Italian Stone Pine (pinus pinea) - UPDATE

 This excerpt is from the Photo/History page for Italian Stone Pine; click to see full history of this little tree.

I have been remiss on keeping this page up to date; part of the problem is that this pine makes very little demand for attention. He handled the summer well, tolerating 100+ temps without complaint & becoming a permanent fixture on my front wall. Leading up to the re-pot, "Stoner" has exhibited none of the problems associated with the soil compaction encountered in some other specimens.

This tree has very shallow roots & he hasn't had time to establish much in the way of a rootball yet, so I've introduced a large rock to help stabilize him until his roots grow a little more. Since the repot, he has exhibited a small grow th spurt, buds swelling, more branches developing candles & back-budding on several branches.

ADDENDUM: I wired my first tree today & it was much easier than I thought. You must use wire that is
suitable & compatible with your goal, however, as it is just as easy to damage a young tree as not. And, you will only be wiring young trees, whose branches are pliable & have not hardened yet.

I have watched enough YouTube videos to know the general technique..what surprised me was how flexible & easy to apply it was. In the space of a morning, I defined an overall shape & style that this tree will have for the rest of his life, if I leave the wire in place long enough for his branches to mature. The trick is to wrap the wire tightly enough, but not so tightly that it will cut into the bark as the tree grows and to monitor that no damage is being done, as time goes on.

I am thinking that this wire will need to stay on the tree for about 6 weeks..by that time, the spindly branches will have thickened & hopefully permanently assumed the configuration I imposed on them.

Dwarf Pomegranate (Punica Granatum 'Nana') - UPDATE

 This is an exerpt from the Photo/History for the Dwarf Pomengranate; click to read

I purposefully left the Pomegranate until last, or next to  last, to repot with Bonsai soil. Yesterday, I pulled him out of his pot & was amazed at the root growth..he was not root bound, but he had feeder roots extended to the full length & width of the tray. Unlike most of the other trees, his soil was not compacted.

I've been routinely cleaning-up & trimming roots on all of the other plants, as the repot progressed, so I didn't hesitate to do the same for the Pomegranate. The bottom line, he didn't like it. I did prune him harder than I intended & I remembered, after the fact, that this tree is still very young. After repotting with fresh Bonsai soil, I watered him & within 15 minutes, saw the consequences of my actions. His foliage went limp, the mature leaves hanging down, the new growth collapsed, the color of his previously orange pod turned brown..I think I might have killed him.   

Thursday, November 12, 2026

HE LIVES! It was nip-&-tuck there for a couple of days, but I think the Pomegranate's going to be OK. I pruned dead foliage yesterday evening, but I don't think that had anything to do with his recovery. This morning, I could see from his general demeanor that he is starting to stand straighter, leaves are less droopy & he became visibly more erect as the sun warmed him. 

Formosa Azalea (Rhododendron × ‘Formosa’) - UPDATE

 This is an exerpt from the Photo/History page for the Formosa Azalea Click to read.

The Formosa produced 2 flowers, larger than I expected & has been happily blooming since the repot. He seems healthy & happy under the trees, getting some full sun in the morning & dappled shade the rest of the day.

I am still torn between cutting the dual trunks & creating two trees, which would be sparsely foliated, but could be grown & developed, over time.

I will continue fertilizing the Formosa as long as he shows new growth & until his fall bloom is spent. I don't know how to account for the vigor this little tree shows, but I'm not complaining.

Japanese Maple (Acer Palmatum) 'Monrovia' 2.0 - UPDATE

 This excerpt is from the latest entry to the Photo/History page for JM 'Monrovia' 2.0; follow link to see full history for this little tree.

I had resolved not to touch the Japanese Maple until it was dormant, this winter. Then I watched a YouTube video, by a professional grower, on overwintering for Acers & it changed my mind on the subject. The advice given was NOT to wait until the tree is dormant to prune &/or re-pot, as was my plan for the 'Monrovia'.

