Pacific Northwest Bonsai Practitioners

[mpersena]

Hello, I was looking for a forum on bonsainut that was dedicated to issues specific to the climate in the pacific northwest and I could not find one. So, I decided to start one. My goal is to collect advice from people who have been growing bonsai in the various climates in the PNW, share info about local resources, what kind of soil mix people are having success with for the various species that are being grown, rules, regulations and guidance about Yamodori collection in our area etc.

My first questions have to do with soil mixes that people have used successfully for development and then refinement of the following (in pots, outside of course)

Azalea
Juniper
Chinese elm
Pieris
Sequoia
pine (black pine)
Boxwood
Cypress (Hinoki, sawara)

I did not know what to use when I potted most of them. They are surviving but I can't say thriving in the miracle grow potting soil + a few handfuls of pumice that I used for most of these trees. I think the soil is probably retaining more water than is idea in the rainy months in Seattle.

If nobody has any good information to share about this then I will experiment and post my experience to this thread.

 

[NaoTK]

pumice guy. You cannot go wrong with pumice for everything here, because of how much rain we get and how cheap pumice is. 100% pumice works, but you can also add small amounts of other materials depending on the species. I would do 90% pumice + 10% your organic mix if you don't want to use akadama etc. People say pumice doesn't hold a lot of moisture in the summer, but I haven't found that to be the case.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Welcome Aboard Bonsai Nut!

If your are in Seattle it would be great for your development as a hobbyist to join PS Bonsai Association and get into one of our study groups. Meetings are the fourth Monday and Center for Urban Horticulture at UW.

While not a fan of all pumice, it’s true, one could get away with all pumice with most of the above trees, except azaleas and Sequoias. Also would put in an 10-20% organic component besides. However expect somewhat coarse roots. So once getting midway through refinement get these trees in a decent media.

For grow out of nursery size azaleas one can get away with about 70 peat : 30 pumice then mix in 10% small bark

If one plans on moving an Azalea out of the nursery mix into a bonsai pot (think deeper pots) the roots need to be totally washed clean. A great media for here is 90 Kanuma : 10 pumice, then to help during the summer mix in 5-10% Biochar. Be sure to keep moss on the surface up if one plans to develop a decent nebari.

Sequoia is similar to the rest of the redwoods. These trees love lots of water and if not available will show it quickly… usually in late July early August. To avoid this. One can keep developing trees in a bark/potting soil mix with a thick drainage layer of pumice. Plan on up potting, root pruning and pruning the top hamper every year for at least 5-6 years. Change out the media at least every two years… but if as one is pulling the tree every year, might as well change the media. As a bonsai they need a water retentive media. Some folks put the pot in a pan of water during the summer until the rains come.

You did not post your trees. Please post these so we can see where they are in development.

During the spring and fall rains it’s customary to chock up one side of pots (or bench) to lower the water table and keep the trees drier.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Kievnstavick]

Welcome! Stay awhile and listen.

We have a few people on this forum located around the Pacific Northwest. The Puget Sound Bonsai Association is a great resource and a strong club for our region.

The Puget Sound Bonsai Mesuem is a great place to meet to some other hobbyists and you can study the well refined trees on display there.

If you ever make your way over to my neck of the woods, Elandan Gardens ran by Dan Robinson is another great resource to study another form of the art. You can often find Dan out in his garden and he is a very interesting fellow to talk with.

Do keep in mind that with our geography in this state, people who live near you can have very different climates and weather patterns. So take their advice, but also understand where that advice is coming from. Understanding the how's and why's more then what they are specifically doing.

One thing I often say to people: "There doesn't have to be a good reason, but there should always be a reason."

 

[Calnicky]

This is a great topic for us PNW webbed-footed types. The OP hasn't been back but we should keep it going. We are really lucky to have a climate this beneficial to the growing of bonsai.

I have recently purchased a Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) nursery stock and am wondering about care of this tree. I probably should ground plant it for a while, but am tempted to just put it into a training pot. Anyone want to chime in on their experiences?

