Against all odds in only three years my Myrtle is ready to show

It seemed like an opportunity too good to miss, an old tree with a wonderful trunk that could eventually be a great ‘mother and child’ bonsai, and the price was not expensive, problem was it was a Myrtle Communis. It came from a Mediterranean climate that was sunny, warm and dry for most of the year, I live in the North of England where it is cloudy, wet and cold for most of the year. The previous year I had experimented with a Majorcan Olive from Angel Mota and against all odds it actually did quite well. Should I part with my hard earned cash? Should I risk working with material that (as far as I knew) nobody in the UK had worked before? Should I take a risk? Three years later and the results speak for themselves. The rest of the story is here

What I started with in 2009



How it looks today

Against all odds! Thanks Tony, now I have your fellow countryman Phil Collins stuck in my head

Great work. Amazing what you've done in 3 years. Thank you for sharing and inspiring.

3 years? Wonderful. And with a species you weren't even sure would do well in your climate. Great job.

I'm impressed. That's quite a looker! Nice job!

Well, what fun is life without a few risks? This one paid off...very nice transformation in 3 years.

Impressive as always. I'm only a novice, and I'm curious about your choice of a light grey (?) pot. I would have thought something brown/tan? Thanks.

Tony, I have a woody myrtle purchased from Steve Tolley about three years ago (it may have been imported at the same time as yours). It has made a nice lot of foliage at the end of this summer when the weather became warm enough and although still outside today, I shall bring it in soon. Is it best to give it a rest during the winter months at about 16-18C or should I continue to feed occasionally to maximise growth?

Carolee wrote:Impressive as always. I'm only a novice, and I'm curious about your choice of a light grey (?) pot. I would have thought something brown/tan? Thanks.

Must be your monitor as the pot is actually a 'lilac' colour, its by John Pitt

GeePee. mine has been in the glass house for the last two months. I have just given a dressing of bonemeal. The tree stays in Glasshouse right up to May... it can get of 0c in there

Thanks, Tony. I could put mine in my glass greenhouse (like you, only down to 0C) although in past years I have put it into a cool room with reasonably good winter light. I believe these came from Sicily where on the higher ground it can get quite cold. I am of the opinion that 'dry' cold (but not freezing) would do them no harm.

Very nice progression Tony in just 3 short yrs! Very nice job!
Why do you put bonemeal on before winter? The plant is going to be dormant and am just wondering...

Fore wrote:Very nice progression Tony in just 3 short yrs! Very nice job!
Why do you put bonemeal on before winter? The plant is going to be dormant and am just wondering...

This tree continues to grow well into December and bonemeal is a gentle feed in prep for the dormant period.

GeePee yeh... Not freezing but cold is fine, as we have had some very cold snaps the sat couple of winters

NOT sure that they are from Sicily... But they are Italian I know that for sure

Hi Tony,
I don't want to take away from you the credit for keeping the tree in good health which you obviously did but myrtus is quite a hardy species and in fact in my neck of the woods popular as a houseplant - people (not bonsai folk) grow it in their flats or houses all year long the same way as any houseplant, so it doesn't surprise me that it thrives in England at all. None the less, you did a fine job and I enjoy looking at it. I take it it's a rather small plant, what's its height? All the best! /a

For what it is worth, I have myrtus communis naturally growing at my farmland which are resistant to -4C (note that it's a humid terrain and median temp. is 18C yearly)