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davide_t_o

Bonsai EMERGENCY!!!!

davide.t.o
9 years ago

Hello!!

I'm new to this forum and am in need of some help!!

Last year I harvested a small shrub from a rocky outcropping in Ottawa and brought it back to Toronto. It survived the trip and lived happily until the fall when it dropped it's leaves as it should in preparation for the winter. I kept her outside as long as possible, and wintered her indoors, in an unheated front entranceway. The problem is its been unseasonably warm here (5- 15C) for some time, and I Just noticed that she has broken dormancy and has green buds all over!!!! what do i do!?! ITs January and I'm in for at least 3 or 4 months of serious winter. should I bring it back outside and hope the cool weather will put it back to sleep? or bring it up to my apartment and try and fake spring untill the weather is nicer?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!! I would hate to see her die after such a journey!!

Comments (10)

  • moochinka
    9 years ago

    You'll kill it if you put it outside again, so you'll have to make do as is. It would sure help if you posted a picture so we could know what it is and try to give some kind of directed help.

  • davide.t.o
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    heya! thanks for the response,

    here are a few pics, also its just started snowing outside.. however the entranceway is unheated and is at 5C

  • moochinka
    9 years ago

    Does it get colder overnight?

    Just curious, why did you dig that particular shrub/tree up? There's nothing 'bonsai' about it, no unusual movement or special trunk, it's just a very young tree/bush of some kind. Just because you can dig, doesn't mean you should...

    This post was edited by moochinka on Sat, Jan 3, 15 at 18:26

  • moochinka
    9 years ago

    Why do you waste people's time, never mind say Emergency, and then not get back, first for 2 days, then not at all?

  • davide.t.o
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hello moochy

    First off, I am quite busy with 2 jobs. My days border on the 11-12 hour day range and run till about 3 or 4 in the morning, hence the late response. I honestly forgot.

    Secondly I didn't quite like the tone of your reply.

    That non bonsai had been at the same place at my cottage my entire life, making it at a minimum 30 years old. I didn't just did it up for no reason, as amongst other things, it hold sentimental value. Precisely who are you to tell me what is and what is not bonsai. Perhaps if you spent more time researching the art of bonsai than making snarky remarks on your forum, you would realize that what I "dug up" qualifies as Yamadori, which by principal involves taking overlooked raw material and drawing beauty from it.

    Bonsai is a philosophy that extends far beyond making things that "look bonsai" It is an expression of the individual, and an exploration of yourself.

    Thirdly, you shouldn't blast people on the Internet, mooch, this is what happens. And also don't think I didn't notice that you went back and edited your original post to put that that attitude in there.

    I'll be deleting my account soon.

    Thanks

  • fievel38 zone 6b
    9 years ago

    I wouldn't delete your account because someone is crazy... There's lots of good info on here, I just wouldn't pay attention to that.. And good luck on the plant,. I'm new to all this , I have purchased several bonsai over the last 2 years and there ALL still alive, so I'm learning..lol

  • moochinka
    9 years ago

    First of all, as an ex-T.O.'er, I don't like your tone because when you write in re an 'emergency' and someone tries to help, we feel foolish for doing so when you don't (appear to) care enough to get back... Second, been doing and teaching bonsai for maybe longer than you've been alive, so can do without the lecture. And 'yamadori'? Really? That's a stick in a pot from the local woods, not some ancient 6" high, 4" trunk specimen full of curves from a mountain top! Though maybe I misjudged it as it's upside down.

    This post was edited by moochinka on Fri, Jan 9, 15 at 14:46

  • davide.t.o
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Okay.

    Let's look at the chain of events here. I posted, you replied. I then complied with your request for pictures. Then you asked "does it get cold at night" exactly 3 minutes later you decided to edit your posting and then insult my tree and ask me why I dug it up, which I ignored. Then a few days later got brave and threw out another post after you figured I wasn't paying attention. Well you got my attention.

    Don't talk to me about tone, because by all school yard rules you started it. Don't act butthurt after the fact. And I don't care if you've been practising bonsai your entire life, if you think yamadori or bonsai exist only on mountaintop and in Japan than you have no business teaching anyone.
    You insulted my tree man.
    And if you really are from t.o then you should know better than to throw around attitude and think it will go unchecked.
    I have no interest in arguing this further.

  • moochinka
    9 years ago

    I didn't insult your tree, just your perception of it. I was in fact concerned that you'd dug up a perfectly healthy young tree locally because you wanted 'yamadori', only what you dug, wonderful as it might be, was not yamadori by any stretch - I was concerned about it and what you might do to it.

  • davide.t.o
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    My apologies to fievel, I got distracted for a min there.
    Thanks for your reply, good to hear your plants have lived! Hopefully I will have some more pics in the spring, once things have thawed out.

    Good luck!

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