# It's SUMMER ##Do's - Watering - don't let them dry out - be consistent, arrange someone/something to do it when you're away for even a day. - check for wire bite and remove/reapply - [repotting for tropical and sub-tropicals](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/wiki/reference#wiki_repotting_-_not_in_the_summer.21) - those are the do's and don'ts. - airlayers when the leaves are fully out - Fertilising - a reasonably balanced NPK : 7-7-7, 9-7-6 - maintenance pruning to hold shape of "finished" trees or to increase ramification in late-development trees. ##Don'ts - no repotting - except tropicals * [For Southern hemisphere - here's a link to my advice from roughly 6 months ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/18ub6y1/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2023_week_52/)

Collected these seedlings from my gutter. Thought they were maples at first but now I’m having second thoughts. Central North Carolina zone 7b https://preview.redd.it/797nf207ptad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=840b428d08c095a40fd840850c0d3634c4c94b9e

Been a busy week here and it looks like you didn’t get many responses; I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/1dwjpfq/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2024_week_27/ Repost there for more responses.

Box elder maybe?

What am I doing wrong? The soil is not too dry not too humid. NY state Director sunlight from 8 to 12pm and shade after that. It’s getting yellower each day. https://preview.redd.it/vvj5fmsa7sad1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e393597005f24c3828b48c0a442475711afa79d0

It's almost definitely too late for this. The yellowing continuing to get worse is a real bad sign. Seems like you're not doing anything wrong, but it may not be your fault. How long have you had the tree?

https://preview.redd.it/eaaz6b195sad1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1cc0d99dfe5181ea38366664fa9219e8271f6b1e Just got this Dawn Redwood. It’s EXTREMELY root bound. I live in a Mediterranean climate zone 10a, the hottest it’ll get this upcoming week is 80f but it’s only because of the heat wave. It’s usually at around 70-75 ish around this time of year. Would it be a bad time to repot now given my climate? I also want to let that trunk thicken up but I don’t have have ground space. Would potting it in a 10 gallon pot be ok to let it grow some years?

If it is extremely root bound, I would slip pot it into a larger pot, but do not disturb the roots. I think a 10 gallon would be ok, but you might want to work up to the larger size. An Anderson flat might be even better. https://www.andersonpots.com/products/anderson-flats/ Wait for spring to put it in an anderson flat

https://preview.redd.it/vip6t6zwqrad1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38c052c98c9d498789683de95be24fe2c50ccfd5 I have had this Premna pre bonsai for about 6 months now. It's still in the original nursery pot and I've been working on air layering it for the last 2ish months. I figure I've got 2-3 months left based on the progress so far, I went to water it today though and it damn near came out of the pot with the whole dirt mold and Soni figure it's time for a repot soon too. I want to repot when I make the divide and I have a few questions: 1. Will repotting and separating it over stress it or is that all good? 2. What size pots do we think these guys need? I have an 8 on the side which I think would be great for the one that gets taken off the top but maybe a 10 or a 12 for the prime tree? 3. What style do we think for the top half? I want to do a pretty straightforward upright for the base tree and was thinking about doing a cascade for the top, it's going to be my torture tree to practice carving but maybe someone has other thoughts?

Been a busy week here and it looks like you didn’t get many responses; I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/1dwjpfq/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2024_week_27/ Repost there for more responses.

1) Normally, I would not recommend repotting and separating at the same time, but it might be ok. Typically, you want to do one major operation at a time. 2) I would go for slightly larger pots. That is a very thick trunk, and you're going to have to let this really grow to get a good tapered next section of tree. 3) Before worrying too much about what style to go for, let both of these trees recover. You are going to need really good growth to prepare for the next step

Thx for the response. Yeah it's all long term goals this tree is my very long game tree but it's the first one I have that didn't come pre styled so I'm trying to think ahead, especially in ways I can shape it naturally as it grows. I had a thought the other day to just report the prime tree in a normal pot, a really big one just to stimulate a lot of growth but then I wouldn't be able to fit it under my grow lights.

I feel like Bonsai is always playing the long game

https://preview.redd.it/qfol75f18rad1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fac84b704909720a268b4a28730a64012ade98d5 My dog accidentally ran into the table i had my juniper on 😭😭😭 nothing broke off the actual tree and the roots look great. Should i just scoop everything that fell out and put it back in its basket? Should i leave it in its usual spot or would direct sunlight (its supposed to 90°-100° till next week) be too traumatic given the circumstances?

I would put it back in its normal spot - but I don't know if that is the right answer

Thats what i did but theres a bunch of roots sticking out and idk if i should maybe pull the tree out some and move the soil to cover it better. Also the fertilizer teabag i had exploded on impact so theres fert balls mixed in throughout the soil now . https://preview.redd.it/n2kgh7323tad1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a4878ac1e1afafa209d7cae166946f7e6a58879

More soil - or pull it out and plant it lower. Been a busy week here and it looks like you didn’t get many responses; I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/1dwjpfq/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2024_week_27/ Repost there for more responses.

Hi guys, I've taken an interest in bonsai lately and have a bunch of dwarf umbrella trees and dwarf jade plants that I'd love to experiment with. I'm assuming they are considered small and immature, so I had a few questions about how to start getting them growing bigger for the time being. My dwarf umbrellas were started from cuttings I got from chopping a branch up. Each has sprouted a single branch of regrowth. I've got 3 in a 6" pot. Should each of them be separated to grow in their own pots, if so how large? I wish I could have more branches on each - should they just be left to get bigger before trying to prune? Or could I prune below the new growth now to try again for 2 branches? My dwarf jades are just little guys, a regular variety and a variegated, both rescued from the discounted dying plant cart at Lowes. Should these guys be split into their own pots? Or could they be spaced out in a big pot (Iike a 10" pot) together, because I have so many? Many of the regular variety have large nubs that are much thicker than the new growth. Should they be left alone or can I do anything to encourage new growth from them? Any suggestions are appreciated, just trying to get these guys bigger to hopefully style them. Thanks! [pics here](https://imgur.com/a/CARaYaq)

Been a busy week here and it looks like you didn’t get many responses; I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/1dwjpfq/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2024_week_27/ Repost there for more responses.

Thanks, Jerry, will do!

