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Forming/training of a Natal Plum Bonsai
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Posted by
ewigerginkgo 6 (
My Page) on
Mon, Feb 4, 08 at 1:48
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Forming/training of a Natal Plum Bonsai
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| Oh, I love those! I think they're perfect for styling with just 1-3 main branches (like most bonsai I guess!) and developing (over time, as leaves shrink) little cloud-like 'pods' of leaves, which would resemble some very classical looking pines. It wouldn't necessarily have to follow the standard 'triangle', but that would be something to keep in mind, as well as developing the (diiminishing) height of each branch. You might want to think about using a bonsai 'jack' (hardware) to just create a little movement in the trunk, but nothing too extreme, and before anything else at all, letting the lower trunk fatten up for a couple of years in a wider, but not too shallow pot (maybe with a small tile under the middle roots to encourage lateral spread) because the trunk could use some thickening and taper. You'd eventually (not yet) want to clean up 'volunteer' little branches between the pods (or clouds) of course, but be careful of ending with anything too much like topiary (that's where the different branch heights comes in). |
RE: Forming/training of a Natal Plum Bonsai
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| There isn't much taper, but I like the trunkline. Could you give some measurements - ie width of trunk at base, total height of tree. Just out of interest does it have any visible nebari? maybe covered by soil or maybe just can't see in the photo. |
RE: Forming/training of a Natal Plum Bonsai
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| Could you exchange my 'pods' for pads please? Don't know what I was thinking at the time! |
RE: Forming/training of a Natal Plum Bonsai
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| Thank you both! The trunk is around an inch and a quarter around at the base; the highest point reaches around six and half inches from the soil. I don't think it has any nebari; there are none visible, and I haven't messed with the soil too much since it's been winter, and I did't want to disturb anything too much just yet. |
RE: Forming/training of a Natal Plum Bonsai
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Greetings from the Philippines. Your tree is one frequently used as bonsai material. Here it is refered to to as Ficus nana, and it is available from any garden or plant center.
I have most frequently seen it styled as a cascade or semi-cascade, with some grand specimens nearly a meter in length.
Most of mine have been planted "root over rock" and after seven months they have adhered to the rock with the roots going deep into the soil in the pot. |
RE: Forming/training of a Natal Plum Bonsai
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| That plant is a Carissa macrocarpa, quite correctly reffered to as a Natal Plum, or Num-Num. It's only good use as bonsai is as a cascade. Allow it to grow without trimming it at all, and you will see why. It does make an exceptional cascade. |
RE: Forming/training of a Natal Plum Bonsai
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| Just because something cascades naturally doesn't mean it can't be tried in other styles - I wouldn't want to discourage someone from trying, anyhow. |
RE: Forming/training of a Natal Plum Bonsai
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| And just because an acer does not, does not mean we must force it to. Wise man say :"obey all the rules under the sun, but use all the freedom under the rules." t the end of the day, it depends on whether you prefer traditional, styalized bonsai, or modern, western shrubs in pots... |
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