 

[Coppersdad]

This is a great topic for us PNW webbed-footed types. The OP hasn't been back but we should keep it going. We are really lucky to have a climate this beneficial to the growing of bonsai.

I have recently purchased a Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) nursery stock and am wondering about care of this tree. I probably should ground plant it for a while, but am tempted to just put it into a training pot. Anyone want to chime in on their experiences?

Nicky, talk to your very humble newsletter editor. I've got a bunch I've grown from seed. In my hands, they seem to love it in our climate. We can talk further.

 

[Calnicky]

I've recently planted some unknown winged seeds I found on the ground in Portland. We'll see what I get! (likely some type of JM).

 

[andrewiles]

This is a great topic for us PNW webbed-footed types. The OP hasn't been back but we should keep it going. We are really lucky to have a climate this beneficial to the growing of bonsai.

I have recently purchased a Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) nursery stock and am wondering about care of this tree. I probably should ground plant it for a while, but am tempted to just put it into a training pot. Anyone want to chime in on their experiences?

I suggest not planting in the ground. They grow very fast and will produce a poor nebari without yearly root work. I grow mine in Anderson flats, in pumice, on a board, and bare root each year to work on the roots. They don't miss a beat. They'll girth up quickly with full sun, lots of fertilizer and lots of water.

I also have lots of extra rooted dawn redwood cuttings of various ages. If you want anything more than you already have just ping me and I can give you some at a club meeting. They root really easy from softwood and hardwood.

 

[Calnicky]

I suggest not planting in the ground. They grow very fast and will produce a poor nebari without yearly root work. I grow mine in Anderson flats, in pumice, on a board, and bare root each year to work on the roots. They don't miss a beat. They'll girth up quickly with full sun, lots of fertilizer and lots of water.

I also have lots of extra rooted dawn redwood cuttings of various ages. If you want anything more than you already have just ping me and I can give you some at a club meeting. They root really easy from softwood and hardwood.

Thanks for the great info on DR's. I had thought that ground planting might not be the thing in view of their fast growth. I will get out an Anderson flat.

 

[bpancakes]

Welcome Aboard Bonsai Nut!

If your are in Seattle it would be great for your development as a hobbyist to join PS Bonsai Association and get into one of our study groups. Meetings are the fourth Monday and Center for Urban Horticulture at UW.

While not a fan of all pumice, it’s true, one could get away with all pumice with most of the above trees, except azaleas and Sequoias. Also would put in an 10-20% organic component besides. However expect somewhat coarse roots. So once getting midway through refinement get these trees in a decent media.

For grow out of nursery size azaleas one can get away with about 70 peat : 30 pumice then mix in 10% small bark

If one plans on moving an Azalea out of the nursery mix into a bonsai pot (think deeper pots) the roots need to be totally washed clean. A great media for here is 90 Kanuma : 10 pumice, then to help during the summer mix in 5-10% Biochar. Be sure to keep moss on the surface up if one plans to develop a decent nebari.

Sequoia is similar to the rest of the redwoods. These trees love lots of water and if not available will show it quickly… usually in late July early August. To avoid this. One can keep developing trees in a bark/potting soil mix with a thick drainage layer of pumice. Plan on up potting, root pruning and pruning the top hamper every year for at least 5-6 years. Change out the media at least every two years… but if as one is pulling the tree every year, might as well change the media. As a bonsai they need a water retentive media. Some folks put the pot in a pan of water during the summer until the rains come.

You did not post your trees. Please post these so we can see where they are in development.

During the spring and fall rains it’s customary to chock up one side of pots (or bench) to lower the water table and keep the trees drier.

Cheers
DSD sends

The last tip about the water table is so helpful!

 

[Coppersdad]

This year I discovered my sequoia seedlings, from seed, (not metasequoia) had to be treated almost like bald cypress. That is, my seedling really liked wet feet. Despite being watered daily they did not thrive. It was only after I immersed the seedling pots in 1/2 inch of water that I began to see the growth I'd hoped for.
My metasequoia are water hogs and grow out of their pots quickly. But these sequoias just seem to want their feet wet all the time.