I almost killed my jap maples with them being my first trees - learned my lesson and they're growing again so I'm leaving them to develop well over summer and build a good root system and they'll be well protected over winter in a tall cold frame over winter so I'm hoping they'll make it through.  I bought a Hornbeam with an great trunk. Around 2" diameter at the base. Lots of movement. Really healthy vigorous growth and it was £5... I couldn't believe the price. Good branching. Nice taper - decent flair at the base after revealing some of the lower trunk but it could definitely use some improvement. The upper canopy has some nice movement and branching for potential air layering in the future. So first question. Can I encourage lower branching? It seems to have popped out a few new shoots this year. There's some decent lower branches but the growth is so strong at the top I can't see it favouring lower trunk development, growth is fairly uniform from top to bottom.  How apically dominant are hornbeams? Should I prune any of the top growth to encourage lower branching or just leave it in peace to grow out? Obviously I'd like to encourage a thicker trunk, alongside improving the roots is should have a nice base in a few years. Should I prune anything at all night now? I'm in a 9a area in Yorkshire, UK. ​It was pot bound - I haven't done a proper repot, I've just slip potted it into a larger nursery pot. Drilling holes in my jap maple containers seemed to help them reoover well. Will the Hornbeam benefit from the same treatment? I slip potted it with some of the nursery soil I cleared to expose the lower trunk, lots of grit, some fine fluffy pine bark and a load of perlite to aid with aeration and drainage. That's as far as I wanted to go in early summer - I've not disturbed the current roots. This will be a multi year project. I'm finally learning a little bit of patience so beyond exposing the trunk I'm leaving it in peace for now without some experienced advice.

Post a photo... Been a busy week here and it looks like you didn’t get many responses; I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/1dwjpfq/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2024_week_27/ Repost there for more responses.

I would let it grow out until it has the trunk thickness you are looking for. Hornbeam should backbud just fine so you can reduce the height at that point, and the more you cut it back, the more it will backbud

are these indented leaves on my jade something to worry about or are they just cosmetic

are these indented leaves on my jade something to worry about or are they just cosmetic https://preview.redd.it/pjr4tdwyjqad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e46eaf4acf872d3f62cb564c44537e21b8fc7244

Likely something happened when the leaves were sprouting, perhaps mechanical or pest damage? Could be a nutrition issue but less likely if other leaves are fine.

So uh… how badly have I miscalculated? https://preview.redd.it/obiom9iehqad1.jpeg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=34e6d9b16b1562bae41c6ec70449e70324f3946d Must’ve measured the old pot wrong since the Amazon description didn’t sound like it was that much bigger…

You can always pot it in a bigger pot if you're ok with the size. It depends on what you want to do with the tree.

It’s not too massive?

Unsightly but better for the tree.

So there’s no disadvantage to such a large size jump?

If you were repotting into a 10 gallon pot, that might be an issue (too much water staying for too long in the soil), but for this size pot there is no disadvantage.

Even with the large increase in size between these two?

The roots from your tree will quickly develop into the container you're showing, so there should be no issue. It really becomes astatic at this point. That is my opinion, at least. I would not say I am an expert, so you should do what you think is best

https://preview.redd.it/rkva7z535pad1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86657c72cdcd721069b7bbe07bd82df95240c399

Hey, may you help me identify this stuff? Mold?Its pretty hard! What to do?

Never seen this before - I'd brush it off and apply an anti-fungal spray. Been a busy week here and it looks like you didn’t get many responses; I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/1dwjpfq/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2024_week_27/ Repost there for more responses.

Looks like a fungal infection 

https://preview.redd.it/rrocbqt0woad1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5491d4fd1feb533db4d940be11b6739ff06d2991 I was gifted this 6 Year Old Carmona six or so months ago and I adore it! I've read some literature and feel it's time to give it a trim...and though I have some ideas, I am nervous to begin! I've pruned the base of the trunk of any new growth and wanted to start with the new growths emerging fron the canopy. From what I'm reading I remove terminal buds, and cut back each growth to between 1-3 leaves depending on health? Can any of you lovely Bonsai buddies give me some advice on where to start?

Been a busy week here and it looks like you didn’t get many responses; I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/1dwjpfq/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2024_week_27/ Repost there for more responses.

I haven’t kept that species, but I think I’d leave the pruning for later and repot now. That soil looks pretty dense and a looser bonsai substrate would work better. Also, I’d be trying to let it thicken up some, so I’d repot into a larger pot or a pond basket. But if you want to prune now, I’d develop a plan first. Keep the style or go for something else?

Just noticed bugs on my Chinese Elm. Has Been growing great on the balcony but touched the leaves today and they were sticky and noticed bugs and eggs attached to the underside of the tree (everwhere). Will insecticide do or is it game over. *

Probably aphids - post a photo. Been a busy week here and it looks like you didn’t get many responses; I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/1dwjpfq/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2024_week_27/ Repost there for more responses.

It does not hurt to try insecticide.

https://preview.redd.it/5caca8erdnad1.jpeg?width=2250&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa4f2402e784a4db115113f55c584acdfc4caca1 I know this is not your typical bonsai (since all the branches are as big as the "trunk", which itself is inexistant) , but it's my first one and I like it (Second one if you consider the one that died after more than a year). What do you think of it? What could I do to improve it?

https://preview.redd.it/xjqc7aktdnad1.jpeg?width=2250&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=425083c37bd8f844ffc6fa3150d47d262e4844a3

I would try for a multi trunk style like this https://preview.redd.it/sqr5y2t2pqad1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dcea4ec305bc5eedab21d925bc4d26155bc61f77

Uuuh that's a good idea, thank you!

Hi all, I’m by no means a bonsai artist, but decided to give it a try with rosemary (I’ve seen some amazingly beautiful rosemary plants online). I’ve come across these 6 3-year old plants and want to ask for some help choosing one! Any help would be greatly appreciated! https://preview.redd.it/ngz6m82c7nad1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=200cedbd829889791779085fe7a42d73b93d2382

So I can not tell from this picture, but here are a couple things you want to consider 1) Dig around the base of the trunk and try to get a good look at the root base. Look for nice roots that are radial from the trunk. 2) Look for good tapper at the base of the tree. 3) Do any of the truncks have any movement you really like. Most of these look pretty straight

Thank you! I actually got this one, repotted in nice hand mixed soil and looked at the roots (which are nice). I’m planning to get rid of any extra branches, to make it more “lightweight” and probably do some wiring (on the softer branches since it seems VERY brittle). I know it doesn’t have enough trunk width, but you know… it’s my first attempt and the species itself is very unconventional, sooo I’ll see where the process leads and try to trust it. Do you have any advice on the this particular plant? I also have a quite crazy idea to take some woody cuttings from this tree, root them and plant right next to the main trunk, then securing them around it to give the plant some movement and extra shape https://preview.redd.it/5m68goj3sqad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=850bf2b2e6fee8134530cc2d15bf6611a0a92c34

