I'm so excited!! My fiance got me a bonsai for my birthday-- and clever him (it's my 21st) got me a wine grape bonsai. Isnt that funny? I'm so excited, I've been admiring yalls and wanting my own for a long time. He did good!
Here it is, a little sad from the trip in the mail- and I accidentally included my first bottle of wine that I bought last night. hehe.
You may need to keep it outdoors until winter.
I was thinking I would put it out there today...shade yes?
I think it'll need some sun. Any experts out there?
Best of luck!
I'd give it partial sun. Just until the shock wears off.
Thats a pretty grape!!
Ok I put it out in shade tonight. I think it will like it. It perked up really nice in my window after I got it out of the box and after I took that picture. I'll keep yall updated. Thanks for the help!
And also pay attention to fruit-thinning(if plentiful on it).Otherwise,the bunches would over-exhaust the bonsai's energy.And the next year there might be no more grapes.
Oh Jianhua! Great advice- I didnt even think about that.
An update, I apparently put it in a bad spot on the patio-- I though no direct sunlight could hit it, but I think about an hour of evening sun got to it and a couple leaves got burned. So it has been located back to my end table next to a window. I can't kill this thing, my fiance would kill me ;) we usually try not to spend too much (this much) on presents for each other, but he knew how happy this would make me, so I'm being extra careful with it!
Jianhua, so now it has about 4-5 small buds which look like they'll grow to be fruit. How many of these should I let bloom and fruit? I've never had luck with bonsai's, I need all the help I can get, thank you so much for the advice you've all already given.
On a tree that size- I'd let 5 fruits stay.
If you get really addicted- try getting a crepe myrtle bonsai. They are beautiful in full bloom. :)
:D
Really indeed I am a freak of fruit tree bonsain.
How fun it is to enjoy the bonsain ,
and at the same time to taste your little harvest
right out of your own .
I tried to put in containers of pears,peaches,
apples and dates.All of them did work wonderfully at first.
But due to neglecting the fruit thinning,the results
were:the first year they went insanely with fruits all over,
However, following up next year,they all went west,*shaking head
This is my experiences from real.
Crimsontsavo,
Pink and red,the two kinds of crape myrthes, i grow in my little garden for quite a few years.As I know,the plant is stemmedly leggy.Not so good a species to train into bonsai shape.But i accidently found in a flower magazine,saying that the CM can be trained into a bonsai --a shape like a wreath of basket.
Steps:cut a thick CM from above the roots and stimulate shooting up plentifully more new shoots around the stumble.
Wait till next early spring weave the slim branches into a basket shape.Keep on sprunning till you get your ideal bonsai.
Cool idea Jian!
CM's make great bonsai- especially Mame. If I can get my camera to do a closeup I'll snap some shots of mine for ya.
They need to be trimmed badly- but I wanted them to grow out a bit to get fatter. I am going to bury mine a tad bit deeper to get a shorter trunk- that way I dont have to trunk chop it.
My lemon is growing so fast now- imma have to pot her up! My pop corn tree too!
Sounds fine,Crimson.Keep on experiencing.
Looking forward to seeing your wonders.
My MC's,which here we call ' 100-day glory',
are blooming wildly in my garden now.
it has become a headlight,attracting bees coming and going.
Hi Bonzai enthusiastists. I'm new here, but drooling about all this bonzai talk. I fell in love with bonzai on my first trip to live and work in Japan in the '80's. There people have Bonzai tables in their gardens that have about 20-30 bonzai that they water daily and care for meticulously. These bonzai are passed down from one generation of a family to another! You should see what they look like! That did it. I was a goner and have puttered with bonzai on and off since. Finding Dave's garden and this wonderful forum and thread has given me renewed vigor! I had no idea you could bonzai so many growing things? In Japan they stick to just a few tried and true bushes and a couple of flowers. I haven't seen any type of fruit trees, grapes, etc. before! thanks! Lena & Maizie
Well welcome to the bonsai forum!!
Japan is amazing isn't it. I travelled there in an exchange program a few years ago. I hadn't gotten into gardening yet, so I didn't get to fully appreciate the bonsais or gardens I saw...but I definitely want to go back!
I had no idea you could do so many types of plants either, this is my first one and I'm loving it. I'm really glad these nice folks are here to help me too. :)
Susanne
Hey Gid, I just can't get over McArthur-Burney Falls! Got some pics for the Photos Forum?
