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Mulberry cutting for bonsai?
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Posted by
shelleykj South Dakota (
My Page) on
Thu, Jan 18, 07 at 2:01
| I'm new to Bonsai and have been reading books and this forum. Has anyone ever taken a cutting from a mulberry bush to use for bonsai? Also, "gritty" potting mix, could a person add playground sand to a commercial peat, perlite and lime mix, or should I try something else? The gal at our local landscape nursery said that would work. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Mulberry cutting for bonsai?
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| Does that girl do bonsai? Playground sand is usually tiny, like beach sand, and therefore not suitable. The mix you mention is standard potting soil, and should be used (if at all) only in very little bits for bonsai. But trying to make a bonsai from a cutting (though it might 'take') is not the way to start out and will take you years. Do some more reading, and go to www.evergreengardenworks.com/articles for outdoor trees, plus http://www.bonsaihunk.us/cultural.html for advice on indoor trees, and good luck. |
RE: Mulberry cutting for bonsai?
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Thanyou Lucy!
That's what I thought about the sand, sand is really heavy when it's wet, DUH!! Guess working at a nursery doesn't mean a person knows what they're talking about. Any good mix suggestions that ARE easy to make? I also have some J. Red Maple seedlings arriving in mail soon.
Shelley |
RE: Mulberry cutting for bonsai?
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| Where do you live - it matters a bit because if you keep them in slight shade (always better for J. maples to some extent), and know not to water until at least some of the mix has dried out (they can go longer than a lot of other deciduous trees) you'll do better than if you have them in full sun, a peaty mix (they also don't need as much acid as e.g. evergreens or azaleas) you'll make like harder for them. Do keep the seedlings watered more often than you would an older established tree though. The mix could be 2/3 grit and 1/3 compost, or sandy topsoil-ish stuff, though don't actually use soil from outdoors without sterilizing it in the oven. You could use just grit and perlite if you don't mind the whiteness (and/or sprinkle a little soil just on top, but not peat). The grit could be 'chicken grit' from a 'Feed' store, or crushed lava or pumice, small aquarium gravel, turface if you can find it. |
RE: Mulberry cutting for bonsai?
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| Freezing cold Sioux Falls, SD! It hasn't been over 24 degrees here since last Friday. I'll be keeping them inside for awhile, They're only supposed to be between 3"-6", probably including the root. Should I prune the roots at all yet and what size pot would you suggest? You've already been more help than the seller! Is it actually "Bloodroot" or Bloodgood? He called them Bloodroot. |
RE: Mulberry cutting for bonsai?
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| I'm wrong, they are listed as bloodroot. Also, the mix I bought says it's peat MOSS, soilless. Could this still be mixed with grit? |
RE: Mulberry cutting for bonsai?
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| Mulberry trees make good bonsai because I have seen many pictures of them on the web. I discovered a Mulberry tree last year and got a hand full of ripe berries last spring and they are ten individual plants in clay pots now. I'm in Iowa, and I expect them to survive the winter in the shed, in plastic pots. (i'm not going to lose my clay pots every winter!) They grow fast enough that I'll give them their first root trim and topping next spring. |
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