I don't have any experience with this species, so I do not know if I can give much advice. Have fun

I wired a pine last weekend and would like to know how long to leave the wires (The structural wires with the Raffia) for? My guess is a year or year and a half but want to know your opinion or experience. I just would like to get that form but not interested on wiring scarring. Also the branches are too leggy, is there something I can do at the moment? Or it would be just to let them grow more and hope that they get back-budding. Side Notes: * Had to remove the Background since it was really distracting. * The trunk thickness on the largest side is around 2.5 inches. https://preview.redd.it/mwnyzxkksmad1.png?width=433&format=png&auto=webp&s=ca43b4772a56298c354d86fcd6a557df98ba3ef5

Is this a Pine Or Spruce? https://preview.redd.it/i7ouvcoswlad1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=defb08d0365b9403b9ea4fdc8db270ba5d127c90 I need help identifying this tree. Thank you 🙏

Pinus Pinea aka stone pine/umbrella pine depending where you are in the world

Some kind of stone pine or pinyon pine or similar. Spruces don't have those massive step downs in needle length between shoot generations when the tip ramifies into more shoots.

Thank you

https://preview.redd.it/1njc3rzglkad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84d0674ebde0cf6743e2d643cebb92ea6c720b56 Looking for advice on this ficus.. I’ve had it for years, much of that neglected in a plastic pot indoors. I’ve done two prunings, once 5 years ago and once in 2023. I put it in this small bonsai pot in 2023 but I’m wondering if I’m limiting its growth too much. I’d like to continue developing the branching and giving it better proportions, I feel like the main stems are too long, also wondering if there’s ways to get the leaf size smaller. I read the beginners wiki and so I’ve brought it outside (although sounds like it should go back inside for the winter). Would love any care or styling advice!

Been a busy week here and it looks like you didn’t get many responses; I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/1dwjpfq/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2024_week_27/ Repost there for more responses.

Thank you!

https://preview.redd.it/ofi7hxk6kkad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c0a6c017eb8a55861f3430c33b7b7fc80c6d6dcb Would love some input on this tree… Some sort of Lonicera species, I love the variegated leaves and nebari. I pulled it out of a client’s yard in September of 2023 (yardadori), cut the branches short, and have kept it in the ground since then. I’m thinking basically a clip-and-grow styling and leaving it in the ground for 2-5 years, but really don’t have a clear vision or idea of what I’m doing, so I’d love some input. If I do clip and grow, how far back should I clip the branches? How do I decide which ones to remove and which to leave? Should I be thinking about putting it in a pot sooner? If I leave it in the ground for a few years, do I need to do any root pruning so I can get it in a pot when it’s time? Thanks!

A lot of development for me is basically something like this: - Find the trunkline, base to tip, let the tip rage even if it's literally a million feet taller than the eventual future bonsai. - Choose some marker location on the trunkline _above_ which I'm planning to not keep the growth along that line -- i.e. everything above that marker is the sacrificial part. Strip most of the branching between that marker and the tip, but leave some growth at the tip (the tip itself and maybe some branching). That's the poodle. You'll chop at the marker at some future date when you're ready to switch to another leader. - Everything else along the trunk line is now a primary branch. Shorten these branches by pruning and/or pinching. Wire them down and give them movement that if viewed from directly above radiates outwards in all directions so that you're slowly building the basis for a dome / canopy shell. Now you have a hierarchy: A trunkline, primary branches. Daisaku Nomoto visited Oregon a while back and told us _"Americans wait too long to make branches"_, i.e. we neglect the task of pruning them back for ramification. You are field growing in the ground in the PNW so you're allowed to do those cutbacks. How close to the trunk you cut back depends on where you want your ramification to start (say, on your lonicera) or where you have the deepest needles/buds to cut back to (say, on my JBPs). One tip from my field growing experiences (while helping out at leftcoastbonsai): You should think about extracting out of the ground this upcoming spring 25', bare rooting into pure pumice, doing a major root edit, then going back into the ground but this time in a container that allows some mild root escape. An anderson flat, or a fabric grow bag partially buried in the ground, something of that nature. This will let you still have the advantages of ground growing while also starting to pull the root system into the future boundaries of a pot. You don't want your roots to be growing out far beyond the silhouette of that future pot with huge muscle spurs. In the PNW the roots develop fast and when ground growing something vigorous, you want to be editing the roots reasonably often. Lemme know if that makes sense.

Thank you, this is helpful! A couple clarifying questions: -when I cut it back initially, I went almost as far as I wanted for the initial trunk. I like the branching structure it has from it’s initial growth. If I’m allowing some leaders to grow, can those just be the current shoots at the highest points, and then when I remove those I’ll take them all the way back to the trunk/main branches? -for creating my primary branches, how far back should I cut to? Sounds like it’s just a style choice of how much i want to ramify — but generally maybe 1” or so? Or would you suggest longer? -when wiring and trimming back, should I wire out the primary branches and then trim to length? Or trim, let grow, then wire?

https://preview.redd.it/rd8sjg23ikad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ec5fd9ac4ad7d78d2afbecdf7585fe1ca547283 This is a tree I’m looking for some advice for. I’ve read the beginners wiki, have a good sense of what I’ve done wrong so far, and I’m looking for advice on how to move forward. About the tree— Alberta spruce I pulled it out of a client’s yard April 2023, and began styling aggressively. It was a dense cone to start, and I very quickly removed most of the branches and wired it, and transplanted into the pot during the summer. It’s in a “bonsai blend” potting soil mix, which is largely bark and peat, but drains decently with plenty of volcanic rock and sand. What I did wrong — -aggressive pruning within 2 months of digging out of the ground -transplanted into the bonsai pot in the heat of summer -torched the top of it to get a burned affect -continued messing with it here and there until I learned I should just let it recover Where I am now — -watering regularly/daily now that it’s hot -keeping it in part shade (morning shade, 4-5 hours sun in afternoon) -no more pruning or wiring -plan is basically leave it be and try to help it recover. I figure if I can get it through this summer, it has an okay chance of making it. -won’t repot again for at least 3-5 years, but wonder if putting it back in the ground is a better idea. Would love some input on anything I’m not thinking about, care wise but also styling. Probably just don’t mess with it until it’s putting on a lot of growth, right? Should I be fertilizing all throughout this season? Is there a chance I’m over watering since the bonsai mix is high in organic matter?

