We are now in Sylvania

 

We are now in Sylvania

Times available by appointment only

Call or e-mail us to visit our farm to make your selection.

 SATURDAY, March 23, 2024 AT 10 AM – 4 PM

Make and Take a Bonsai Class at Bonsai Beginnings

Make and take home your own little tree as you learn the history and techniques of growing beautiful Bonsai with expert Luigi Trapani. @ Noon We Will Break, Bring a picnic lunch if you like. Cost: $75 per person- includes soil, wire, and use of bonsai tools. Then purchase the bonsai tree and bonsai pot of your choice at the class; various aged trees and appropriately sized pots are available.

To Register or

Make an Appointment

Water, Water, and Water again

Do not forget to water bonsai 

There is no faster way to kill trees.

With days in the 90′s and nights in the 50′s to 60′s

Don’t Forget To Water!!! 

30% shade in Savannah

Place Trees In The Shade- This will help the most. Full-sun in New York is about 30% shade in Savannah. Our plants growing in full-sun this summer are showing signs of stress. While plants are adapted to the sun, there can be too much of a good thing. The plants given shade/filtered light are greener and healthier than those in full-sun for the summer. 

Do not forget to water bonsai 

There is no faster way to kill trees.

Soil maintains a comfortable, stable temperature year-round, but in containers roots can be overheated due to high temperatures. Shade the containers to cool down soil temperatures and prevent overheating

Do not forget to water bonsai 

There is no faster way to kill trees.

 Chinese Elm

Water the Foliage- Watering the leaves of your bonsai will cool the foliage. The heat and low humidity evaporate the water off of the leaves before it can take the water out of the leaves. This is especially important for trees that have been allowed to dry too much between watering as it reduces their stress. Please keep in mind that watering the foliage in the cooler night and evening temperatures may cause fungal problems for certain species. In hot, dry air this moisture evaporates before there can be a problem. 

Do Not Bring Temperate Bonsai Inside- Due to the constant use of air conditioning, bringing bonsai indoors that have been growing outdoors will not be the best thing for them. Air-conditioned air, while cooler, is extremely dry. Dry air with low light is stressful for temperate plants, and it is the worst thing for hardy trees.

Do not forget to water bonsai 

There is no faster way to kill trees.

Junipers and pines will not give warning by wilting in advance. If they have been forgotten, follow the previous three steps and hope for the best. There is not much else one can do.

   Do not forget to water bonsai 

There is no faster way to kill trees.

The FeatherPine- Taxodium distichum

Bald Cypress Seedlings
Taxodium distichum

It has been six months since the sprouting 

Bald Cypress seed were planted in the wet-muck seedbed.

 

Bald Cypress Seedlings in water 

Taxodium distichum

Bald Cypress
Feather Pine
Care

Taxodium distichum  seedlings

Bald Cypress is a "deciduous conifer"- it has cones and sheds its feather-like foliage in the Autumn. These seed were collected in November 2011, stored through the winter in a bucket of water then planted in a wet-muck seedbed in February 2012. 

planted in a wet-muck seedbed in February 2012
The seedlings in 2021

The seedlings dug in 2021

 Germination takes place on a wet-muck seedbed
Bald Cypress seed sprout

Seeds are produced annually and good seed production occurs about every 3 years. Seeds are dispersed more frequently by flood waters. Under swamp conditions, the best seed germination generally takes place on a sphagnum moss or a wet-muck seedbed. On better drained soils, Bald Cypress seed usually fail to germinate due to lack of surface water. Soil saturated for 1 to 3 months after seed-fall is required for germination. Seedlings require light for good growth, thus control of competing vegetation is necessary.

Broken Bald Cypress cones expose the seed
 Feather-like foliage 

Taxodium distichum  seedlings

Old-growth bald cypress
 form a flattened crown.




Altamaha River

Bald Cypress tree is an excellent choice for someone who is just getting started with bonsai. Seeds and small trees are easily collected in this area, now is the time to find trees with cones and watch for them to turn brown so that the seed can be collected just before the cones open. The best digging time for cypress is from mid-­December to late February. Bald cypress bud back easily and will produce vigorous sprouts from the stumps. Taxodium distichum are frequently planted in groups in a single container, forming a Bonsai forest. Japanese term for growing a bonsai from seed is Misho.

Taxodium distichum cones

Ron Martin bonsai forest Workshop

Green Bald Cypress cones

Bald Cypress 
bonsai prefer to
 live outdoors.

Other deciduous conifers are: 

• Larch- Larix
• Golden Larch- Pseudolarix amabilis
• Chinese Swamp Cypress- Glyptostrobus pensilis
• Dawn Redwood- Metasequoia glyptostroboides.

Taxodium distichum along the Altamaha River

Bald cypress and pond cypress are in the Taxodiaceae family. Bald cypress can be easily confused with pond cypress (Taxodium distichum var. nutans). Pond cypress has smaller, scale-like leaves pressed on the twigs. A twig of pressed pond cypress leaves resembles a pine needle pointing up or out from the stem. Bald cypress leaves are linear and feather-like  and the twigs hang down looking more pendulous than pond cypress twigs and leaves. Also, pond cypress tends to occur in still-water wetlands rather than flowing-water wetlands. Bald Cypress are not true cypress. True cypress are in the Cupressus family and are not native to the southeastern United States.

