing car on your drive up and maybe put them in a box with plastic around them as an extra layer of insulation. Not a fun prospect, but worth the trouble to keep some favorites. It can be looked at as an opportunity to scale down the collection to fewer, but higher quality stock.
I was laid off recently and considered taking a job in California and went through the mental process of which ones I would sell and which ones I would try to keep. In the end I decided there were only a few plants that I wouldn't rather sell and be able to invest in new material on arrival. I'll probably get a job in the DC area after all (and hopefully soon) but it made me reconsider some of my collection and think about scaling back. Now if only I can find somebody interested in my less interesting material.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

The big question is this: Do you want to be in the indoor bonsai business? It can be a lot of work to provide the right environment, and every move inside and back out impacts the tree.

When we lived in Iowa, I had tropicals and temperate trees. I rented a 4x6 U-Haul trailer, affixed benches inside, and pulled all my trees to Nashville in June, and 3 months later, on down to Birmingham.

By my first winter, I fully divested of tropicals because I just didn't have the space or time to deal with them. But, more importantly, the trees that do well here (Charlotte similarly) opened up a huge variety of hardy trees that required no real special care.

Now, unless we get a late freeze after I finish repotting, everything can sit out...which is probably closer to what you get to do now in South FL.

 

[edprocoat]

I move each winter to Florida and bring my Bonsai with me. The only problem I have ever had was with cold hardy plants that die from the heat. Tropicals are damn hardy plants for the most part, they won't take the being frozen but they will survive indoors fairly easy. Just don't let them dry out, don't expose them to too much dry heat like near a heat vent etc. If you want them to thrive you have to have adequate lighting, if you want them to survive any light will keep them happily alive, just not sprouting tons of new growth. Under a regular light bulb during daylight hours they will sort of stay dormant, not growing much but not declining at all, in the spring when the weather breaks put them outside and they will take off again.

ed

 

[DougB]

Probably would be good if you contacted the bonsai group in Charlotte. http://www.bonsaicarolina.org/

Oh and welcome to The Carolina (the other one is South Carolina)

 

[jk_lewis]

I live fairly close to Charlotte, and it is cold here now, so if you bring any of your tropical trees with you be prepared for immediate indoor living, including lighting, humidity control, air movement, etc.

This part of the country has so many different species that can and do grow well, that my recommendation would be for you to sell them or give them away.

 

[thams]

Let us tropical folks know if you're planning on selling your trees!

 

[Ron Dennis]

Echoing what Brian Van Fleet said. When we moved to Birmingham from Florida, I brought so many of my tropical plants (not into bonsai at that time). A lot of work for not so much reward!
Now t am into bonsai and have only three or four tropical trees and I dread the winter approaching even though it is mild here. Lighting is probably my biggest downfall. Looking into having my contractor install some lights on the sun porch at this time. Humidity is also a problem. The indoor heat dries out the air so a humidifier is necessary.

By the way, I moved from Charlotte to South Florida before moving here to Birmingham. I think you will really like Charlotte. It is a great city and very beautiful.

 

[tree4me]

Looks like my move will be March 1st. Problem is we will be in a small apartment with no place for
for my trees. Is there anyone willing to help a fellow bonsaist with boarding of trees or know of someone in the area... for a short time. I will be in the Mathews area. I know this is an odd request from a stranger but i haven't many options. Please PM me.

 

[Poink88]

Good luck with the move.

Sadly, I will go with the "sell 'em" now advise.

 

[carobone]

Trees

Greetings,

Should the option of temporarily boarding your trees does not pan out, perhaps you might want to think about selling your trees here on BonsaiNut? At the very least, your trees will be cared for by like-minded people who share the hobby?

-Vince

 

[sikadelic]

Good luck!

I will be running into the problem of moving with my trees as well. My species will do fine, but I have to figure out the transport logistics without a trailer. What a headache...

 

[Martin Sweeney]

Looks like my move will be March 1st. Problem is we will be in a small apartment with no place for
for my trees. Is there anyone willing to help a fellow bonsaist with boarding of trees or know of someone in the area... for a short time. I will be in the Mathews area. I know this is an odd request from a stranger but i haven't many options. Please PM me.

Tree,

May I call you Tree?

Anyway, Campbell's Greenhouse (Address: 209 McDonald Ave, Charlotte, NC 28203
Phone : (704) 331-9659) has a lovely greenhouse full of all sorts of tropicals and orchids, and they sell some bonsai too. They have boarded trees for local bonsai folks. Or, you can try Brad Russell at the Bonsai Learning Center ( brad@bonsailearningcenter.com ). He does some boarding.

I would sell whatever you can bear to part with. Tropicals, to me, aren't worth the effort here.

PM me when you get up here and catch your breath. There will be some good Bonsai Society of the Carolinas meetings coming up.

Regards,
Martin

 

[GO-OK]

Inside of 6 years I have lived in Central-illinois, Oklahoma, Chicagoland Illinois and now indianapolis. I moved a pretty sizable collection every time and it sucked. As one who has been there and moved at different times of year...here it is:

My advice before you make crazy decisions about selling....1) evaluate your space of the new place, and lighting capabilities. 2) then evaluate your trees looking at quality as your onlyrequirement for keeping. 3) Then decide which few trees you can accommodate.

Your tropicals will be fine, I kept a very nice specimen bougainvillea alive and happy in a window for 2 years in the winter. In the summer it stayed outdoors. You do not need special humidity etc... Just be aware of the limitations and adjust. I gave my bougainvillea a hot shower twice a week for 15-20 minutes. Then just misted a little and watered as needed.

There is a lot to be said for keeping things simple and taking a methodical objective approach.

Hope this helps.

 

[Eric Group]

I live about 2 hours south of Charlotte, and I only have two tropicals- Bougies because I just love them and couldn't keep from owning a couple- and a dwarf Pomegranate that can handle frost, can go dormant, but prefers to be an evergreen I think... I decided to keep it inside after doing some reading any way...

Long story short- I agree with people who said to reduce the number of tropicals you have. It is a lot of trouble. If you build your own greenhouse, keep it heated and humid you might do great with them... But if they are moving in and out they will flounder a little every time you move them.

 

[jkd2572]

I limit myself to two tropicals, because that's all I have room for during the winter inside. That would be the only space is in my at home office in the window. Trouble is I have four in there as of right now. My favorite tree is the Brazilian rain tree. Wish I could care for 50 of them, but winter space allows me only two. Yes I now have two other tropicals in there, but it is a pain.