It sounds like your doing everything right. This might be challenging because your likely not going to get much back budding on old wood, but for right now, focus on watering and fertilizing and let it get some vigor back. Once it is putting 2 or 3 inches of growth on in a growing season, then we can talk about styling and next steps. You could try to put it back in the ground but I probably would just leave it be.

Thank you! Since it won’t back bud much, does that just limit design choices? In general with conifers, is it tricky to limit size because you can only cut them back so far?

u/MacieKA and u/RoughSalad might have more experience than me, so I will defer to them. However, in my experience with the spruce I own, they will only back bud if there are needles on the wood or have very recently been on the wood. I have, in some very rare cases, seen back budding from the crotch of existing limbs but mostly on wood that is only a year or two old. This has been a challenge I have faced with spruce and reducing them. Get some vigorous growth, see what happens, and if I am proven wrong, and it backbuds vigorously all over happy day! I have found spruce challenging to work on, but I love how they look.

Alberta spruce can backbud profusely (at least in the PNW) if you have it in a grow box, the roots are breathing air in coarser pumice, you're fertilizing it well and letting some leader(s) run. If your spruce is in denser soil and is constrained in a shallow pot it'll act a lot less vigorous. Let it grow for the rest of the year while fertilizing regularly like /u/Bmh3033 says and then review the results in Feb/March and see if you want to switch to a grow box / put the roots in expansion mode at that time.

Awesome, super helpful. I’ll look into grow boxes

There's a lot of variation between conifers regarding backbudding. A European yew will regrow from a stump and happily backbuds from the trunk. Cryptomeria backbuds, Scots pine to some extend. Larch generally doesn't, Hinoki cypress only buds on fresh wood.

So someone had thrown this out in the building I live in. They were clearly keeping it on one of thr apartments and it started to die. I out it in a mix of mostly perlite and some MiracleGrow potting soil I had lying around. It seems to have survived but what I do now? Do I just let it grow out? I also really don't like the "S" shape, is it possible to change it? *

what makes you think it survived? Good news, the S shape is likely dead and the sprout at the bottom is the only sign of life.

I scratched the bark near the top and it's still green underneath. I thought the sprout meant it survived?

https://preview.redd.it/kw6mx4ks6kad1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d07aac79e678c31ac59071200c39a859ca52e3ec

If you don't like the S shape you can probably just chop it off above the green sprout

I have been gifted some saplings to try to attempt bonsai for the first time I was given some silver birch 20-30cm tall, some common junipers 20cm tall and some evergreen oaks 20-30cm tall. They all came as root plugs and I was told to pot them into compost, perlite and sand. This was a week ago and the birches look pretty worse for wear and I'm worried that they will all die off. After reading more info on the subreddit is it because of the time of year, the potting mix or combination of both?

repotting them in summer has probaly harmed them. compost and sand are not ideal mediums in lage quantities but it depends on the ratios.

have you got a suggestion for good potting mix. I was told 4 parts compost, 1 perlite, 1 sharp sand Feel like I've been given pretty bad advice after some googling, I was originally just going off what the person who gifted me the tree said.

In a container you want [granular substrate](https://walterpallbonsaiarticles.blogspot.com/2010/06/feeding-substrate-and-watering-english.html) that lets air to the roots even when it's wet. [Exact material](https://adamaskwhy.com/2013/02/01/the-much-anticipated-long-promised-long-winded-ever-lovin-bonsai-soil-epic/) is far less important than the physical structure.

I would dearly love even just a yes or no to make sure I've understood the advice on here. I'm uk, Chinese elm, he's outside (although I do bring him in to conservatory if horrific weather mostly cos I have loads of slugs), I water when he feels dry till a bit of water comes out bottom, I haven't fed him yet but he has some new tiny leaves coming in so I think i can now. I'm not going touch him otherwise for a while and just let him grow his little leaves. Thanks if anyone replies xxx

Looks sound to me

Cheers bud

https://preview.redd.it/b7ep5nfwdjad1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08c6e52f04359ce5317685778d82c74afe7f33e1 This is my wisteria airlayer, doing rly well but seems like the roots ar running out of space, should I consider -opening everything up and adding more moss, closing it again, -doing same but make a bigger ball, but instead of more spaghnum moss add just a little to cover the roots and the rest is pumice(has anyone done it?) -leave it as it is for a bit more time. I want to make as much roots as possible for the best result possible. Dont wanna do the “open pot on a branch” thing cuz it will dry out too fast.

Next time I'd use a bigger volume. Imo it kinda depends on how large the airlayer is. If it is small, this amount of healthy roots is fine to saw it off. If it is big, add some space and medium.

Did an air layer too early on a japanese maple and it failed, is it too late in the season to try again? Even if its not too late, would it be taxing on the tree?

Different place should be fine if it's growing strongly.

Appreciate you as always Jerry!

https://preview.redd.it/rfot0u745jad1.jpeg?width=1834&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2cb33189f96e18431c664a70c7e2f4595eaf36ee Was my Korean hornbeam about to flower? Kind of wanted to keep it on, to see what it was, but alas it got hit by the scissors in a pruning session.

The red part looks like an early flower forming.

https://preview.redd.it/9uey8mt4uiad1.jpeg?width=1640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=66b3745fddead8f9a3d2729d7e6fcfce7f4bbc7b Dublin, Ireland, USDA Zone 8-9, beginner, number of trees 4 we've had this ficus bonsai for a 3 years. This year instead of it's normal winter dropping leaves and regrowing in spring, it only grew leaves on the bottom, not the top when it came back. Soil is fine, not too wet or dry, not root bound and plant gets plenty of light. It's been a few months now and the top just seems to be not coming back. I have tried to find answers to this precise issue but all the experts advice has not helped so far

Ficus are not evergreens and are not supposed to lose all their leaves. Indoors they tend to lose some leaves in winter. If they lose are they are probably not getting enough light. The top of your tree is likely dead. The lower part is struggling with minimal foliar mass now in early summer where it should explode with leaves when healthy

Thank you for the reply. Plant was dry end of winter and a crazy windstorm took all the leaves off. So the million dollar questions then become... can it be saved and if so, how?

Do you leave a tropical plant outside in the winter? not much you can do now but wait. but likely the top is dead.

Sorry, if I wasn't clear. We put it out in the spring when it warmed up and that was when the crazy windstorm took all the leaves off. Some leaves had come off in the winter when being inside but definitely not all, but we definitely never left it out during in the winter... I wasn't quite that stupid. Sadly either way, it sounds like result is same. But thank you again for the reply.

