Creating a new bonsai (Korean Boxwood) from nursery plant - where do I begin??

Dendrogeek wrote:When you disagree with a statement you have three choices: 1: you can read and learn, which you choose not to do; 2: you can explain rationally why you disagree, which you seem unable to do, or 3: you can offer offensive remarks, which are the last resort of an exhausted intellect.

ALL BOXWOODS READILY PRODUCE ADVENTITIOUS BUDS. This is an unequivocal incontrovertible botanical fact, and no amount of insults will ever change that.

The first should be...IGNORE the person because he doesn't know what he is talking about (which I did not do--to make sure others do not blindly follow you).

Your 3 choices reflect that you know it all. (read my signature line).

Well they CAN, but just how "readily" has been the topic of previous discussions on this forum. We've agreed that what works for some doesn't seem to be the case for others. But it's all here, just a search button away.

Blanket statements like "ALL BOXWOODS READILY PRODUCE ADVENTITIOUS BUDS. This is an unequivocal incontrovertible botanical fact, and no amount of insults will ever change that.", while maybe true, can produce very discouraging results for beginners. An unequivocal incontrovertible botanical fact doesn't mean sh*t to a novice looking at a dead plant, understanding the material needs to come first.

Blanket statements in general are best taken with a very large grain of salt.

Dendrogeek, why don't you tell us a little about yourself? What is your level of experience with bonsai? You've only been on the forum for a couple of weeks, but haven't really said much about that. You do seem to post a lot of what I'd call "book knowledge" (including the statement about boxwoods and adventitious buds), but book knowledge doesn't always translate perfectly to the real world.

What ever happened to helping this guy with his boxwood? Good grief.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Please, please! No arguing at my expense. I appreciate all the outstanding suggestions and as Russell insinuated, I take everything under advisement. Although some suggestions appear a bit more logical than others, the debate and resulting exchange of info is invaluable but please, no insults. :-)

And now to stir it up a bit more - Russell was suggested to me by others for having had numerous experience with Boxwoods - of course, all suggestions and input are still very appreciated.

IMHO, (but what do I know - I'm at the mercy of the mob here and a noob! lol) I would tend to lean towards being more cautious, especially considering the climate here at the moment (in the NE - not really any pun intended, sorta ;-) ).

I think I'm going to take the leap and prune back hard by the weekend but not to the extent of leaving no green on the branches. Just a bunch to take it back to the point where I can see the "structure" and get a better sense of what form this Korean Boxwood should take. At that point, also following your outstanding suggestions, I will take some better pics and post them. Maybe some wiring within the next month or so? (Please advise) Also, I will give a good watering and take it out of the direct sunlight (although it's supposed to be rainy and humid over the next few days, so maybe even better to do it this weekend?).

As far as root trimming and re-potting, maybe saving that to early spring, before the "sap flow"(?) and "first push" of budding/growth?

Oh, and BTW, to I need that cut "sealant" for the branches?

Also, thanks Fiona for the tip on how to post pics so I could jump right in instead of having to poke around.

Too hot to repot. Wait until next early next spring. You can safely cut it back to 4 to 6 leaves per stem. This will cause it to back bud lower on the branches. If you want you can then cut back again above the new growth. As this is your first tree take time studying it before cutting any branches off. You can always cut later,but growing back takes time. With that being said don't be afraid to cutt, just don't let impatience get the better of you. Bonsai is a slow sport, very addicting and gratifying.

and everyone else of course! muchas gracias ;-)

coh wrote:
Dendrogeek, why don't you tell us a little about yourself? What is your level of experience with bonsai? You've only been on the forum for a couple of weeks, but haven't really said much about that.

True, and I don't intend to for the simple reason that my exchanges with others would reflect who I am rather than who they are. In fact I've been on this forum for decades, on and off, but I chose to re-register anonymously precisely for the above reason.

As for blanket statements: First you must understand the species you are working with - ie: boxwoods back bud readily. Then, if you don't get the anticipated result, you know that something else is wrong. In Lou's case (harken up Lou) if he follows the advice to put the tree in the shade and water more, he will be extremely disappointed since boxwoods prefer full sun and cannot tolerate wet roots. Another blanket statement that is no help, I suppose.

Furthermore, Dario's assertion that I don't know what I'm talking about is totally negated by his own posts that show collected boxwoods that have budded profusely after being hard pruned. Perhaps, Dario, you should take heed of your own tag line.

Dendrogeek wrote: Dario's assertion that I don't know what I'm talking about is totally negated by his own posts that show collected boxwoods that have budded profusely after being hard pruned. Perhaps, Dario, you should take heed of your own tag line.

I do know nothing.

I never had any boxwood that budded (profusely) that was cut w/o any green. Can you please show me where you read it? Or have you chosen to selectively read what you want to only?

I collected a lot of boxwood and they all survived and grew well...but NOT when treated the way you advised.

louvega wrote:Oh, and BTW, to I need that cut "sealant" for the branches?

No.

And our apologies for the two idiots who could (and should) better argue with each other via Private Messaging than in a public "discussion."