 It makes sense..given that the tree is basically asleep, it will have no natural defenses to protect it from bacteria in the soil infecting & retarding the regrowth of feeder roots or larger roots that might be pruned or completely removed. He also surmised that the trauma could interfere with the plants natural circadian rhythms, "waking it up" prematurely to respond to any intervention..his advice was to re-pot in fall or wait until next spring, in keeping with the cultivar's natural growth pattern.

The 'Monrovia' was overdue for a look-see,underground, at how the tree had fared over the last several months, since the "chop" & complete re-invigoration & rebirth of this specimen & coupled with the need to re-pot nearly every tree in my collection, I went ahead & "did the deed", yesterday. 

The pruning & repot went smoothly; like many of the trees I've repotted over the last month, the new root growth was sparse (due to soil compaction), but I did some major surgery on a couple of large roots & removed what was left of the tap root, which is no longer needed. 

The pruning allowed me to fit him into a bonsai training tray, where he will remain now for the foreseeable future & I hope continue to amaze me with his super-powers of rejuvenation & restoration.

Leyland Cypress (Cupressus × leylandii) - UPDATE

 This exerpt is the latest entry to the Photo/History page for the Leyland Cypress; follow link to access full history of this little tree.

If you look back at the earlier photos of the Leylandii, you will see that after the initial pruning to expose the trunk & branches, the primary features of this tree were the 'S' shape & 'dual plumes' topping the tree.

After several months & a lot of argument with myself, I realized that they had to go, as well as the inner-trunk that had originally been the main trunk line. Sometimes, you have to just close your eyes & cut & that was the case when I shortened it overall by roughly 50%.

The result is not just a shorter tree, but a tree that is more open & airy..gone are the 'plumes'..gone is the 'S' shape, but, in spite of my fears, a new tree has emerged that to my eye is more approachable. 

I have never considered a Cypress in the same context as one might consider pines, or other conifers that tower majestically. My minds' eye sees Cypress as sprawling, rather than towering, with luxurious branching that shades the adjacent spaces gracefully.

The eye is drawn down to take notice of the lower trunk  & branching, but most of all, to the luxurious bark that is possibly the most attractive feature of this tree.

The real beauty of trees, in my opinion, is not necessarily the leaves or canopy..foliage comes & goes & can be pruned to almost any shape one wishes. I want to see the "bones"..the structure & the way it flows should be complimentary, then the color & consistency of the bark, base & branches. 

Hibiscus (Rosa sinensis) 'Brilliant' - UPDATE

 This exerpt is the latest entry to the Photo/History page of this little tree; follow link to see full history

The Hibiscus is really starting to put on some serious growth; the branches I decided to keep are merging into the trunk & are "leafing out" with big, giant leaves. Hopefully, they will voluntarily reduce in size, but right now, the tree still thinks he is a full-sized tree.

I have been pruning this tree since the cutback to select the main branches & control their tendency to "reach for the sky". I don't want 'leggy' growth & the pruning thickens the branches..making them look older & melding them with the existing bark. 

Now that I've established the 3 main branches, I want to start defining the sub-branching & so I will limit my pruning for awhile to "pinch & grow", which gives me a more granular control over the sub-branches individually, instead of just overall length.

I am still impressed with the vigor & stamina of the Hibiscus. Nothing much seems to deter him from growing & growing, in spite of being chopped, top & bottom , 5 repots, in less than a year, each repot reducing the roots/rootball overall, combining for what I estimate must be a 75-80% total root reduction & still going strong, as evidenced by these photos.

He still has one more repot to contend with this year, as I transtion to in-organic potting mix for all of my trees. This goes against all the informal rules that govern bonsai, then again, I don't think the Hibiscus knows about those rules & I'm not going to tell him.

Japanese Red Maple (Acer Palmatum 'Bloodgood') - UPDATE

 this is an exerpt from the latest entry to the Photo/History page for the Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood'). click-on see the full history of this little tree

I have not updated or reported on the 'Bloodgood' simply because he is not doing well. Starting in mid-summer (about the same time as I chopped the 'Monrovia') this tree stalled-out, stopped growing, no new
leaves, but also no manifestation of disease or infestation. 