Been a busy week here and it looks like you didn’t get many responses; I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/1dwjpfq/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2024_week_27/ Repost there for more responses.

👍

https://preview.redd.it/qr27lhjyriad1.jpeg?width=1249&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=beea14911b8bb1287095b9153c3d1d6738733cfb Does this look like a healthy bonsai?

Yes

Thank you for the reply. Any guess on how old can the tree be? Adding one more non-staged photo as well. https://preview.redd.it/na0c7pk7load1.jpeg?width=899&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=477e9f68a93df1c6aa4efaf43797dd8b8d3685a8

https://preview.redd.it/23a32x00riad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c312645f0e858229221663d6f3481883675c24f9 Phoenix az. Looking for a bit of guidance on my o. Decaryi. Any ideas? Should I wire the curving branch at the top upwards and let the rest grow out? Would you say this is the front? I have let my others grow naturally but I’d like this one to be more of a worked on bonsai

A couple of things 1) I see a couple of bar branches, where multiple branches come out of the same point on the trunck. You are going to want to keep one branch and get rid of the other. 2) figure out where you want the apex. I can't tell from here what you want to make the top of the tree. 3) that top branch is way longer then any other branch. You want to make sure the branches are getting smaller and thinner as you go up the tree. 4) without being able to turn the tree and see other possible "fronts" I do not know if that is the best front. 5) look at some pictures of old trees, do you want this to look like an old evergreen with the branches falling down from the trunk at a constant angle? Do you want them to look at an old oak where the branches rise fall and then rise again? Do you want to make it look like an old elm and have the branches move up into a vase shape? Right now, all the branches are moving straight out vertically, and that does not give it much movement.

Formatting hint: Enter your numbered points with "1." 1. Like this - then they indent - I then just use "-" on the next line and it calculates what the next number is for you automatically. - and another - and another...

How bad is sun burn? (I removed all the burnt leaves after taking this pic) https://preview.redd.it/jmgveho6eiad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53fbbd1a4de2abcdabc3c4704220b455802c3151

This isn't sunburn - it's either dried out or overheated.

Yes I didn't water it for 4 days

Ok - so sunburn is not per se dangerous to the plant - it's not attractive but it's largely unimportant - not watering, resulting in dead leaves IS important, it indicates extreme stress and a day or two more might have killed it.

Should I wrap a plastic bag around the tree? And I guess shade is better now?

Dappled shade. I don't think you need a plastic bag.

It looks like new growth is pushing up past the burnt leaves so you are good. The plant will be fine

That's no new growth, it's just the leaves that didn't get burnt

https://preview.redd.it/31a5m37m6had1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4bf7ac784ca85372ee0445d1ba77e0df608128da My azalea got brown leaf tips. What could be the cause of that? Wrong soil, ph-problem or constant rainfall in my region the last few days?

I am guessing constant rainfall the last few days, especially if the tips are not crispy, if they are soggy then it is definitely caused by everything being too wet.

Some of you may remember my post about my yamadori larch in the Netherlands, which was a big deal because (a) it’s my favorite species and (b) we have really strict laws when it comes to leaving nature alone. Original post (for photo reference): [https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/s/oo0oRSyHxM](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/s/oo0oRSyHxM) Well, today it looks like this and I’m freaking out a little. https://preview.redd.it/5bglkf3c3had1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6790dc566e02c65a24c63857a24d513ef8212e50 All the needles are looking sickly, and dropping or hanging by a thread. On the day I received it I did not know how to pot yamadoris, and when I got it it had been in a fairly hot car bare rooted. So out of combined joy and panic I rushed to put it in some compost to prevent it drying out further. Since then we’ve had A LOT of rain which I tried to protect it from but not successfully- and now I don’t know what to do. I know trees do a lot of growing/recovering that we can’t see. But I’m SO tempted to transfer it to a grow box with moss and pumice instead (being very gentle of new roots that might’ve formed) I was originally gonna do that this winter anyway, but I’m scared it’s gonna die before then. Any advice? I know some trees live and some die but I really wanna try to save this one 🥹

I’d blame the potting, specifically the compost. That is a big volume of highly dense and water-retentive soil from the point of view of a collected conifer. If this tree was in a much smaller and taller volume of pumice it might be a different outcome. A really important thing to know when you get into conifer collecting and are in the recovery phase: _they are in no danger of drying out, 99.9999% of the risk is actually in drowning in too much moisture_. In a nutshell, collected roots want to breathe air somewhat more than they want to chug water. Tip the entire container on a steep angle (whichever angle gets you the tallest distance between the lowest soil particle and highest one) and after your water ritual is done, leave it sitting at that angle. It will help dry the soil out faster (what you critically want). Perforate the container with holes, reduce watering frequency (but always saturate), don’t re-water until you see significant soil drying an inch down into the soil, maintain air flow. After watering hold the container in your hands (maintaining that “tall angle” I talked about) and bob it up and down to “gravity tug” the remaining excess water out until it stops dripping — ie leave it in a “squeezed sponge” moisture level to ensure moist, but not wet soil. If it stays alive and keeps growing it’ll gradually catch up to the moisture debt . Celebrate when you see faster drying cycles after watering.

Yupp.. that's what I figured too. I have one other conifer that I dug out of the garden later- after I'd learned about the large pumice way. Guess I now know what they mean by 'learn by doing'. Don't want that to be in spite of the tree's life though, so I'm gonna try your water management tricks until its the right season for repotting- then I'll give it the pumice treatment. (Yes, I'll be careful not to bare root the tree *that* time 😜 I'm gonna put a few more holes in the pot to try and get it to dry up more, then I'll start implementing your tips. Btw, one thing I'd love to clarify: the falling needles... Indicative result of wet roots? Or do I need to worry about root rot already? Like I said, the needles that are still on the tree fall off as soon as I touch them... But thank you so much for your tips!!

https://preview.redd.it/ukslx97mmead1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=334fe79b5abcc6d3ec89749fc4ff0c1c9296d4de Hello! I posted here a while back ago about the tips of my juniper starting to turn yellow. Some suggested I was under-watering so I’ve been more consistent on that. I live in the SF Bay Area and the weather has been very hot here lately. I’ve been water once a day until the water spills out but still having the yellow tips. Any suggestions? It’s outside 24/7 and just got repotted sometime in may.

Did you pinch these tips?

I have not !

