Orlando Bonsai » bonsai pot

Dwarf Ligustrum update

Sandy Racinski — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 17:29:16 +0000

: Dwarf Ligustrum – first styling

Remember the ‘Before and After Shots’ of the Dwarf Ligustrum? If not visit the blog post pix from July 19, 2013. But here is the picture after it’s first styling last year.

Thought you might like to see a pix of it today — see below. It was trimmed a couple of weeks ago after some long summer growth and here it is now.

For a little guy, it puts out a lot of new growth so it must be controlled if you want to have a good bonsai but isn’t it sweet. Of course, there is still more work to be done with the growth of the tree, the shortening and styling of the top. After that, the next step will be to put it in a bonsai pot. That’s always fun. Choosing the right pot is rewarding and makes all the difference but I guess that’s the subject of another blog post for a rainy day.

Enjoy bonsai and life.
Sandy R

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Bye, bye 2012. Hello 13 new Bonsai Goals for 2013.

Sandy Racinski — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 04:46:04 +0000

Faster is better when it comes to internet speed but TIME is flying by too and since we cannot capture it in a bottle yet, we should manage our use of time if we want to accomplish anything. And since resolutions can fade away quickly, instead I am setting goals in hopes of reaping more results in 2013. Here are 13 Bonsai Goals for 2013 that any Bonsai enthusiast can adapt to meet their needs. Do them by month, mix them up, modify them to suit your needs, create your own, add sub-tasks, or jump to # 13. Just have fun with it!

1. Prepare (plan/organize): mind, garden area, display stands/benches, soil, pots, tools etc. Use the winter idle time to plan for the busy, beautiful springtime.

2.Try something new or different (step out of your box or comfort zone): Examples: really big tree, really small tree, penjing, suiseki, daiza, graft a branch, carve jin or shari, start from seed, air layer, create a forest, make your own bonsai pot, new style (windswept?), go collecting, take a class, create companion plants.

3. Photograph your trees/collection (or video): to record progress, before, after, styling changes, for insurance, in case of loss or theft, bugs or disaster, educational or personal reasons (i.e. bragging rights).

4. Journal the journey (record/document): in your own creative way, record the progress via journal, logs, calendar, blog, facebook, twitter, audio, drawings, whatever… Use beloved, old-fashioned media or new and trendy social media but just don’t dodge it, journal it!

5. Focus on your best trees (exhibit): help them be all they can be. Take a new look at them. Ask yourself questions about them. Pretend someone else owns them; what advice would you give? Treat them as if you plan to display or exhibit them. Be ready.

6. Expand or reduce your trees/collection: What is your preference? Ready to try new species? Focus on higher quality? Have lots of space or not much? Count your trees and pre-bonsai; it may surprise you. Pay it forward or ask a friend for cuttings. Trade species with your friends or club members.

7. Increase Knowledge (strain your brain): read a good bonsai book, search the internet, learn horticulture, take a workshop or intensive training, join a club, forum or attend a bonsai conference, experiment, learn from others, learn Japanese bonsai terms or scientific plant names of all of your trees.

8. Visit bonsai (travel): visit a friend with a backyard collection, a local or national bonsai exhibit, garden or arboretum, find a forest near you for natural examples, travel to Japan or China (for real or on the world wide web), find resources wherever you are or wherever you are going.

9. Exhibit your prize tree(s) (see #5): ask someone’s opinion, learn the art of display including companion plants, time the trimming, fertilizing and blooming to coincide with the display.

10. Focus on pots (composition): take a new look at your tree/pot combinations. Is it the right pot for the tree – quality/finish/color/shape/gender/size including depth? Is the tree located correctly within the pot? Would a slab or rock work better? What could or should be different? What do you like? Does it have enough negative space (like white space on a printed page)? What story does it tell?

11. Share your accomplishments (communicate) your goals, rewards and newfound knowledge with others. Hold yourself accountable. Find a mentor or be a mentor. Talk about bonsai.

12. Take a break (refresh/renew/rejuvenate): take a hike, find a quiet spot, relax, think about your bonsai, accomplishments of 2013 and goals for 2014! Yes, I said it — 2014 will be here before we know it. Time just will not stand still.

13. As always, ENJOY BONSAI every day, every year.

Think Bonsai, Think OrlandoBonsai.com

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Back to basics

Paul Pikel — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 12:00:36 +0000

The details involved with bonsai are many, but there are some simple tasks that sometimes are overlooked that shouldn’t be. I searched the internet for a good demonstration on how to secure the mesh screening into a bonsai pot. I didn’t find one so I decided to create my own.

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Say hello to my little friend

Paul Pikel — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 20:27:20 +0000

Well for a person that doesn’t do small trees, I sure have been doing a lot of small trees lately. However I couldn’t pass this one up. Great price and absolutely perfect. I’m not sure how I actual got it out without a struggle. So many people we looking at this tree and once it was styled there were jaws dropping left and right.

Inital styling

Examining the roots

These roots were in perfect condition and loaded with mychorrhizae. It is just the most healthy tree I think I have ever worked with.

mychorrhizae

As I slowly raked the roots I noticed even more mychorrhizae. The roots had great drainage and were very condensed, feeder roots. I just can’t get over how amazing these roots were.

Repotted

Well here it is in its bonsai pot, all 5 inches of it! Amazing how much power a little tree like this can project. I’ll keep you posted as its begins to fill in.

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Big tree, Big pot!

Paul Pikel — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 22:12:05 +0000

Well I haven’t been very good at taking pictures of this tree this year. However I was able to obtain a bonsai pot to put it in. Since the tree is so big, I needed to find something of similar dimensions to accommodate it. This one fits the bill. It measures 36″ L X 28″ W X 6″ deep. We expect the tree, soil and pot to have a combined weight of over 500 lbs! Now that’s a bonsai!!!

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