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Anybody has some info how to grow Styrax?

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Storm
landerloos
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Anybody has some info how to grow Styrax? Empty Anybody has some info how to grow Styrax?

Post  landerloos Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:19 am

I did get a Styrax as a gift a couple of weeks ago, not my best tree Wink
Now I wanted to hear from fellow bonsaigrowers, how the species should be kept in Europe.
Everything from soil to maintanance has my interest, I'm not familiar with this kind of trees so everything usefull greatly accepted.

Thanks
Peter
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Post  Storm Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:34 am

I dont know anything about how to care for them, but a picture would be nice =)
How often does it bloom?
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Post  Kev Bailey Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:26 am

I've been growing a couple, from seed, for over ten years. I follow the advice I translated from Yuji Yoshimura's table, at the back of his book. Though mine are yet to flower, they have very attractive lacy patterned bark. If I could plant out to thicken them faster, I think they would be flowering by now, but my soil is limy.

Styrax japonica
COMMON NAME : Styrax, Snowbell
JAPANESE NAME :gonoki (Chishanoki, Chisanoki)
DESCRIPTION : A small tree or deciduous shrub, Lime-hating. Pale green, oval leaves carried alternately on fan-shaped branches. Usually white bell-like flowers covered in a fleshy coating, which falls away in early summer. Selected plants with compact leaves and shorter internodes are preferred.
SUGGESTED STYLES : Informal upright, Slanting, Root over rock, Twin trunk, Clump. All sizes.
PROPAGATION : From seed in spring or autumn, take softwood cuttings in late spring or early summer, or Semi-hard to Hardwood cuttings in July-August. Hardwood cuttings root best in a mist propagator, Air layer by ring barking.
RE-POTTING : Biennially in early spring. Use a lime-free soil mix. Peat, Leafmould, Chipped bark, Grit
TRIMMING : Trim with scissors, after flowering, to a couple of nodes and repeat as necessary. Stop trimming before the new buds form in late summer. Heavy pruning can take place in winter.
WIRING : In the growing season.
WATERING : As required throughout growing season but never waterlogged.
FEEDING : Every two weeks throughout the growing season with ericaceous fertilizer - Miracid or similar.
NOTE : Position in full sun or part shade. Completely hardy

There's also a good case history here http://www.why-bonsai.com/bonsai_history_styrax.html
Also Google "Styrax Bonsai" for some nice flowering images.


Last edited by Kev Bailey on Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:42 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Post  landerloos Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:01 am

Thanks Kev,

but after seeing these trees I'am not so sure its a Styrax that I have.
Not the best picture and tree Wink
Anybody has some info how to grow Styrax? 100_3028

Peter
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Post  Todd Ellis Fri Feb 26, 2010 2:02 am

Might this be a Stewartia?
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Post  Randy_Davis Fri Feb 26, 2010 3:20 am

landerloos wrote:Thanks Kev,

but after seeing these trees I'am not so sure its a Styrax that I have.
Not the best picture and tree Wink


Peter

The tree in the picture is definately Styrax japonica. I've grown them as bonsai for years and would recognize that bark and branch structure anywhere. They are lovely small trees and take their sweet time to develop trunk caliper but are very worth while in the end. The species has white hanging flowers in late spring or early summer and there is a commercial cultivar with pink flowers in the american market at least. Easily propigated in mid-late summer by semi-hardwood cuttings in a mist system. The bud back wonderfully so don't be bashfull if your wanting to cut it back any. The one draw back to working with branch structure and pinching is that it has a tendency to bud from the very end of the cut branch and often only with a single bud so it does take some work and patience to get a nicely ramified branch structure, but keep at it, it will do it eventually. The bark is rather thin in structure so care should be taken when wiring to make sure that it doesn't girdle becuse if it does it will take eons to get it not see it anymore. They have a very fibrous root system that takes well to pruning when needed which in most cases will be every 2 or 3 years. It is a native tree to Japan and as such has been used as a bonsai subject for mulit-decades. I just love flowering trees and this is one of my favorites either as bonsai or in the garden!

ta ta for now,
Randy
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Post  landerloos Wed Mar 03, 2010 4:24 pm

Todd Ellis wrote:Might this be a Stewartia?

I did think the same thing Todd.

Randy, thanks for eliminating doubts, I will post it in leave later.
On a other european forum this tree was called crap, however there is always room in my garden for a nice litle tree Wink
How hardy are they? I'am thinking frost and so on...

Peter
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Post  Kev Bailey Wed Mar 03, 2010 4:42 pm

I give mine frost protection in an unheated greenhouse, but Yoshimura says completely hardy.
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Post  harry dovey Wed Mar 03, 2010 6:38 pm

I have one but I think I may have lost it this winter because of the harsh weather we have had. Anybody has some info how to grow Styrax? Icon_sad
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