World's tallest Serissa

Well can she make it to 8' [ 244 cm ] ?

This cutting just liked to grow tall, at the end of the year I will double the width of the saucer, with another saucer but just a little on the depth.
Standing at 5' 6" approx. [ 168 cm ]
Will keep showing.
Later.
Khaimraj

Haha! That's pretty cool. Is this being kept as an outdoor tree?

Adam,

I don't have anything growing indoors. The tropics allow you to grow on the patio and with our houses of concrete, one simply walks outside. Windows are simple glass and steel, with no chance of snow - chuckle.

By the way, it looks as though, the serissa has added on another 6" and I am increasing the size of the perforated saucer, to twice the size, but same depth.
Thanks for looking and commenting.
Khaimraj

Do you plan to keep it natural, or are you going to shape the foliage pads? I like it!
Todd

Todd,

I plan to see at what height it stops growing.

Take a photo for records.

Then cut down for use. Where it goes we will see.

Funny, huh, I am really enjoy, how tall this shrub has become in so little soil. Fascinating.
Later.
Khaimraj

Khaimraj Seepersad wrote: ... ..., how tall this shrub has become in so little soil. Fascinating.

Yes, it is fascinating! Your "experiments" and way of thinking is fascinating, too!

WELL,, I really like the tree !! it must be nice to have things grow like that,, in a timely period,, so we will see what you do with it.. thanks for posting take care john

John and Alexandra,

thanks for looking and taking the time to comment.

Presently, I am only interested in the height, but what I really want to do with a serissa, is get one up to a single trunk of between 3 to 5" [ 7.5 to 13 cm ], I cringe at having to tidy all of those dead flowering parts, but what a sight a 15 to 30" [ 38 to 76 cm ] specimen would be.
Later.
Khaimraj

Hello Khaimraj,
Ah you are going for a sumo Serissa admit it.
Sunip

Sunip,

isn't sumo short and squat ?

I am going for this -

http://andyrutledge.com/book/assets/images/photos/oakstyle.jpg

Hah aha -
Khaimraj

Love your Serissa. Looking forward to see whatever you do with it. The pic you just linked is such an amazingly powerful looking tree. I wouldn't use the word 'sumo' but its definitely a huge trunk for the height of the tree. More realistic in my opinion. I'm not a big fan of 'sumo' styled trees. Most with that title attached are surreal to me. But that's just personal taste.

Keep up the good work Khaimraj. I don't always agree with you but judging by the quality of trees, the years of experience you have and the difference between growing conditions from our very different climates, I have the utmost respect for you and works.

Best regards, Mike

Mike,

reading through Andy's site, I came across that tree. It seems to be in a ratio of 3 to 9 or 1 to 3 as height to trunk goes and maybe 3 to 15 or 1 to 5 as width goes.

I did wonder if it was taller and with time was somehow shortened?
Later.
Khaimraj

reading through Andy's site, I came across that tree. It seems to be in a ratio of 3 to 9 or 1 to 3 as height to trunk goes and maybe 3 to 15 or 1 to 5 as width goes.
I did wonder if it was taller and with time was somehow shortened?
Later.
Khaimraj [/quote]
Hello Khaimraj,
Time bears fruit
(and vision from those who decided to leave the tree his freedom)
Sunip

Khaimraj,

Interesting experiment as most of your experiments are.

Does the serissa topple over in the wind or is it sheltered from the breeze? Kinda curious if the small base is able to keep it balanced given the height of the tree. In relation to the nutrition of the tree, do you fertilize? And if so how often and with what?

Looking forward to see what you do with it in a few years' time.

Regards,
Nigel

Sunip,

not to fuss, I am prepared to leave this and the other Serissa experiment alone for as long as the plants need it.
I am also growing a Serissa for more roots. Will show another time.
Thanks for responding.
Khaimraj

Nigel,

the serissa is on a stand where the breeze is broken by a very old West Indian / Barbados Cherry [ Malpighia glabra ], and that cherry is kept thinned so the light dapples through, as well as the breeze, with full sun after 9.00 a.m. in the morning and a little shade in the late evening from an avocado tree.

