Great :-( I won the Black Olive auction

So, I won an auction on a Black Olive on ebay. As a beginner I didn't do my proper researcher before my bid ( see this thread:  https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t14441-black-olive-or-texas-ebony) Now I'm blessed with a tree I need to find a way to take care of.
At this point it will need to over winter out of any direct Sun light. So my question is, what light fixture do I need to buy to keep it alive till summer? It will need to be a hanging 2' T5 I'm thinking. Don't get me wrong, I like the tree and I'm looking forward to what I might be able to learn from it, But I also want to keep it alive.
Thank's for looking.

LittleJoe wrote:So, I won an auction on a Black Olive on ebay. As a beginner I didn't do my proper researcher before my bid ( see this thread:  https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t14441-black-olive-or-texas-ebony) Now I'm blessed with a tree I need to find a way to take care of.
At this point it will need to over winter out of any direct Sun light. So my question is, what light fixture do I need to buy to keep it alive till summer? It will need to be a hanging 2' T5 I'm thinking. Don't get me wrong, I like the tree and I'm looking forward to what I might be able to learn from it, But I also want to keep it alive.
Thank's for looking.

Congrats! Bucida will make a great bonsai. About which fixture, hard to say without seeing your window. I would err on the side of more light than less. If at all possible I would supplement with 4 tubes. Whether or not you can get away with less, only a light meter could tell you.

I noticed you are in Durham, NC. That is a college town in addition to being the 'east coast research triangle'. You must have a local hydroponics shop or two in your area. Talk to the guys there. Locally I have "Brew and Grow", and a "Hydro Your Own". A Bucida needs about the same amount of light as a tomato plant to get by for the winter. At the Brew & Grow shops they use tomatoes and Habanero peppers as stand ins for marijuana, as the light requirements are about the same. Bucida is in the same high light demanding category. They will have light meters, and good advice as to whether or not you can 'get by' in your west window.

If you don't want to add more light beyond the single 48 inch t-5, you could just try it. You might be lucky and get enough light to keep the tree happy. If it is not happy, it will simply slow growth, and what new growth you get will be thin and weak compared to summer outdoor growth. This is not necessarily the end of the line for the tree.

For years, before I upgraded the light quality in my set up, my pomegranate would put on a lot of thin, weak growth every winter. I would prune off all the weak growth in spring when I set it outside. A few weeks after going outside it would bud out and start growing nice strong growth. I always thought it was a shame that I had to cut off all the weak, thin growth that I got over winter, but to shape the tree I needed normal strong growth. Your Bucida, if it is not getting enough light will put out weak growth also. But if you don't mind cutting it off, and starting where you left off when you brought it in last year, its not a big deal.

Once I upgraded my light system, I started getting growth in the light garden that was good enough to keep. Now in winter, if a tree in my 32 to 40 F well house breaks dormancy early, I can just pop it under the lights, and not have to worry about spindly growth. This early breaking of dormancy happens when we have a long, but too early warm spell outside. Some trees are more susceptible than others. Japanese maples, and a few others are the ones likely to break dormancy.

In the last few years, I now leave my pomegranate outside until after several frosts. Once it has frozen enough to cause it to drop all its leaves I put it in the unheated well house. It is joined a few weeks later by other trees that are not hardy in my zone. The pomegranate, like the Japanese maple has a tendency to break dormancy early, so often it is in the light garden by the middle of January or February. Growth after a sharp cool down and dormancy is much better than when the tree is treated like a tropical. The T-5's and the 400 watt HPS are both strong enough that I get good solid growth under these lights.

Leo,
Thank you for continuing to educate me. The main problem at this point is I have all ready bought a Japanese Boxwood to keep my Fukein company. I really didn't think I would be the only bidder on the Olive (another lesson learned). So now I'm am going to find another spot for the Olive, I have a spot in mind but it would only be able to accommodate a 24" T5 light. I've read up on them and have noticed they are 24 watts compared with the 54 watts on a 48" T5. Would a 4 bulb light still be enough, also to your other point. Could I get away with a 2 bulb fixture to over winter with. It would just work better in the space I'm thinking of.


I'm glad you brought up the Maple. If I can find a decent pre-bonsai "Red Dragons" that will be my first attempt a creating my own Bonsai.

Thanks again

Dude, come join us at the Triangle Bonsai Society. Trianglebonsai.com and also on FB same name.

I personally do not have Bucida but I'm pretty sure quite a few others here do. We're putting on a big show right now at the State Fair in the Flower and Garden section. If you go to the fair you should come check us out.

Hopefully others will pipe in with care.

Have a great weekend!!!
Sam

Sam Ogranaja wrote:Dude, come join us at the Triangle Bonsai Society. Trianglebonsai.com and also on FB same name.

I personally do not have Bucida but I'm pretty sure quite a few others here do. We're putting on a big show right now at the State Fair in the Flower and Garden section. If you go to the fair you should come check us out.

Hopefully others will pipe in with care.

Have a great weekend!!!
Sam

I'm planing on it Sam. The next meeting is the 3rd of November? Hoping to get to the fair too. I've lived here 13 years and I've never been.

LittleJoe wrote:Leo,
Thank you for continuing to educate me. The main problem at this point is I have all ready bought a Japanese Boxwood to keep my Fukein company. I really didn't think I would be the only bidder on the Olive (another lesson learned). So now I'm am going to find another spot for the Olive, I have a spot in mind but it would only be able to accommodate a 24" T5 light. I've read up on them and have noticed they are 24 watts compared with the 54 watts on a 48" T5. Would a 4 bulb light still be enough, also to your other point. Could I get away with a 2 bulb fixture to over winter with. It would just work better in the space I'm thinking of.


I'm glad you brought up the Maple. If I can find a decent pre-bonsai "Red Dragons" that will be my first attempt a creating my own Bonsai.

Thanks again

And now you have a olive tree to keep them company!
Thats my problem....one tree is just not enough....if we had all outdoor trees our backyards would be filled up eh?
Bryan

wonderful species, the bucida --- even if a bit temperamental out of zone.

in my experience they HATE cold feet more than any other tropical. ambient temperature (within reason) isn't an issue, provided you keep their soil/roots warm. mine spends the winter on a seed starter heat mat to that end.