Warning! Do not use Miracle-Gro and high organic soil

[Joe Dupre']

Don't do it! Unless you want great growth and health for your collected trees. Honey locust......one week shy of 3 months since collection.............and after a bit of a trim to reduce some vigor. Approx. 60-70 percent organics and double strength Miracle-Gro every 15 days.
The roots are just getting to the pot edge on 3 sides.

In my 9 years of experience and 150 collected trees, organics and Miracle-Gro the first year or two is a winner. In your climate and in your garden, your mileage may vary.

 

[Gabler]

Don't do it! Unless you want great growth and health for your collected trees. Honey locust......one week shy of 3 months since collection.............and after a bit of a trim to reduce some vigor. Approx. 60-70 percent organics and double strength Miracle-Gro every 15 days.
The roots are just getting to the pot edge on 3 sides.

In my 9 years of experience and 150 collected trees, organics and Miracle-Gro the first year or two is a winner. In your climate and in your garden, your mileage may vary.

View attachment 542168View attachment 542169

Honey locust is a cool species. I'd never thought to use one for bonsai on account of the large double-compound leaves and wicked thorns, but you're making me want to collect one. Any idea how they respond to air layering?

 

[Joe Dupre']

No idea, but I would expect them to do well. They are so vigorous, I would try an air layer and while waiting, gather some of the seed pods and plant some seeds. They spread all over around here from the seeds. I would bet money that they get pencil-sized and 2-3 feet tall in one growing season.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Re: double compound leaves. Personally, I enjoy the unusual nature of the foliage and the brilliant reddish brown of the thorns. The leaves do become smaller. Also, I had not noticed until I started collecting them, that the leaves fold up at night like a touch-me-not plant. It looks like a totally different tree right at dusk.

You kind of have to suspend some of the dogmas of "normal" bonsai and embrace the difference on some of these native plants. If it helps, you can think of a honey locust as a really cool potted plant.

 

[starleaf]

Thinking of starting a honey locust bonsai from cuttings or young purchased seedling. I read somewhere they are a legume, and might not respond well to root pruning. What’s your experience there? Also, what is a good time of year to do a trunk chop?

 

[Joe Dupre']

Thinking of starting a honey locust bonsai from cuttings or young purchased seedling. I read somewhere they are a legume, and might not respond well to root pruning. What’s your experience there? Also, what is a good time of year to do a trunk chop?

I have no idea about "root pruning". I do know that, at collection, that is about as drastic a root disturbance as a tree is likely to have in its lifetime. They seem to take the temporary lack of roots in stride. If you have a choice, start with a seedling. You can maybe find decent sized seedlings in your area. Where there are large honey locust trees, there are normally many seedlings from the seed-packed pods.

 

[Shogun610]

Dang sorry this happened but Honey Locust wow that is cool I miss collecting natives I didn’t get to do it this spring

 

[Gabler]

Dang sorry this happened but Honey Locust wow that is cool I miss collecting natives I didn’t get to do it this spring

Did I miss something? What happened?

 

[Shogun610]

Did I miss something? What happened?

Oh haha nevermind I confused the tow thinking the post collection was how it is today.. impressive tree how much

 

[Joe Dupre']

Update: This is the honey locust at about 8 months from collection. I've pruned back 6-8" of growth on most of the branches 3 times. In early spring, I will carve out the top of the trunk to taper into the apex. By next summer, it should be a credible, bonsai-ish tree.

 

[BonsaiManic]

I read somewhere they are a legume, and might not respond well to root pruning.

It's entirely possible that I am the one who may have said something along those lines. I have a 3yo sapling. I said that I don't know how they respond to root work, because I've had failures with some other legumes. I mistakenly attributed this result to all legumes. Since then, I learned exactly what @Joe Dupre' says here. I severed a couple of large, ugly, gnarly roots. The only thing that happened is the severed roots started shooting out new stems. The tree only slowed its growth slightly, kept in full sun, 100°+ in the dry desert. I can attest, they are vigorous.