How I grow my Ficus

Built another little greenhouse a few weeks ago. So far the trees are in it are flourishing with lots of new growth.

Did you skip the Mylar with the latest box? I've been thinking of a good way to add some reflective materials to my aquarium setup without being too ugly or reflecting to much direct light back into the viewer. But for now I am trying to see my setup through a week long holiday since I'll be out of town. Maybe a week free of tinkering will do it some good.

MrFancyPlants wrote:Did you skip the Mylar with the latest box? I've been thinking of a good way to add some reflective materials to my aquarium setup without being too ugly or reflecting to much direct light back into the viewer. But for now I am trying to see my setup through a week long holiday since I'll be out of town. Maybe a week free of tinkering will do it some good.

Yep it is mylar free. Growth is the best I've seen so far.

So note to self, don't use pond baskets

congrats on the growth of the new seedlings. I wouldn't ditch the pond basket so fast though. You could always do a little manual pruning since the air pruning doesn't seem to be doing it's job. It is still better than circling roots I would think. I ran into a similar issue in a traditional pot when I got back from vacation a few days ago at the bottom of this picture.

Sorry for the sideways image, it is a little tricky posting from the iPad. Notice all the dropped leaves from the spider mite susceptible one that you pointed out. Fortunately it doesn't seem to have any issues replacing them yet.

This is actually the thing I've been planning to do with my 2 year old jbp seedlings come spring. An article in Bonsai Todays master series on black pines features Kusiida Matsuo's use of colanders growing pines. Theory is as the root tips grow into the air, they dry up die. This causes more root "branching" behind it. It's an old article but makes sense to me for a tree in development that's headed for a bonsai pot one day.

I use plansticbaskets, when I repot seedlings or cuttings for the first time...the holes are VERY small, and as soon as a roottip reach the side of the basket, will it stop for a while, and not dry out, as I have pottet the basket in much bigger pot....this brake in the growing of the root, makes the tree push out more roots from the trunk, or from the stopped root, inside the basket....the root, that was stopped, will later grow out of the basket, and into the soil in the next pot...this teqnique is nice for the cuttings from my small japanese shohin, I used to call Ulmus nire....it works, the root become dense.
I have seen this teqnique in japanese books...I never saw it without the outer pot.

Kind regards Yvonne

Here's my setup for this winter. A wooden frame:


Wrapped in plastic:



Functioning door:


And 16 T5 bulbs up top, making some happy plants inside:

Hi Ryan

It is looking very impressing..hope your winterseason will be good....Please have in mind...as the trees grow, they become bigger, and need more space, and to begin to sell trees, when they become nicer, that need this care, in your area is impossible....
This you have to think about...how big trees, and how many can you actuly find the room for...Or du you have other solutions?

Kind regards Yvonne

Yvonne Graubaek wrote:Hi Ryan

It is looking very impressing..hope your winterseason will be good....Please have in mind...as the trees grow, they become bigger, and need more space, and to begin to sell trees, when they become nicer, that need this care, in your area is impossible....
This you have to think about...how big trees, and how many can you actuly find the room for...Or du you have other solutions?

Kind regards Yvonne

I wouldn't say it'd be impossible. I could easily ship the trees to anywhere else in the country. I can fit plenty of trees in here, as it's very tall and very long. No worries