Dendrogeek wrote:In Lou's case (harken up Lou) if he follows the advice to put the tree in the shade and water more, he will be extremely disappointed since boxwoods prefer full sun and cannot tolerate wet roots. Another blanket statement that is no help, I suppose.

My boxwood can tolerate TX full sun but are much happier in the shade during summer. All of them shut down (no growth) when out in full sun but started growing again when I moved them under shade. There is an optimal temperature for growth...100's (*F) is past that for boxwood. Yes, your blanket statements are full of holes.

JimLewis wrote:

louvega wrote:Oh, and BTW, to I need that cut "sealant" for the branches?

No.

And our apologies for the two idiots who could (and should) better argue with each other via Private Messaging than in a public "discussion."

I use sealants so for me, yes.

Idiots are sometimes needed rather than leaving mis-information proliferate if not corrected/challenged. I don't like people hiding their messages & agenda in PM's (like you).

Yes full sun all day here in Texas this time of year = death for most bonsai. Last year we had 70 days over 100. With 40 in a row over a hundred. So being from "planet earth" do you get the average of the worlds temperatures.

Jkd2572 wrote:Yes full sun all day here in Texas this time of year = death for most bonsai.

Perhaps you missed that the questioner lives in the northeast, not Texas.

Dendrogeek wrote:Perhaps you missed that the questioner lives in the northeast, not Texas.

So blanket statements have boundaries?

Poink88 wrote:
So blanket statements have boundaries?

No, of course they don't. When describing the characteristics of any species geography is irrelevant. However, when offering cultural advice, geography is important.

I'm curious: nothing I have said is incorrect and you have said nothing to refute any of my statements - yet still you choose to argue and, worse, insult. I'm sorry, have I bruised your ego?

Dendrogeek wrote:No, of course they don't. When describing the characteristics of any species geography is irrelevant. However, when offering cultural advice, geography is important.

I'm curious: nothing I have said is incorrect and you have said nothing to refute any of my statements - yet still you choose to argue and, worse, insult. I'm sorry, have I bruised your ego?

LOL...bruise my ego? Nope.

You are really funny. None of of your statements are incorrect??? Wow you are something else. Anyway, I am out of here (this thread) I think I helped you enough to show everyone how much you know already.

Bye!!!

Dendrogeek wrote:Lou, all bonsai design is based on the trunk shape, proportion, etc., so that's where you start.

Lou, going back through all of this it seems to me like this was where your bonsai crash course should have started before everything went to hell. We can't see anything but green ball. If you brought this to me in a workshop the first thing I'd do would be to ask you what YOU see in this piece of material. (The underlying question is "of all the green balls in 3 gallon pots to choose from what made you pick this one?") Maybe you could tell us what's in there, and what you'd like for it to become. I guess we'll get the "unveiling" next week after you do a little thinning.

With a plant as young and vigorous as this I'd think you could cut it back pretty hard, but the timing is questionable. How much summer do you have left? I have lots of time before I'll even see a cool down, usually mid October, and it could be Christmas before we have a frost. If you cut back hard and wire now like I did my 2 big ones, will you be able to provide protection in case of an early frost? I just repotted my 2, but I just moved them from one pot to another. I don't think that will be the case with yours, so I'd wait until early spring.

There is a lot of good information in this thread from a lot of people, as well as good info on working with nursery boxwoods scattered throughout this forum. You need go at this at your own pace. Honestly, I'd suggest that you push it because it's the only way to learn. Boxwoods ARE great material for beginners because they are tough and easy to come by. Just look at how and where they're planted and how they are treated. And if you kill this one are you really out much? Chances are that there are about 5 million out there just like it!

R

Russell,
I'm going to shoot for the best with this plant as you suggest. I don't even think, after looking at some of the structure more closely, that this particular plant is going to be an ideal candidate. (I should have been more discerning when I purchased it, but my original intention wasn't a bonsai, until I put it on the patio and thought about it for a bit). There are multiple "trunks" and they look like they would need some thickening and removal of multiples/redundancies (unless I were going for a multiple trunk/group planting). As far as the winter/first frost, I have until around the end of Oct. here for a slight chance of frost, so I will take my chances again with that and protect it as much as possible, but I agree - definitely no repotting until spring.

So, ultimately all these things considered, I'll get back to you here within the next two weeks or so with the results. I'm taking your advice and cutting back and as I've said, shooting for the best. They are cheap and this is a good way to learn. Thank you very much for your suggestions and time and thanks to everyone else who was genuinely interested in offering their help.

BTW, what's with the troll? Is he for real, or just the forum's way of sorting out who's legit? lol

louvega wrote:
BTW, what's with the troll? Is he for real, or just the forum's way of sorting out who's legit? lol

Um, you've lost me with that one!

Dendrogeek.

Wiki: In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory,[2] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[3] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.

Oh, I see. Yes, we get them from time to time. He/she stated his/her reasons, but no matter how good or bad the advice is it's still hard to take someone seriously when they hide behind anonymity and make blanket statements with no apparent regard for "the rest of the story".

Well, he did say he's from Planet Earth. That narrows it down a bit . . .

And if it is true that he has

been on this forum for decades, on and off,

, I think I have an idea who hesheit may be. Or not. <g>