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Registered:
June 2003
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Bonsai plants
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Mon, 28 February 2005 11:07
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Anyone else here into bonsai's?
Something I've only started messing around with recently, and I'm hooked! Having trouble getting one little sucker to take root on the side of a rock. Any tips?
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I supported Toymods
Toymods Club Secretary
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Mon, 28 February 2005 11:45
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No experience with them but I think they look VERY cool. Would be really interested to some photos of your work when you get a chance 
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Registered:
June 2003
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Mon, 28 February 2005 12:24
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I was actually just about to post up some pickies
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
December 2004
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Mon, 28 February 2005 12:25
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hmm seems that everyone is into them these days.. everyone at work is asking me where to get them.. i directed bunnings lol
i should give it a go.
what stuff have you created mate?>
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
January 2005
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
April 2003
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Mon, 28 February 2005 13:25
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ive seen them quite a few times on burkes backyard over the years and i reckon they look simply awesome, have always meant to buy a few and give it a go, ive read a bit about them, might have a look around on the weekend.
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Registered:
June 2003
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Mon, 28 February 2005 13:27
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I've only been into them for about a year or so. It's so much fun!
I started out with a regular little bonsai - pre packaged kinda jobby. All pretty much done for me. All you have to do is water it. After a while it started growing so I had to prune it, and then I started training it a bit, and trying to grow moss on it. Here's how it's going so far:
The ugly coat hanger is just a temporary training device until I can wind some wire around the stem properly.
With my second one I started trying to give it that windswept, flowing off to one side look. The moss hasn't taken as well as my first, but it's looking pretty good otherwise:
Then I started messing around with a gum tree. I found a sickly little weeping gum hybrid that was stunted at my local nursery, so I picked him up for like $3. I've only done a very slight prune on him and exposed the roots so far. Once that settles, I'm going to prune it right back, and grow it on a small rock next to a little rockpool. Here's it so far with just the roots exposed:
And for my latest creation I'm trying to get a sucker to take hold on a rock. I put a little bit of scrub next to it, and I'm hoping both will take root there.
there's a few more pics at http://members.iinet.net.au/~josh_and_sarah/
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Registered:
June 2003
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Mon, 28 February 2005 13:30
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There's is only one thing you need to know about looking after bonsai's:
WATER THEM CONSTANTLY!
Because they're so small and the soil/root area is so tiny, they dry up REALLY quickly and need all the nutrients they can get. It's pretty much impossable to over-water them (unless you blast them so hard it washes all the soil away!).
I water mine 2-3 times a day. First thing in the morning, first thing when I get home, and then again before bed. If I could water them any more than that I would too.
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
February 2003
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Mon, 28 February 2005 14:24
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exploit the tree's habit of going towards the sun - tilt the tray so to grow straight up towads the light the plant has to climb over the rock - you might have to remove the root stock from the tray and wrap it in hessian and then plastic so you can keep moisture up to it.
also - get some proper bonsai wire - it's usually copper but there is also some aluminium wire that's suitable i think - by wrapping the trunk as opposed to pulling it from one spot you'll get a stronger/safer bend without stressing one point of the trunk up to breaking point. That coathanger might do more damage than good.
novel hobby for car enthusiasts - but they're a relaxing distraction specially when light rain sets in for a few days.
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Location:
Northwestern Sydney
Registered:
August 2002
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Mon, 28 February 2005 20:25
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Yes I was into Bonsai when I was at school and I have just got back into them again now that I'm older. I've (almost) finished the landscaping at home and I have set aside an area that will be the Bonsai Garden. Basically a little area that will have a little Japanese plant theme (Nanas, few variaties of bamboo etc) with little pedistools for my Bonsai plants to sit. It will be set up to be it's own little eco system and gets watered Via irrigation twice a day. I only have 2 bonsai's started at the moment. One of which is a conifer in the shape of a Question mark (?) that will eventually have that wind swept look and the other is 2 Japanese Maples in one large pot that I'm hoping I can twist together as they grow.
For the Bonsai on the rock is there any type of soil around the root zone or the like or are you trying to get the roots to grow over the rock to the soil?
