Michigan Cichlid Association
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Steve on April 30, 2013, 04:05:21 PM
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Outside of Cichlid/Aquariums and Fly Fishing my other enjoyment/hobby is Bonsai. I actually just got into Bonsai about 6 months ago and have had two for the past 6 months (a Fukien Tea tree and a Juniper) but over the weekend while at the local Nursery I Decided to pick up a new Juniper shrub and took a couple hours break from working on the office build to turn the new shrub into a bonsai. It was extremely root bound even in the large pot they had it in so took a lot of combing and trimming of the roots to get it down to bonsai pot size. Then went to work pruning and wiring it. Decided to make this one more of a formal upright style.
BEFORE
(http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/5804/newbonsai1.jpg)
AFTER
(http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7109/newbonsai2.jpg)
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That's AWESOME!!!!!! I've always been intrigued by Bonsai. I've never really looked into it though.
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Very cool Steve
I've always liked bonsai myself, but haven't gotten further than buying a few. (Years ago)
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Very cool!,
Have wanted to give it a try as well.
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Hang a few Christmas lights and ornaments on it and Walla a Charlie Brown Christmas tree!
Seriously tho...very cool!
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Thats cool.
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I suppose you are also proficient in using chops sticks to catch flies too ! We should start calling you Mr. Miyagi ! 8) 8) 8)
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Very cool Steve.
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Very cool Steve. Have you done that to large bush like a yew or arb?
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(http://i1252.photobucket.com/albums/hh579/theoryguru/bonzai.jpg) (http://s1252.photobucket.com/user/theoryguru/media/bonzai.jpg.html)
BONZAIIIIIII !!!
Nice work Steve!
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Very cool Steve. Have you done that to large bush like a yew or arb?
Not yet, but I am redoing some of my backyard and I am thinking about setting up an area in it where I can have a few larger outdoor shrubs and do them in maybe a bonsai style just on a larger scale.
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You could put in a koi pond too.
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I have wanted to trim a large yews like that for years, don't know if my customers would like.
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Well I picked up a new bonsai last weekend. Normally I don;t care much for Ficus, even though I like most my bonsai as indoor bonsai and a ficus is a great indoors one to have, yet usually they don;t appeal to me much. This one though when I came across it last weekend I really liked the trunk and the overall shape of it, it has lots of branches to work with so I'll be pruning and wiring it some soon as I change the soil. The soil that is in it is much to dense right now.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img824/4014/ficus1.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img259/9935/ficus2.jpg)
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Can you catch fly with chop stick? So cool.
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Here is the new ficus after repotting, pruning and wiring today. This is my first attempt at what is called a Windswept style, which is trained to mimic a tree that is standing against a strong wind such as on the top of a mountain and such. I still have some more pruning and defoliating to do but so far I am pretty pleased with the look of it for my first of this style. I also found some nice roots when I repotted it that I left exposed.
(http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/9691/wind1n.jpg)
(http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/2406/wind3c.jpg)
(http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/5497/wind2c.jpg)
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You are one crafty and taleted guy! This would be an awesome thing to get into! Nice work as always 8)!
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Well now comes the "patience" part of bonsai. I have a new one. This one was a Fukein Tea I picked up last recently. I transplanted it and I plan to do it as what is know as a "root over rock" bonsai. This one/style takes the longest. The roots are small now, but I wrapped it over the rock of choice and planted the rock below the surface in a training pot. Now the patience part....1-2 years from now it may be ready to repot as the root over rock I want where the rock with roots over it will be exposed.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img809/3844/2o8y.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img829/612/mm20.jpg)
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how neat!
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Picked up a little Green Mountain Boxwood today to start it on it's pre-bonsai journey. Here's a before and after of it...
(http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/9826/hz19.jpg)
(http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/5905/z46e.jpg)
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Can you make a bonsai that can be planted in an aquarium?
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Can you make a bonsai that can be planted in an aquarium?
I actually have one in my 29g beta tank. It's not an actual living bonsai tree because it would not be able to live under water, but it looks just like one done this way. What I did was I took a piece of tap root from an old oak that had been dried out and cleaned, then bought a bunch of java moss and tied the java moss to the ends of the roots. Here's a pic...
(http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/4525/3u3u.jpg)
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Thanks to Pete for the free 50g leaker tank 8) here's what I just finished setting up today for my tropical bonsai trees. For lights it has dual T12 40w 6500k daylight bulbs, plus a 24" "plant" bulb as well. The hanging incandescent bulb is to mainly just add some heat to the closed off tank. Also have a fan mounted up top to just move a little air around.
Mounted a thermometer/hygrometer inside it and the readings before water/heat were added (normal house readings) were Humidity-42% Temp-70F. After adding water and turning everything on it was Humidity-72% Temp-83F.
The humidity seems pretty good, it's enough to keep the front glass fogged, but I'm thinking about adding a small submersible heater in a pan of water to bump the humidity up a tad more be I'll give it a couple weeks and see how the trees react to this first.
(http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/6403/hxcm.jpg)
(http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/8052/fq6g.jpg)
(http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/5734/bsk2.jpg)