I am posting this new thread on this forum because I need some advice. I couldn't decide if this was a Bonsai issue or a container garden issue. I don't think this would be a good tree for a Bonsai. I am thinking large container where I could prune the branches and the roots annually. But this is a very large tree at maturity, so I don't know if this is possible.
The Jacaranda tree grows rapidly from what I have been told and it can get up to 40' tall when mature. I want to keep it smaller and still get blooms. Is this possible? If so, what size container would be the correct size to use for a tree that could get large fast?
I appreciate any opinions and suggestions.
Growing a Jacaranda tree in a container
The correct size container is either one the size it's in now, or if it's getting rootbound, you could move it up to the next larger container size. It's best to move plants up one container size at a time, otherwise if you put it in a pot that's way too big for it then it can lead to watering issues. They definitely do grow slower in a container--I have one in a 5 or 10 gal container that I bought 3 or 4 years ago and it's still in the same container I got it in (although this year I think it'll be due for repotting). It hasn't grown too much in that time. It hasn't bloomed yet, but I don't know if it's because it's not big enough, or not old enough (I'm not sure if the original plant was seed or cutting grown, and seed grown trees will often take many years to bloom). It suffered some damage during our deep freeze this winter so I'm sure it's not going to bloom this year either--I'm just hoping it comes back nice and healthy!
You can bonsai anything.
Jacaranda bloom on new wood, so you should be able to have a nice accent plant for your garden. You really should only root prune every other year. The foliage should be pruned after flowering or to correct/direct growth, once a year should be good. Pinching the tips to make it 'bush' is a common practice.
I am an annual flower sort of guy...