Ulrich: Yes, I do have Burney Falls photos, but they are on my 'puter at home (I'm on at work). Be glad to post some tonight after work! I also have awesome photos (and a great short video from my dig-camera) of Silver Falls in Oregon and the California Coast Redwoods-both breathtaking. I can post those as well or give me your email and I will send you the short videos of the falls "falling" and the trees that go to heaven! Both Great sights!
Art-Gard: I am so excited to get started again too and I am totally fascinated with Japan. I am going back in April '05 to take my mom for her 79th birthday (She was there for her 60th birthday when I was working there.
I have a Juniper started. Does anyone know if you can bonzai a Catalpa tree? Has anyone tried?
Thank you everyone for sharing your bonzai experience, triumphs and failures. So helpful!
Lena
Thanks for the offer, Gid. I got all those on slides I took up North but have no scanner to make them digital.
Catalpa leaves are too large to get down to miniature size. No harm in experimenting, though.
I need quick help! I put this bonsai out right after yall told me to and apparently picked a bad spot-- burned some of the leaves ...so I brought it back inside and it has been going downhill since. A lot of leaves have fallen off and it is just not looking happy.
I started to water it with distilled water, thought it was the soft water here. I moved it away from the draft of my fan, closer to a window. Still no sign of improvement. Any suggestions? I would be grateful for any because this plant is so special to me. Thank you for anything you can think of. Susanne
Grapes are deciduous, so it may just be due to drop its foliage now anyway.
Oh good to know, thank you for that information. :) I'll keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesnt get too much worse.
It should get to looking dead, no leaves, until next spring. Keep it from drying completely, but don't water it regularly either.
Good luck and enjoy!
Hello Susanne, don't forget to let us know whether your grape made it through the winter. It should be budding about now.
It's not looking good....:(
Any buds, leaves, anything???
Nope, nothing's showing. I've been keeping it watered and well all winter and now nothing...I keep looking at it, hoping to see something and...absolutely nothing. Would it be bad to cut open a top branch to see if there's any pith left? I'm very heart broken about this, I would do anything you told me to do to help it come back. Thank you for your concern Ulrich!
Put it outside in the sun and wait a few more weeks.
I'll keep my fingers crossed.
art_n_garden,
Sorry to hear about your grapevine. Those stems that had leaves should still look plump if the plant is still alive. The pot looked way too small for the type of plant growing in it. There is a difference in philosophy about what constitutes a bonsai in Japan. Here in the US, anything goes. Not all plants make good bonsai material though. Plants with big leaves such as grapevines require a lot of water. Placing in full sun increases its need for water. Fruit also places a higher demand for water. Often times a plant will produce an abundance of flowers and seeds or fruit because it is under stress and dying.
Sunset Books has a good beginer's book on bonsai. Since bonsai can be very expensive, I would suggest learning the techniques needed to be successful with bonsai by using plants in 1 gallon cans bought from a nursery. Something with small leaves, flowers and fruit. That way if it dies, you won't be out a large amount of cash. Look out! Bonsai fever can deplete your wallet.
BettyDee
Thank you for the good information Betty Dee. The branches don't look at all plump anymore, more like a hardened off branch of a tree in the winter.lol. But I knocked it over the other day and everything fell out and I noticed that the roots still looked somewhat alive- and would not pull out as rotted roots usually do.
I have always been deterred from bonsai's due to the price, and quite honestly would never have paid as much as my fiance did for this one. It was a such special present, and I guess I'm just not used to having plants die on me! And really-- I dont doubt that this plant never should have been a bonsai, because he got it from 1800 Flowers or something like that....hah I doubt they have much genius in bonsai practice :) This'll be the second gifted bonsai (one from a friend, other from him) I've killed and I definitely don't plan to wager of my own money on it!
Thanks again for your advice Bettydee and Ulrich-- I'm gonna keep it in that pot till I get some dern leaves out of it!! :) Susanne
If it dies you can still use it! It can be treated so it wont rot. You could glue realistic leaves on it maybe attach a small bunch of quality faux grapes in the right spot. It could be a 'Forever Bonsai' in remembrance to your 21'st birthday! You could even write a cute eulogy! LOL
Even the trunk and bare limbs are pretty left alone too.
Since I am now working far away from my hometown,most of my potted bonsai,to tell you the truth,have died or half-died on account of lacking of constant care,only leaving the honeysuckles,ginkgo and winter sweets surviving in the natural environment.
To play with bonsai is hard,and with fruiting bonsai is even much harder because when fruits are being on the plant they will consum a lot of nutrition.And moreover,the nutritious soil is rather limited in the pot.So I say,Suanne,even if your grape were gone,do not blame yourself for it; it is quite commonplace for a bonsai starter.):
