Fortunella hindsii

Bought this for no good reason except I need another flowering bonsai. It came in a 7 inch bonsai pot in sort of bonsai nursery soil. You don't want a picture yet. It is 15 inches tall with a caliper of 3/8 inch (about 1 cm). Any particular instructions welcome. The trunk is straight and already too stiff to wire.
At least it has lots of branches.
Question, will it respond to being repotted in a large pot in very coarse soil to thicken the trunk?
Iris

Another question. Although the trunk is very stiff, could I wire it with heavy wire & maybe get a little trunk movement, or would I be sure to break it?
Iris

Hi Iris.

There is a good article about the care of kumquat bonsai in issue 61 of Bonsai Today. If you don't have access to the magazine we'll figure out how to get you a copy of the article.

I need to reread it myself, seems like you're supposed to work on them when it's hot.

R

Russell,
Our club used to subscribe to Bonsai Today years ago, but I doubt if they have that issue. If you can get it to me, I would appreciate it.
I found that the trunk will bend a little, so I can wire it with some heavy wire.
Iris

Iris, I need your email address. I've scanned it, I ain't makin no promises but we'll see how this works.

R

Hi Iris,

There's also an article in "Esprit Bonsai" nr. 47, but it's in French. It's a translation oif an article originally published in "Bonsai Actual", a Spanish publication. It's in the section "Bonsai for beginners", so it's got basic info on propagation and care, with quite a lot of photos.

If you like, I can scan the 7 pages and send them to you, and translate what you don't understand - but since 60 to 85% of the English vocabulary comes from the French (depending on the source) I'm sure that with the help of the pictures and the common sense you've so often showed us, it won't be too time-consuming job for me : Do feel free to ask me if you're interested, it will be my pleasure.

That sounds like the artilce I have. Was it originally by Harumi Ishi?

R

Please do post some info on Kumquats. I have several seedlings coming along and could use just about any information out there. I don't have the hindsii, I don't think. But the ones I do have are growing vogorously and cuttings have been taking root quickly. Maybe one day I will be able to support this habit of mine.

Libby

Russell Coker wrote:That sounds like the artilce I have. Was it originally by Harumi Ishi?

I don't think so:

"Text and photos : Natxo Valls, Jorge Sansano"...

It is based on the experience of people in Spain. Actually, it's the kind of article I usually don't really read because these species don't grow where i live, and it's too much of a hassle to try and recreate their natural environment (heated greenhouse, misting system, artificial lights : might as well pretend to grow "chilli bonsai" )

As a substitute, I will try Poncirus trifoliata, the only one of the citrus genus that can stand temperatures of at least minus 15° Celsius. I have about 20 seedlings from fruit I took from a park in the summer of 2009 but so far, they're only 5-10 cm high (2-4 inches).

We'll see...

Russell, thank you for the article. I can read it OK. There seems to be some conflicting information. Mr. Ishi says to bring the plant indoors as soon as the average temperature goes below 68 F., but that is not helpful, because the highs & lows could be extreme. He hints, and other sources concur, that kumquats are actually quite cold-hardy. Some authorities say they require a definite dormancy.
The article is about Fortunella japonica, which is sometimes the name given to all the kumquats together.
Iris

Iris,

I remember that there were points in that article I did not agree with - hardiness being one of them. I need to reread it. I have 'meiwa' kumquat in the ground here in 8b, and well as satsumas and clementines. My small hindsii, Hongkong kumquats, are in 4" pots and they stayed outside through what was one of the worst winters we've had in years with no damage. Sounds like Alain's srticle may be worth seeing.

Did I send you the whole article? I thought I sent just the first page to make sure you could read it.

R

You sent me what I think is the whole article. Mostly pictures of various techniques. Sounds like the kumquat should be treated similar to my olive and pomegranate, a Mediterranean subtropical approach with a short winter rest.
Iris

I was able to get some movement in the trunk with 3.5 mm aluminum wire (sorry, copper wire is just not for me). I agree with Walter Pall that innovation is very desirable, but sometimes the tree has an opinion on the subject. With a trunk as stiff as a lead pipe, all I could do is a plain old-fashioned informal upright. I will post a picture in a few weeks, after I get a collection of used pots off the dining room table.
Google photos gave me the following results for this species.
No pictures from the US that I could find.
In Europe, it is used for bonsai in Spain and Italy, where they usually style it to look like A Japanese white pine Christmas tree. Kumquat bonsai bear copious loads of fruit.
There is a bonsai artist in Malaysia, Cliff Chong, who has a gallery of very interesting shohin and small size bonsai, including a collection of Fortunella hindsii. You can find him on Picasa.web.
Iris

I brought the kumquat indoors and repotted it. It responded well and has started growing. I can't do it now, but does this species respond to defoliating? It would look fine with more twigs and smaller leaves.
Iris

Hi, Iris:

It sounds like you are having a similar experience with citrus as I have had over the years....I don't think they are easy to work with and in my case, after many years, the result could be said to be downright bizarre (see attached pix).

I have learned a few things in my limited experience (working with only the tree pictured which is a Citrus aurantifolia, Key LIme). It takes quite a few years to induce twigginess and ramification, and this of course results in the lack of flowering and fruiting because of continued pruning. Overall I have found that the foliage does not reduce very well, after having to defoliate now and again to do wiring. However, the tree does respond well after defoliation. Wiring has been difficult because of the strength and brittleness of the branches.

Regarding this tree, I am always left bleeding after working with it because of its thorns.

Sorry to be somewhat negative, but this was my first tree that I purchased 25 years ago as I was just starting out with bonsai. I have learned much from it over the years, both positive and negative.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your Kumquat...I am looking forward to seeing some pix.

Regards,
Tom

Oh dear me. First of all, it is perfectly legal to declaw your tree before you work on it.
I have two suggestions for your lime tree. Lose the slingshot. One of those upper trunks has to go, preferably the short fat one, I think.
Also, why is that big lump hovering in midair? I would groundlayer it and have that swelling at soil level, so it becomes your trunk base. Then encourage roots to grow around the perimeter.
However, there is a waist in the middle of your tree where it looks as though it has been grafted. If that is the case and it persists, forget the whole thing. It is not worth your trouble.
Iris

Here is my little kumquat, FWIW. I hope I at least have it on the right track. It is 10 inches, about 25 cm, tall.
Iris

ct 14, 2010/IMG_0034.JPG

PS The reason the branches are wired down so far is to compensate for growing under lights, which tends to make the branches grow up.
Iris