 

[NanTho]

Hello all!
Nanaimo, Canada dude here. New to Bonsai Nut.
I've been growing for about 7 years, with the last 3 making some progress on skills,mixes,fertilizer etc.
(I see that avatar picture is like a 100 years old, will change it soon )

To get back to the OP's pumice question. We have *very* dry and hot summers, and *extremely* wet and cold winters, with temperatures going to -15 Celcius easily for a few days.

In general, I found less water retention is better. It's way easier to water a bit extra in the summer compared to having to keep your plants out of the rain for winter.
I even have had neighbours and friends doing the watering for me when we're out camping, and tend not to see real setbacks when I'm back.

I do add some fired clay pellets and moss/coco choir to the mix in varying degrees, but I think I could probably get away without that.
Pure pumice bottom layer for drainage whenever I'm re-potting anything. I used to do without, but they do much better with that drainage layer.

Hope to get in touch more often! There are no teachers or clubs nearby (to N-Americans, my standard of "nearby" must be laughable ) so I have to do the learning by myself for now.
My plants are small, my patience is large Don't have a shop, but some of the nicer, small, ones are for sale through a nearby nursery.

On Vancouver Island, not everything is easily available, so I improvise a lot with materials. Hard to find even plastic colanders, go figure! So for my pines I take plastic cactus/succulent pots and drill a few hundred holes in them

I grow mostly:

• Maples from seed (Japanese, Norway, Sycamore)
• pines from seed (ordered and collected)
• mountain hemlocks (hard! they suffer from fungi easily)
• Thuja from seed
• Junipers from hedge cuttings (rocky mountain juniper seems to be the most fungus resistant)
• Sawara cypress grows well here, lots of plants to take self-layered chunks
• Alberta spruce (looks good, but tends to suffer from fungi)
• Ash from seed
• Monterrey cypress, from the christmas shops' leftovers

Will work on:

• Yezo spruce (have a speciment planted for cuttings)

Thanks everybody who keeps online fora alive! Please do gently let me know about the etiquette, as I haven't been on an online forum in decades. And I like to use a lot smileys. Not negotiable

 

[cishepard]

Hello all!
Nanaimo, Canada dude here. New to Bonsai Nut.

Hey - fellow Nanaimo member here! Welcome to the forum!
As far as clubs go, both the Victoria (Vancouver Island Bonsai Society) and the Campbell River & Area Bonsai clubs are a bit of a drive for us, but there is a little group that I frequent called Mt. Arrowsmith Bonsai Club that meet each month in Nanoose. They don’t have a website, but I’m on their mailing list and I can send you a contact if you’re interested.

And for teachers, we have Frank Corrigan, @River's Edge here on the forum, and you can’t get much better than that! He lives in Qualicum and has group workshops, does private lessons and consultations and has a small nursery with excellent pre-bonsai stock for sale. He often attends the Arrowsmith meetings, as well, and his talks are very educational.

What nursery do you sell your stock through?

I have found these plastic baskets at Dollarama - just 2$ ea. and doubled up they are perfect for bonsai. The bottoms are the same mesh as the sides. They have been lasting 3-5 years for me so far.

 

[NanTho]

Thanks so much @cishepard!

Yes, I heard about both clubs, even met a few of the Victoria club while they were working at the HCP gardens. Indeed too much of a drive for old me, but yes please I'd love to know more about the Mnt Arrowsmith club and I'll see how I connect with Mr Corrigan! So awesome there are more people around
I only started growing stuff because I couldn't find anyone else locally, so thanks for being a first connection!

Go check Kleijn's nursery, fairly close to the Nanaimo River park. The plants are so small you will miss them if you blink
I'd love any feedback, good or bad.

Yes sometimes the dollarstore does have a good size, when they sell out it can take a while before they have them back in. I will try the hydroponics store on Bowen Road too for mesh pots.

Thanks again!

 

[NanTho]

(I see they have a facebook page, as I don't use facebook, could you send a contact? Thanks!)

 

[cishepard]

(I see they have a facebook page, as I don't use facebook, could you send a contact? Thanks!)

I sent you a PM …

 

[NanTho]

I sent you a PM …

Thank you!