Pear Bonsai

Here is a little pear tree that was collected by the railroad tracks in Northern Kentucky a few years ago. Actually that is where I get a lot of my trees from. It takes some time and energy, of course, to collect a tree from the wild, but it beats paying a lot of money for some plant material that totally lacks character. One thing I like about the Pear tree for bonsai is that it is extremely hardy. I leave it outside all winter here in Cincinnati, only bringing it inside when temperatures drop below 16 degrees (Fahrenheit) and even then the tree would probably survive. Just being cautious I guess. They always develop nicely textured bark in a considerably short amount of time which you can see is beginning to happen with this one right around the base of the trunk. This tree will also produce white flowers sometime in the future although I'm starting to wonder when exactly.

My Little Plant, Ficus is Magic

This Ficus benjamina Variegata, variegated weeping fig, is mostly a house plant. I grew it from a cutting in 2008 along with a few others which I then gave as Christmas gifts to friends and family members. Now, five years later, my good friend has managed to keep it alive. I snapped this photo the other day while I was visiting. You can tell by the density of the uppermost branches just how apically dominant these are. She keeps it indoors at all times. Another cutting off the same parent plant is on its way to becoming a very small root-over-rock. It seems to be coming along just fine. In the future I will take some pictures of that one as well. I will also continue to root cuttings for giving away to friends. One of these days I will invest in some interesting ficus material with some actual maturity, especially now that I know I can keep them alive for many years.

Developing a mulberry bonsai

This mulberry was collected last spring and is one of the trees that is not going into the ground. It's a strong grower and very hardy. It does appear to get some type of fungus which results in spots on the leaves. I hope it doesn't cause any die back but I have noticed that all the local mulberries have this condition. I know I have already posted this tree but I am getting anxious for spring. Some of my trees will be spending the summer in Indiana where I trust they will be cared for. This will ensure that they grow freely without me being tempted to trim them every other week. Well, maybe I still will with the more vigorous ones. I will try to get some pictures when the leaves first break.

strange little ficus bonsai

Here is a little ficus microcarpa that I have had for a little less than one year. It's not much, but it's my tallest indoor tree. In fact, most of my small indoor ficus trees are cloned cuttings from this parent tree. Cloning is the reason I got this tree. The cuttings that come off of this tend to root easily, even thicker ones. I've had a difficult time deciding what to do with the canopy on this one and I still haven't a clue. The movement is a bit contrived and the taper isn't great. I might try to graft some branches lower on the trunk.