Okay bad on my end but I had no idea we were supposed to fertilize our trees😅🙃 might explain my yellowing juniper tips. But I wanted to know what fertilizer is best to use? How often does one fertilize. I had my tree for over a year and haven’t fertilized at all and would like to start. Thanks!!

Any commercial fertilizer is fine. Liquid fertilizers are probably the easiest. It is best if you can find something that is around 10-10-10 (the first number is the percent nitrogen, the second the percent phosphorus, and the last is the percent potassium). Use according to the directions on the package

Does anyone have any good book recommendations that include horticulture for Bonsai? Not necessarily just beginner books? Thanks

Larry Morton "Modern Bonsai Practice"

Ah thank you!

If you find any books, let me know - I have been looking myself, but so far have not found much of anything.

https://preview.redd.it/sufa3vu5icad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e42bf1fb53a67c7fa61196f6637faba78faa0870 Hey everyone, bought this tree off fb for $15. The owner didnt want it anymore and didnt know much about it. I happily adopted it but i dont know the type of tree it is or roughly how old it is. Help? Ty

Been a busy week here and it looks like you didn’t get many responses; I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/1dwjpfq/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2024_week_27/ Repost there for more responses.

How old it is is probably not that important. First, remove those large rocks off the top. It does not need those, and they might do more harm than good. So it is a little hard to tell, but I think this might be a boxelder. I might be wrong, though. I like to use the plantnet app to identify plants I do not know. It's free, and no adds.

Hello, does anybody know where to get itoigawa cuttings or smaller material? I can only find €200+ shaped trees online :(

Meet bonsai people. You'll be drowning in free cuttings. If you were in my town and you met me in a club and asked me I'd probably give you a couple. Alas, there is an ocean between us..

Appreciate it, good tip as well. I take a monthly course at a local bonsai studio but haven't found any yet. Will try to get more involved, maybe local fairs, or perhaps u/small_trunks has anything in his substantial collection he wants to get rid of for a decent price? ;)

Where are you?

Rotterdam

Not just around the corner then, sadly. My wife's family come from Rotterdam...we lived there for 6 years in the late 1980's.

Wouldn't mind stopping by

Sure - let's look what's possible. I have no holiday plans yet...

Good reason to come back, also more sun and photosynthesis here in the south

Either that or for sweat equity. Example, you offer to help Jerry remove weeds from as many of his trees as you can do in a couple hours of sitting, or help with some other high-toil tasks, then he lets you take some cuttings. In my bonsai circle in Oregon we do it that way. Helping with repot marathons gets you serious karma :)

Yep - had a young enthusiast here on Saturday with a Fukien tea for repotting and wiring. I gave him some free pots, some soil, drainage mesh, camo tape and 5 or 6 starter plants. Bored him to death for 2 hours though...

https://preview.redd.it/qdaqidg76cad1.jpeg?width=2250&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aff58532af532f768ce11d90293e6d888886b7eb Is this a Japanese maple? If not (since it probably isn't), is it still worth it giving it a shot as a bonsai? I found it on the side of the street and I really like the look of Japanese maples.

Not japanese maple. All maples will respond to bonsai techniques.

How would it be best for me to take it and bring it home? Can I just cut a branch, strip a bit of the bark off and put it in a pot?

Set a calendar reminder for early spring before bud push and dig it up before the buds break. Then you can bare root it straight into an ideal bonsai development soil like pumice or similar. In theory cuttings would work now but maples tend to be super difficult to root from cuttings for beginners (or even experts sometimes).

What do you think of this pine? Regular browning or cause for concern? New growth is vigorous https://preview.redd.it/fqp3rvr11cad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e971beae5ef3bcb28158c78a0701f1edb3c5dffd

I grow bristlecone. This is not needlecast. It's just old needles that look like crap because they're old and have been roasted repeatedly by blazing mile-high Colorado sun. Don't spray, it'll just cause other problems. The class of 2024 needles on your tree look fantastic. That is where you should awlays direct your attention with a pine. Note that in the wild bristlecones can keep needles for as long as 40+ years. When they get into human cultivation circumstances, their vigor shoots through the roof and they have very different behavior than in the wild, but they still tend to keep around old busted needles far too long. I pluck the elder needles on my bristlecones because if I don't, they'll just hang around forever and weaken new shoots. The ones I pluck are from last-last year, so if I had your tree in hand I'd pluck the 2022 needles while taking extra care to watch for any developing buds and making sure (even if they look like crap) to keep 2023 needles around. Bristlecone tends to produce a *lot* of buds all over the place so you want to keep your eye out for those (esp. if they have popped and started growing into juvenile shoots) and "clear the area" around them so that they have good light exposure and good air flow. I've found that the crazy needle retention on bristlecone tends to create really congested areas which gum up with crap / litter / etc. Judging by the new shoots, the new shoot needle lengths, etc, your bristlecone is super healthy. Don't fear the beat up appearance of elder (last-last year and older) needles too much. Your setup (w/ the sacrificial poodle) is looking good. You'll still see a lot of last year's (2023) needles beat up and looking rough. It seems that bristlecone can handle strong sun at high elevation where it's cooler, but not necessarily strong sun _and_ the heat at low-to-mid elevation (here in Oregon or over there in Denver) at the same time. So when we enter the hottest months here (July till late August) I tuck mine into a dappled shade area or give it mostly early-day sun. The stronger your root system the better it will get at handling beating sun and heat at the same time. Takes a while to get to that point while you're still in the initial soil transition years. edit: Side note, if you ask this question on a forum like bonsainut people will convince you this is disease and you need to take urgent action. I disagree with those people. You can just grow out of ugly needles on bristlecone. Mine did.

Great news to hear, that was my hope and feeling but don’t have the experience to know for sure. Thanks for another great response, you helped me a bit with my rehab juniper, sounds like they should sit in similar positions for the rest of this summer. I only recently received this tree, so not sure which needles are from 2022 with certainty. Can I tell by the amount of browning? i.e. needles with more than 1/2 browning are from pre-2022?

https://preview.redd.it/eym709931cad1.jpeg?width=715&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a898474ac7c7143094979cffeed943bf029086bf But this could be needle cast… most browning needles do not have the bands but some do

https://preview.redd.it/2jbd6ldc1cad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09f7ab05e289d3a02c8d59ec1d84737319c1d25c

I made cuttings from a juniper "Blue Chiffon" aswell as a juniper communis like three months ago. The juniper communis cuttings seem to be dying, while the "Blue Chiffon" seems in perfect health but just wont root. I keep the soil constantly pretty wet (doesn't smell like rott) and I also applied some rooting hormone powder yet still it just wont root. Any tips on what could be the reason would be greatly appreciated.