A good way I found to get a nice looking Bonsai started (rather than starting with a twig in a pot) is to find a neighbour, friend, parents garden with suitable trees (Conifer, Maple etc)
find a branch that has a desired shape already to it, strip the twigs off where you would want to plant it and get some of the offcut starter dust, apply, wrap in soil with a hessian bag to stop soil falling out and add the water crystals to hold water there. some trees will sprout roots there and if they do you cut off the branch, pot it, trim it for a nice looking bonsai from a young age. (this seems to be the way most of the commercial bonsai are created for sale in bunnings etc.
Also if you want to display them inside don't keep them indoors arway from light for more than 2 weeks, if you have several bonsai, cycle them on a weekly basis and keep the others outside and WELL WATERED.
Here ends lesson 1...... that will be $50 bucks 
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Location:
Canberra
Registered:
August 2003
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Mon, 28 February 2005 22:42
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I had to throw a whole bunch of them out the other day.
My grandfather was big into them and had 40 odd trees, he lost them in the fires 2 years ago. Some of them lived on for a bit but the smoke damage was too much.
It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Standing next to my grandfather cutting a 40-50 year old tree out of its pot and throwing it in the rubbish pile.
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Location:
Cabramatta, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Tue, 01 March 2005 00:22
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I was into bonsai for a while. There was a cheap bonsai nursery up near The Entrance that I went to (they also have free classes one Sunday a month).
My bonsai were killed when the missus watered them with Windex...   
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Registered:
June 2003
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Location:
Adelaide and Queenstown T...
Registered:
September 2002
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Wed, 02 March 2005 02:34
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i found a good way to get the leaves smaller and more to scale with the rest of the tree for the mortin bay fig trees is to peel the pink skin off the leaves before it falls off naturally. You just have to give it a little twist and then pull up. If you have a look you should know what I mean. It will bleed sap a little when you do it but shouldn't be a problem.
I had a few but all died over several years due to cats peeing on them, underwatering, not enough sunshine etc etc...
Now I am in Japan it is unreal to see them around, this guy next door to us has all these tiny temples and heaps of bonsai all around them. to make a mountain landscape
The photo isn't so good, but you can get the idea.
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Registered:
June 2003
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Registered:
June 2003
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Wed, 02 March 2005 03:50
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And I don't suppose you could elaborate a bit on how to stunt the growth of the leaves? I didn't quite follow you.
If it helps, the plant I am wanting smaller leaves on is the Port Jackson Fig in the first picture. I couldn't see the "pink skin" on the leaves that you were talking about.
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Location:
Baulko Hillo
Registered:
April 2004
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Wed, 02 March 2005 04:42
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Nice ficus you got there joorsh..... My first one was teh same.
Here's some pics I took recently:
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Location:
Baulko Hillo
Registered:
April 2004
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Wed, 02 March 2005 04:44
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
February 2005
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Wed, 02 March 2005 04:53
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There so awesome, they look exactly the same as the regular size tree's.
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Location:
Baulko Hillo
Registered:
April 2004
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Wed, 02 March 2005 04:59
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For the Sydney guys, if you want to view some nice ones and get some ideas or supplies, Palm Land at Terrey Hills has a bonsai nursery. There's also a beautiful Japanese style garden as well as some small shops with cool Balinese stuff in them and a great restaurant (the Buddha Belly) there.
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Location:
Victoria
Registered:
January 2004
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Location:
Adelaide and Queenstown T...
Registered:
September 2002
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Mon, 07 March 2005 02:39
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There are some pretty good bonsai examples in those pictures.
With the fig when the new leaves start to sprout there should be a skin around the leaves- I can't remember, I thought it was pinkish but may be yellow. it looks like it is growing up as a spike. Give it a gentle twist, be careful not to take the whole leaf off.
Hope that helps.
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Location:
Tassie
Registered:
October 2003
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Mon, 07 March 2005 04:00
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They are amazing !!
I don't have the patience for bonsai but i like the whole mini landscape thing.
My mates dad has bonsai on his model train set.
it looks sooooo real
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Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Mon, 14 March 2005 13:07
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stick with cars fellas ...
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Location:
Perth
Registered:
August 2003
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Re: Bonsai plants
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Mon, 14 March 2005 18:56
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do they need lots of sunlight or can they be kept inside or anything....i want some now
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so I decided not to kill any more innocent bonsais and I gave up on them... I was going to take bonsai classes but they were $50 per session, I even read books, but I am a visual person and I actually need to see it how it's done, step by step... I might take it up again when I am grey and old...
