Spring for Bonsai

Well spring is here and that means that it was time for me to dig up the bonsai from the back yard and see how they faired. It is also time for Megan's ficus tree to light up after a dark winter. So how did they do? 

First the ficus. I was worried that it was ill, but it was just winter. It lost about 50% of its leaves but since the sun has changed, it is covered in buds. 

My oldest bonsai had a hard winter though, and is quite damaged. I made a mistake in my placement outside that left it exposed to wind and more importantly rabbits, who chewed off about 60% of it. The photo on the bottom is of it last fall, the top is what it looks like now. But, I guess that is what happened to it every winter when it was a tree living in the wild, and it is already showing off new growth, so it should be ok. But, this damage does postpone repotting for another year. These bonsai are a long term project!

Last is my newest bonsai that I harvested late last summer. Well it did great over the winter, and I repotted it great this spring, if you can call it re-potting because it is living on a rock! The entire root system is spread out over the rock and then ends by touching down into its base. I am uncertain if the roots that touch down in the base are connected to the tree, but the long term plan is to slowly remove soil from the top of the rock so the roots thicken and can be exposed. Thinner roots should be developed further back and be able to gather water from the base which is always full of water. Again, I am going farther towards my "Witch Tree" look. 

The last bit, is that I did lose one tree that I harvested last summer, bringing last summer's survival rate to 1/3. It was a very nice cedar that was perfectly straight up and down, something that is very unusual for cedar. I should have waited to harvest it until this year. Live and learn. 

New Bonsai

Here are some photos of my two new bonsai I got up north. Megan and I collected them from the same ski trail that I got my other cedar from, but about a half mile further. The benefit of getting them from ski trails is that they have already been through a very harsh natural environment that leaves them old but stunted. First they are exposed to wildlife by being in the open, then they are mowed every year by the lodge before winter, and then when it does snow they are packed down under the snow by this thing making the ski trails.

The first one here is a Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera) that is very small and frail. Right now it has about 5 leaves and one of them is dying off, and when I brought it home and looked at it close it was covered in hundreds of little white bugs. But thanks to our own bug problem we have been having with our house plants, I already had a batch of insecticidal soap at the ready and they are gone now. This particular one has been recently browsed by something, you can see the tooth marks at the top. What is particularly amazing is the trunk that has this wild twisting shape to it (2nd photo). So I really hope it survives and thrives for me! I am already quite attached which is not good because I give it 50/50 to survive.

Paper Birch Bonsai

A look at the trunk

The second one I got was this White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) that is the same as my other cedar. It too has a wild twisting curve that I moved to be horizontal from its original vertical.

White Cedar Bonsai

I am going to give both of them a year before I do anything more except make them as healthy as I can. Right now they are getting a itty bitty bit of fertilizer in their water and good light. They both need to survive the winter outside (as do all seasonal trees) so they need to be well rested.

No Blogging, Blogging!

I have gotten to the point that I have so much to write about, but have not written in so long, that I am just saving up the stories! Blogging constipation if you will. I guess its a good thing when I can say, 'I have been way too busy to blog!' vs. having too much time on my hands. So coming up in more detail are:

• Wedding blogging
• Fire blogging
• Cabin blogging
• Car blogging
• Beer blogging
• Bonsai Blogging
• Old friend Blogging

But for now a quick digest...

So did you know my friend Alex got married and I was in the wedding? It was quite the affair that took all time time from Wednesday to sunday two weeks ago already. My sister took the photos too, so those will go up later.

And on the way to the bachelor party my car died. The problem is electrical, I wont get into details, but it has a new battery now but that did nothing. Time go get greasy again! We also went to the cabin using my moms nice car (mm AC) and made me really start thinking about something a little newer. Personally I am wishing specifically and realistically for a 1999 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT. All wheel drive goodness that is quick too. Runs around $6,000. I would like to have it before winter time. But first I have to fix mine of course.

Megan and I had a great time up north. The burn area was amazing to see and I have tons of good pictures. In short, the place is beautiful and crazy green. The blowdown was ugly, this is beautiful. I can't wait to watch it grow!

I also tried our lavender homebrew we bottled last week. Its not done yet but is coming along. None of the strong lavender flavor is there but its has defused into light floral flavors. Next up: Belgian Chocolate Stout

Also, two new Bonsai! I just potted them last night and did an initial trim on one. One needs a better pot and one is just in an plain brown one that should be ok for a while. One is a white cedar and one is a paper birch taken from about 1/2 mile from where I harvested my old one. Pictures later!

I also re-connected with my old friend Sam from High School at Fort Snelling on the 4th of July. I have not seen him in over 5 years! He is a captain now, from the 1800s of course. Peace corps for him next, but not till November so hopefully we can get together before he goes.

Ok thats the digest blogging! More to come later and in no particular order.

Bonsai

I took some photos of my bonsai this evening and I really like the way it is looking now. Some shoots I thought were distracting have turned into great branches that give it the feeling of being a miniature tree rather than a shrub. I will have had it for two years at the end of this month, and here is a Google Picassa album showing it from day 1 and today.

Below is the inspiration for my design, what is known as the "Witch Tree" or "Manido Giizhigance" by the Ojibwe. I visited it once when I was very young and it made quite an impression on me then. The difference here is that mine is probably around 5-10 years old, while that is over 400. Mine is also only 3'' tall. But they are both white cedar, so give me another 390 years and I might get there!

Bonsai lives

Well my little Bonsai lived through its second winter no problem. It is a white cedar from up north, and so it is used to very harsh boundary water winters, but it is still amazing to me that it can be so small and withstand a harsh winter. It needs it too, with out the rest of going into its hibernation cycle it would eventually become weak and possibly die.

Here is a photo of it today, three days after I dug it out of its winter nest outside my window. The tips of the the uppermost needles got a little burnt, but not nearly as bad as I thought when I dug it out. So much if it was all brown and stiff! Now its all bright green and waxy like it should be. Now it is sunning it self outside in the 40˚ weather but I will bring it inside tonight and let it enjoy the spring time indoors.

It is very nice to have my little tree back. It means spring is here already!