Bald cypress are found in  wetland habitats

Bald cypress is a wetland species that grows along rivers, streams, and creeks as well as in swamps with slow moving water. It is a legendary tree of the Deep South known for its "knees," moss-draped crown, and buttressed trunk. Taxodium distichum can live up to 600 years old. Taxodium distichum is native to the coastal plains along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean and north up through the Mississippi River Valley. The heartwood of old growth bald cypress is very resistant to rot. This is not true with younger second growth trees.

Bonsai in Autumn
Bald cypress with knees 

Cypress knees are woody projections sent above the normal water level function is unknown Lowland or swamp-grown cypresses found in flooded or flood-prone areas tend to be buttressed and "kneed," as opposed to cypresses grown on higher ground which may grow with very little taper.

Bald cypress
with roots submerged in water
and branches draped in
Spanish moss
Tillandsia usneoides

Pond Cypress
Taxodium distichum var. nutans
in still-water wetlands
SE Georgia

Trachelospermum asiaticum: Teika Kazura

A dwarf variety of Trachelospermum asiaticum
has very small leaves with more compact growth
Started 1980

Variegated Asiatic Jasmine 

Teika Kazura
Faux Jasmine - Trachelospermum asiaticum

A dwarf star jasmine with small yellow and green variegated leaves evergreen small-growing vine with glossy leaves that are much smaller than those of the standard Trachelospermum asiaticum.

Quite similar to the false jasmine Trachelospermum jasminoides, T. asiaticum produces flowers with a slightly smaller yellow heart (or cream). It has faster growth in the early years and is a bit more rustic

New growth is pinkish-bronze.

Despite its common name, Asiatic Jasmine

is not related to the true jasmines

The plant has a tight, compact growth with ovate to elliptic leaves ranging from quite tiny to around 1/4 inch in length.

at 34 years from a cutting

If unpruned it will climb or crawl on the ground, but it can be pruned to make a miniature shrub. When treated this way it makes a nice bonsai. A popular bonsai subject in Japan but not seen very often in the US.

Usage: Container, Ground-cover, Hanging Basket, Rock Garden, Wall, Topiary, Bonsai , Espalier

Drought Tolerant

USDA Zone 7-10.

strongly scented cream-colored flowers

This vine, Teika kazura, was named after the poet Fujiwara no Teika. “Teika” is a Noh Play written by Konparu Zenchiku about the rumored love affair between the poets Fujiwara no Teika and Shikishi Naishinnō, daughter of Goshirakawa, Emperor of Japan. To symbolize Teika’s clinging obsession for Princess Shikishi—even after their death—the grave of the princess placed in the middle of the stage and blanketed by a Asiatic jasmine.

String of Beads: Complete Poems of Princess Shikishi

Teika: The Life and Works of a Medieval Japanese Poet

Kazura means creeping plant, climbing plant

Trachelospermum asiaticum trained to grow on a trellis

Time to start looking for ripening Japanese Maple seed!

Japanese Maple seeds! 

When the seed mature, the wings begin to dry and turn brown

 Japanese Maple 

Momiji 

Acer palmatum

 Japanese maple seed in midsummer

It All Begins With a Seed 

Japanese maple seed tips of the
 wings turn brown in late summer

Japanese maple seed wings drying

Bonsai grown from seeds are called Misho bonsai.

Many poke fun at the idea of starting a bonsai from a seed. “Look how old I am I don't have time", but the creation of a bonsai from a seed is very rewarding. 

From Japanese maple seedlings  
Tsukamiyose

There is no such thing as a "bonsai seed". The packs of seed marked as such, are just ordinary tree seeds that can be grown into a bonsai. They are a good source of tree seeds when none are locally available. Bonsai grown from seeds are called Misho bonsai.

Once the new leaves come out
 in the spring,  flower 
and seed begin to appear 
on Bloodgood Seedling 

Tsukamiyose A natural planting can be created by scattering several to several dozen seeds in a tray. The seedlings are planted very close to each other and develop into multiple trunks with each tree naturally competing for its own light and space.

"I started it from seeds myself."

Getting tree seeds to sprout:

Most tropical trees will germinate as soon as they ripen, but seeds from most temperate trees need to be sown after stratification. Stratification is a period of artificial winter that trees that are not tropical need to set off the internal clock that spring triggers and makes seed sprout as temperatures rise. Depending on the seed species, they will need 21 to 90 days of cold storage to begin to sprout. This can be done in the home refrigerator.  Use zip-lock sandwich bags with damp peat moss. A fungicide can be used in the media to keep soil borne diseases from killing the seedlings. If any of the seed germinate in the refrigerator, plant them.