Project started in 2010, and fertilizer is given at 1/3 strength from February to say May/ June, with an osmocote type used for after June, until January 2nd. This year we had a very wet dry season so, fertilizer was only given around October to December. The shrub has been thinned [ after flowering ] 4 times. Normally when a serissa starts to flower on our side, it won't stop for about 2 or 3 months. So I allow it 1 month of fun, and then take off all the buds, potential buds and anything else that will bud.

However, this particular cutting wanted to grow tall.

Fertilizer is 1/3 strength Lawn fertilizer added into moist soil. The osmocote type comes from Israel, and is rated for 8 to 9 months, soil temperature at 30 deg.c.[ written on the package, I am no soil expert, see the chap from Australia.]
I have also added on some fresh soil due to the organic part disappearing.

When I pot on, I will assess for root removal or other.

This serissa may just be allowed to grow free forever, just as a thank you for showing that a serissa is more than a 2 to 3 ' [ 61 to 91.5 cm ] shrub.
I wonder if it can reach 14 feet [ over 4 m ] ?
How large a trunk ?

Anyhow stay tuned for my Serissa root experiment. I found that the roots make for lazy me, bonsai, lots of personality, with no wire or clip and grow. Just if you can imagine, Tai Chi bonsai - music please - ha ha ha.
Thanks for the interest.
Later.
Khaimraj

Khaimraj,

Thanks for the detailed info.

I recently got a few Serissa, maybe about 5" in height and not much to look at. I plan to grow them for a few years and see what they give me, they'll probably be my starter trees as far as serissas are concerned.

Based on your experience with serissas and given that our climates are more or less similar (with a few variations depending on your altitude and whether you are leeward or windward of any hill(s)/mountains or are in a valley), how aggressive could I get with them in terms of fertilizing frequency and nitrogen content in same.
Though it seems that your diluted fertilizer is giving excellent results in terms of growth, is it similar to what you use on your other serissas and I'm assuming you use your usual bonsai soil ratio of organic and inorganic components.

Sorry to be picking your brain just trying to figure out how best to get them going.

Cheers,
Nigel

I'll also be looking out for your root experiment, out of curiosity do you foresee getting roots akin to Chinese elms?

Later,
Nigel

Nigel,

the rain is holding me back on some of the transplanting, otherwise I would have sent images on the root experiment already.

Please feel free to pick away, the only secrets I have are .......what de, who are you .... bang... uggh ... and now back to reality.

Soil mix is a variation of this -

[1] Crushed red earthenware brick sifted. Holds water in it's structure and probably will breakdown very slowly. Firing temp is between 900 to 1000 deg.c
The brick factory has a large room full of crushed brick and will allow a very few in to take a few sifted buckets.

We also have Porcellainite [ see if you have this or similar ] a naturally oil or gas fired material from underground, and mined for secondary road paving use.

[2] Crushed sifted builders gravel [ silica type ] Holds water only on the surface as a thin coat.

[3] Home made compost and if needed to hold more moisture - cocopeat. The compost also has weeds deliberately thrown in for trace elements. Sifted after one year and allowed to age for another year. Particles are dark and unrecognizable. I also presently have bunny power, his urine eats dried material.

I will also re-use sifted old soil [ fines dumped on the vegetables.]

Mixed as I see a bonsai needs.

As the roots go, I am hoping for a few that will have personality and some length [ say 38 cm ].
The serissa will normally resprout up and down the root.
This is the Chinese serissa [ serissoides - spelling ?] by the way. The other types won't thicken very quickly, if at all.
I am testing a varigated leaf type, let you know how that goes.
Later.
Khaimraj

* The diluted fertilizer mix is used more or less on all of my plants.