10 Month Brazilian Raintree

I would like to just share some progress on one of my seedlings this year in no means is it finished but feel free to critique if you like I also started some cuttings at the same time but they just dont grow like a fresh seedling and also I got some variances in seedlings from the same seed pods I have a few that are thornless and some with smaller leaves but man are they solid the wood they already developed is tough

before the prune

and after...


I'm letting some grow out and I have some in beginning phases of development because once the green branches harden theres not much moving them

oh in the second pic the leaves are closed up for the night

Sometimes you can find this kind of difference between plants from the same pack of seeds, it's completely normal, here in Brazil people usually to say the one that have thorn is male and the thornless is female.

Plants developed from seeds tends to be stronger, and roots grow faster.

I purchased a raintree at a nursery 2 summers ago as a 1/4" thick tree. It has now been through 2 summers in an appropriate sized growing box in full sun, fertilized about once every 3 weeks, appears very healthy yet is now only 1/2" in diameter max. I know my growing season is only 6months yet this kind of growth is very slow, so do you think mine came from a cutting? How big should it be by now if it was a seedling? Do you think if I would want a big trunk I should just give up on this one and order some seeds?

Dear bucknbonsai, one important thing is do not pruning the branches. I have at least 3 diferent "species" of this three growing in pots. The best results are that have no prunning. I use around 30% of "red soil" in my bonsai. If you have space you can put this three in the ground. It will growing at least 4 times more.

I have never pruned it. Its now about 18" tall and branch spread is about 30". Due to it getting down to 0 degrees farinheight where I live, I would have to dig it from the ground every fall then transplant it back to the ground every spring, wouldnt that kind of disturbance slow it down?

Have you transplanted the tree to a new pot this year? The tree development slows down in the first year when it has roots pruned.

The weather may influence into it's development, this specie is from a tropical area, it's best growing comes with hot temperature and moisture.

Besides, I think it is to soon to say the tree is growing too slow, wait about a year more to see how it's doing.

Ney is right, in the ground this specie grows 4 times faster.

i've gotten the best results using clay terracotta pots the sun heats the pot and gives the roots a warm growing environment

I have it in a 11x15x2 bonsai pot. Our summers are often over 90degres so I think its warming up. Repotting is a good idea, ill try that next year. If its still small then ill assume its a cutting grown one rather than seedling, and probably just start over with a seedling. Hopefully seeds are on Ebay.

bucknbonsai wrote:I have it in a 11x15x2 bonsai pot. Our summers are often over 90degres so I think its warming up. Repotting is a good idea, ill try that next year. If its still small then ill assume its a cutting grown one rather than seedling, and probably just start over with a seedling. Hopefully seeds are on Ebay.

Root pruning slows down the growing rate. On the other hand, overpotting helps a lot.

I think the growing rate will not be as different as you think between a tree from seed and another from cuttings. Trees that come from seed have stronger roots that gets larger than roots of trees that come from cuttings. The same occurs with black pine, Japaneses makes cuttings from buds developed from seed in order to a better root control.

Pay attention on temperature and moisture, do the overpotting without touching the roots, so I think you'll have a better development on this tree.

good luck finding seeds most places and people will list Brazilian rain tree seeds but there Samanea saman also know as brazilian rain tree not to be confused with Chloroleucon tortum also know as Pithecellobium tortum this is the one you want for example scroll down on this link to brazilian raintree theres a picture of Chloroleucon tortum but there actually selling Samanea saman I ordered a small pack knowing what I was getting cause I wanted to check it out cause I don't have this species its totally different Samanea saman is a very very large tree when the tree your looking for is more of an understory tree
http://seedrack.com/bonsai.html

I live in Brazil, here is easy to find brazilian rain tree´s seeds. Nevertheless we generaly get seedling from cuttings or air-layering because it´s faster to develop a new bonsai this way than from seeds.

would you be willing to send me seeds if I got some money to you or I can trade I have 300 black pine seed

I'll talk to a friend of mine, he might have some seeds. I should prefer some seed of a native specie from Florida, or some kind of oak... I don't know, what do you suggest?

do you have Bucida Spinosa (black olive) I dont know if its naitive here well maybe a little south of here I know its naitive to the Bahamas and thats really close

I don't have any, it should be nice, let´s talk, send me a PM.

this is a common landscape plant they call gold mound here im not sure the scientific name but it has beautiful yellow leaves all year

reg-i wrote:this is a common landscape plant they call gold mound here im not sure the scientific name but it has beautiful yellow leaves all year

It's a duranta repens, this specie is very common here in Brazil.