When the artificial winter is over, the seeds are ready to be planted.  It is suggested that they be soaked overnight in room temperature water to improve germination percentages. Seeds that float after soaking won't germinate so toss them out.

Japanese maple seed

Sow the seed in a light and friable soil mixture is so that it drains well to prevent fungus and sprinkle peat moss over them. Air should move to prevent damp-off. The air movement he says simulates natural outdoor conditions. Light friable soil dries quickly and seedling with their minimal root system can be killed in a few hours from dryness, or direct sun!

How to prevent seedling damping off

Alternatives:

Chamomile tea - 2 tsp of chamomile flowers to 1 cup of boiling water allow to steep overnight or at least until cooled. Strain and then use as is to moisten growing medium before planting seeds then use in a mister to spray soil. Sage or garlic teas also have been used. Soak the seeds in a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water (1 teaspoon to 1/2 cup of water) to remove any lingering bacteria on the seeds. Some lightly sprinkle a bit of cinnamon or baking soda over planting mix used as a fungicide on plants for mildew.Two cap-fulls of household bleach in the water used to dampen your peat moss or vermiculite could act as a fungicide.

Always make sure horticultural tools are disinfected even if they are new, and that your planting pots are disinfected....

Disinfection of Horticultural Tools and Pots

Protect that
"Empty pot of soil"

Plant tree seed in the Fall and let Mother Nature take care of your stratification. Just remember to protect them from rodents (squirrels and mice) and label that “empty pot of soil”. Once I was talking with a fellow enthusiast in the nursery and he started raking his fingers through a tray filled with soil and began talking about soil mixes. I should have labeled that flat as I had seeded the tray with  Jacaranda for a Tsukamiyose the day before!

Second summer

Growing 'misho' bonsai is economical and rewarding.

the embryonic root emerges from the seed  

Seed germination begins!
Time to move them out of the cooler and into some good soil. 

The cotyledons are the embryonic
 "first leaves" of a seedling

True Leaves emerge

King Sago

Cycas revoluta

Sago Palm

The name Cycas comes from Koikas, Greek for palm,
and Cycas are the most palm-like cycads.

King Sago
Sotetsu

The periodic "flush" of new leaves Sagos produce is called a "break". New leaflets emerge coiled and then slowly unfurl. When the break begins, remove the older foliage to remove any insect and disease that could transfer to the fresh leaves. The name Cycas comes from Koikas, Greek for palm, and Cycas are the most palm-like cycads. They can be grown as a houseplant, anywhere with adequate bright light. C. revoluta are one of the simplest and most forgiving of all plants to bonsai. Drought tolerant. Chronic over watering can kill the plant; do let the soil dry out. (colder = drier) Avoid overhead watering; this may cause rot.

New leaflets emerge coiled and then slowly unfurl. 

 Re-pot in spring or summer. Cycads prefer to be root bound and should be re-potted into a container only slightly larger than the root system. Cycad seedlings initially form a stout, fleshy taproot augmented by secondary roots which also are quite thick and fleshy. Branch roots are of two kinds: long-branching roots and short-branching coralloid roots, giving them an irregular, beady appearance. The coralloid roots contain symbiotic bacteria, which fix nitrogen Fertilize at one-third strength during the growing season. King Sago is a easy care "living fossil", from the Far East.

Small sago with Pups
June 2014

Small sago with Pups

May 2020

Large Sagos often produce new offshoots (pups) at the base or sides of the trunk and can grow into huge clumps. Also this species occasionally produces a cluster of heads in the crown. Small multi-head and multi-trunk sagos in 6" to 10" (15 to 25 cm) pots are extremely rare and provide unique additions to indoor plant collections. Small multi-head or multi-trunk sago palms are often used as a subject for bonsai. Cycads are one of the simplest and most forgiving of all plant genera to bonsai. MULTI-HEAD SAGOS are an unusual creation of Mother Nature.

  multi-head

Cycas revoluta is one of the easiest plants to grow, indoors or out. It is not unusual for potted specimens to be hundreds of years old.  The sago palm is native to Japan’s southernmost islands—a subtropical area of high rainfall and warm temperatures. RE-POTTING is best done in spring or summer. Cycads prefer to be root bound and should be re-potted into a container only slightly larger than the root system. Never over-pot a Sago. King Sago will actually grow well in almost any medium provided that it is well-drained. 

 new offshoots (pups) at the
base of the trunk

 When the break begins,
remove the older foliage to eliminate
any insect and disease that could
transfer to the fresh leaves

Propagation of Cycas revoluta is either by seed or clonally by removal of basal offsets.

triple-trunk sago
Gloucester Street
Brunswick. Ga

Female

Male

As with other cycads, it is dioecious, with the males bearing pollen cones (strobilus) and the females bearing groups of megasporophylls. Pollination can be done naturally by insects or artificially.

multi-branched clump

Twin-trunk sago with pups

C. revoluta-
close-up of maturing seeds.

 Sago Palms in Yoshino Park
Kagoshima City  
Japan in 1985

Sagos at private residence in Kagoshima City