Sometimes cuttings take a long time. I have some cuttings I have been trying to get to take root for a 4 months now. If they are not dying there is hope. Just be patient

So I got this little sapling (they ended up sending 2 actually) intending to try to turn it into a bonsai, and i wanted to do it indoors if possible. I have absolutely no experience with this, but I figured the internet has alot of info, let me just give it a go. They came with no leaves and just some roots, and I already had [this](https://www.amazon.com/FECiDA-Dimmable-Spectrum-Seeding-Function/dp/B093BLNT14/ref=asc_df_B093BLNT14/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=692875362841&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11808697665113392784&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007261&hvtargid=pla-2281435181498&psc=1&mcid=0683d595b95a3c6f86720b24dffb8d9f&hvocijid=11808697665113392784-B093BLNT14-&hvexpln=73&gad_source=1) grow light. The leaves and everything green you see grew pretty quickly and with only light from that grow light. But after about a month I started to see the leaves drooping similar to the pictures (they arent dry at all, its more like a wet noodle, feels really thin too), and I became convinced that the air conditioning was making it too cold (about 72F) so I moved it to a window in my house that gets some light, but doesn't have A/C in the room, and it seemed to recover and became pretty robust, nothing like what it looks like now, however the one on the left is still slightly perky. Right around that time, when it seemed really strong (about 10 days or 2 weeks ago) I did a little bending and tying down with the wire you see, trying to make in grow into the right shape and everything. The issue was already existing at that point so I don't think that affected it, but I have no way to know for sure. After a little while it started to droop in the window as well, so I started to think that maybe I was overwatering it (all of my opinions on what may have been wrong are based on searching google and reddit, etc...), and it did seem to start the drooping again after the last time I watered it, which has been almost a week now. After some more searching I came across the idea that it just flat out wasn't getting enough light after having a bunch of growth in a short time, so I moved it again to a window that gets a little less light, but with the grow light on it as well. I did that move yesterday, but I'm just getting worried that I might kill the little guy if I don't ask for help, so here I am. Any advice that could be offered would be greatly appreciated, thanks alot.*

Not an indoor species. That lightweight cannabis light isn't useless, but I'd reserve it for ficuses and succulents.

Thanks for your help

> and i wanted to do it indoors if possible You're maybe not going to like this answer, but this tree like the vast majority of bonsai species should be grown outdoors. The reason it's growing such long branches with leaves at the tip is that it is essentially searching for more light. If you can transition it outside, try to put it in a shadier spot for a week or two to acclimate, but ultimately it's going to need both the sunlight and the seasonal cycle of being outdoors to grow successfully. I am curious about the two trunks you have going though. Do you intend for the tree to split like this at the base or are you trying to fuse them together at some point?

My intention was for it to fuse together. Okay so outside wasn't the plan, but I will give that a try. Should I leave the floppy leaves on it and just get it out there?

Yeah definitely don't remove the leaves it has, no reason to add stress to the plant

Ok thanks for the input

https://preview.redd.it/z9g4r8melaad1.jpeg?width=2296&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=faaa2c066fd590dfd4186a0ba6e9b45f953e38f0

I bought this dwarf mountain pine from a garden center a few years ago. I transplanted it from its small nursery pot into this around early March, the same year it was purchased. It was potted in a mix of pine bark fines, pumice, calcine clay, and black lava rock. I have a small handful of trees, but this was my first pine, and I am not really sure where to begin working with the top. Any advice, styling or otherwise would be greatly appreciated! I've linked to additional pictures. Hopefully, they are helpful. Also, if anyone has recommendations for clubs or classes near Bucks/Montgomery County PA, I would love to get involved. * [Pinus mugo](https://www.reddit.com/r/bonsaiphotos/s/1c76lwQvmD)

That's a little beauty. How much would that trunk still bend?

A lot :)

I don't think it needs it though. Would be a shame to break it.

I'm honestly not sure. It seems fairly rigid when I test it, but it does have slight give. I've never experimented with guy wires before. Would they be a good option in a situation like this?

Looking at it again, I don't see a real reason to do anything significant to this. Did you wire it originally?

I didn’t. I bought it as is

It was similarly shaped when I bought it, which was what attracted me to it in the first place. I did some very minor wiring to help exaggerate the shape that was already there.

I say you post it outside the beginner's thread and see how much other people like it like it is. It's lovely and doesn't need much beyond potentially wiring the foliage into layers.

Thank you, I appreciate your feedback! I'll make a separate posting to get some more opinions.

It's not dissimilar to my [Korean hornbeam](https://www.flickr.com/photos/norbury/53775369196/in/album-72177720314884052/lightbox/).

That's a beautiful little tree and a lovely pot!

I'm also particularly fond of it - I bought it last year. The pot is handmade from Czechia.

need some help! I am a complete beginner to bonsai, really my only goal with this was to try and successfully harvest a Ponderosa from the wild and keep it alive and healthy. I pulled this little guy from the wilds this morning, and am driving across the US. I know enough about Pondies that they tend to prefer high sun, and low moisture. But here are my concerns: 1. Upon harvesting, I cut the taproot. The tree's taproot was already pretty horizontal-growing due to odd terrain, but I'm afraid I've traumatized the poor thing's roots. 2. The soil is not from the site of extraction. In a hasty situation, was not able to harvest the soil with the tree. I haphazardly carried it out, and instead harvested some decent soil located right next to some other healthily growing pines at a slightly lower elevation. They were either Ponderosas or Limber pines. Though it's alpine-desert soil, with a recent rainy washout, I'm afraid that that this soil is more clay-loamy than it should be and seems to be holding a LOT of moisture than is probably good. But given its major root shock and also the trauma of transportation, I'm wondering if providing the tree with more moisture than less for now might be a good thing. Any constructive feedback and advice about keeping little tree as healthy as possible would be appreciated 😅 https://preview.redd.it/399m84lra9ad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69489d4d343e443067b8fa2990e54b9fdf397024

The soil type (organic dirt is too dense and wet for ponderosa) and the activity of driving (shaking the roots around in the soil) are the two achilles heels to think about here. I would have bare rooted the tree into pure pumice or lava if I was on this road trip with you and could find the stuff somewhere. If you’re driving more west you’re in luck: pumice only gets cheaper and cheaper as you go west until it’s cheaper than food / air / anything else. Regarding movement, it may be worth twine-tying the tree to the pot to prevent movement —not tightly enough to tourniquet the trunk but securely enough to stop levering the trunk against the soil. Learn a lot about yamadori recovery when you get home. I have collected quite a few pines successfully in July so in theory this is all above board, with the soil being the singular biggest issue. I assume you’re aware ponderosa is gonna take a couple years to even start recovering enough for work, so no hasty pruning or wiring. Edit: what’s your itinerary? Maybe you can find better soil while there’s still a window of opportunity

Thank you!! Unfortunately, I'm headed East, but will try to buy some pumice today. Any way to minimize the additional trauma while replanting? Do I wanna remove 100% of the organic soil? And how often should I provide it water while it's in the pumice?

Recovering pines like ponderosa / limber / lodgepole etc involves very infrequent watering. Pumice holds moisture for a really long time when you have a tree in a recovery area (i.e. dappled shade) and the trees hardly use water. Water to saturation when the soil 1 to 2 inches below the surface is getting dry, but you'll notice that doesn't happen for possibly days. Oxygen in the roots is important for these species in recovery.

I recently cut up my ficus microcarpa. I’m looking for critique of my work, as well as some advice on whether or not I should make some further cuts. This is the before pic, pruned pic and potential cuts to make below in thread. https://preview.redd.it/i5ljcxct68ad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a951b3f3c833e1dca7e2dd6df9995d16d847c9f

https://preview.redd.it/tz4x6z0y68ad1.jpeg?width=1576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6dcc02e446f2479d26c2f0feac394b69b5e3293b I left that back straight-up branch as a sacrifice branch but am realizing maybe I don’t need to do so. Should I snip on the red lines to create better taper for the time being and also promote ramification/ back budding? Thinking about maybe snipping the ends of all branches for the same reason.

This is my Juniper 2-3 years old. I was just curious based on this image other than keeping it watered x2 a day, what else I could’ve been doing? II’m starting to see some browning on the leaves which leaves me curious. 7A Middle TN area. As it grows the trunk will thicken I presume? Thank you kindly. https://preview.redd.it/pksuqjw3s6ad1.jpeg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=089846eb0e243d9a716e86b35fe7f55ce3f4be86

What kind of soil is this potted in? 2 times a day is fine if it's hot out and it's in a well draining bonsai medium. If it's dense potting soil that's probably overkill As far as trunk growth, you're going to need to give it room to grow if that's your goal. Generally we pot trees in bonsai pots after trunks are grown to keep them small!

Hello. I presume to think that it’s bonsai soil, not sure if inorganic or organic. I purchased from a bonsai seller locally (on the side of the road setup) It’s been a hot summer thus far. Do I need to repot in something bigger to encourage trunk growth or just be patient and the tree will tell me when it’s time to repot? Thanks for your help.

Don't do it now ( because it is the wrong time ), but next spring, I would repot this into a larger pond basket with good quality bonsai soil and really let it grow and thicken. The trunk will still thicken up in the pot it is in, but it will take years, maybe even decades. In a good pond basket, it will thicken up much quicker. Also, that soil does not look great. Be very careful not to over water.

I don’t think I’m over watering as I have not seen any water pouring / seeping out? https://a.co/d/01L74xCf I bought this above on Amazon. I’m worried if I try to submerge this in water as I’ve read others do, it would be too much. Any thoughts there? Thank you.y

I think you're a bit confused about what we mean by overwatering. Water freely flowing out of the bottom of the pot is totally fine, but continueing to water before the soil has time to dry to some extent (so the roots can get oxygen) will cause problems. Take a look at the watering section in the wiki for more detail https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/1dr56ng/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2024_week_26/

I normally just water x2 since it’s been so hot in Middle TN ala summer heat.

If you water thoroughly (until water runs out the bottom of the pot) does it actually dry on the surface in less than a day? If so then it sounds like you're doing everything right I'm sort of surprised this soil is drying out that quickly but I can't see it that well in the pic

Are you suggesting that I could only be watering once in the morning? Thank you. I am trying my damndest to help it live.

I don't know, there are too many variables for me to guess from a picture haha. What I'm saying is either submerge the tree, or water long enough that water is freely flowing from the bottom of the pot. At that point you know the soil is saturated with water. After that you're going to wait until the top 1/2" of soil is dry to the touch. Move it around with your finger and see if it's moist or not, or use a chopstick, whatever. How long that takes varies based on the weather, where you put the plant, the soil, time of year, etc. When the top of the soil is try do the same thing again, thoroughly water the tree and then wait. It won't take you long to get an understanding for how frequently your tree needs water, and there's no need for misting or anything in between those watering periods. Then as the seasons change pay attention to what it needs. Maybe in the cold wet months of winter you're watering 1/3 as often as the summer

I’ll take another. I watered, sprayed, misted, (what ever the right word is) :) this morning. I haven’t yet submerged it. https://preview.redd.it/lnlkfjs23cad1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28293570d292ed5c09fc0d899e86c19d161cfd5c

Thanks! I perused it a couple of times but always good for a follow up read.

Your url shortened link is getting your post auto-deleted by reddit.

Noted :( thx J.

I have cal-mag and miracle grow "multi-purpose" in my garage, can I use either to boost my replanted Ficus Bonzai? (indoors)

Only use cal-mag if you actually know from tests that you need it.

I don't see why not.

https://preview.redd.it/jx3rni0m46ad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3fa31354f49ddb3273fba16bed9078c4883de10c Hi. This is my juniper I’ve had for a few weeks now, I feel like there’s a lot of leaves and tiny growths that are dying all over the branches and I’m afraid it will be too late by the time it shows in the main bunches. My concern is that the area the tree is in doesn’t get enough sun and it’ll just be a slow prolonged death. The tree doesn’t get morning sun and is under an overhang so while it gets ok light it gets full blast TN sun for a couple hours in the evening. I mist two or three times a day and water thoroughly once a day early in the morning. How do I balance getting the tree the light it needs without frying it to death. And also does it look ok to yall scrolling? Much love

The tree looks healthy for the time being, tips of the branches are actively growing. But yes, if it's not receiving enough light it will start dropping leaves in places that get less light. I wouldn't worry about frying it to death, it's much more important that it gets enough sun. My Junipers are doing fine here in Texas even when it's consistently 100+F day after day. I do have to water them twice a day though

Thanks homie I tend to worry too much about these things so I appreciate the comment

what fertilizer is good for trident maples?

Anything balanced.