Stumped by what might be wrong, I sought advice & was advised that this particular sapling was not bred or conditioned to handle our hot, dry & windy environment. The diagnosis was that the Bloodgood had shut-down in self defense & I was also advised that "benign neglect" was the best course of action; to leave the tree alone & that if he survived, he would recover his vitality, in time.

Since then, I've continued to water the Bloodgood & occasionally feed him over the summer & into the early fall. There has been virtually no change..he has not dropped foliage, leaves are not 'droopy', but they do show evidence of wind burn on the tips, which is common for this cultivar. 

Recently, I decided to transition to an inorganic potting mix, a standard Bonsai soil mix with better than expected results. What I have learned is that commercial potting mix's have a tendency toward compaction when used for the more intensive cultivation required for miniature trees. 

After seeing the positive responses from most of the trees in my collection to the new potting mix, I have decided not to waste another season, do nothing but hoping that this tree will spring-back to normal health & growth next spring. I'm going to gamble that re-potting the Bloodgood now, this fall, will give him a solid foundation to recover during his dormancy, this winter & a better chance at a full recovery to active growing status next spring.

I think we'll know how this gamble turns out in a week or less, so stay tuned for updates!

Koala Blooms Banksia (Banksia spinulosa 'Schnapper Point') - UPDATE

 This is an exerpt from the latest entry to Photo/History of this tree; to see the full history, click on  Koala Blooms (Schnapper Point) 

I wrote previously about how easily the Banksia acclimated, so when it came time to repot in Bonsai soil, I decided he could go into a tray for the next step in his training.

Since it was only 5-6 months since his initial root pruning & potting, I was a little surprised at the re-growth, but pleased that the root ball is conforming to a flat bottom, fan shape that we want, so after a trim, he went easily into a tray.

Since I know very little about this plant, I am really happy with the way he came through our summer, here in the IE. Perhaps it more closely matched his native Australian summer conditions, hot, dry & windy. Whatever the case, I think this tree will be a real asset to the collection & I'm looking forward to seeing if he blooms this winter.

"No Dirt" Allowed ! - UPDATE

 It has been just about a month since I decided to transition from organic potting mix (dirt) to mineral based or inorganic's, commonly referred to as "Bonsai soil"(no dirt). Of course, there's a learning curve to work through..it is not as simple as buying a bag of commercial potting mix at the garden center.

In addition to researching the basics & sourcing materials such as lava rock, pumice, calcined clay(fired), decomposed granite, charcoal, one has to start thinking about feeding the trees & other plants that we expect to adapt to a whole new environment. A completely inorganic mix carries no nutrition at all, meaning that we must supply 100% of what the plants need to grow & thrive.

More research into types of plant food, fertilization schema, organic vs manufactured, liquid vs dry & I have only figured out that I will stay with Liquid Seaweed as a "base" component + fertilizers intended for specific types of plants; i.e. a tomato fertilizer for tomatoes; a low-pH fertilizer for acid-feeders like azalea's, maples, etc.; a general purpose fertilizer for decidous trees. 

Even though I've only repotted about 1/2 of the collection, I'm beginning to see the differences the new potting mix brings about:

1.) Some of the trees exhibited various degrees of transplant shock, but only 1 casualty, so far (Red Karo) & I'm not sure if the repot was a cause or whether it just contributed to a pre-existing problem, but most of the trees look better, healthier & happier..many of those are showing new growth. 

2.) Daily watering time & effort have been cut significantly; also water use has been reduced.  I have also adapted a different method for water & feed application..am now using pressurized sprayer & wand, which allows me to put the food & water exactly where it needs to go with less loss to run-off.

3.) Although the initial cost of the components of Bonsai soil are more expensive than commercial potting soil, I am beginning to see the advantages of the ability to re-use inorganic soil, instead of discarding it. I don't know how many bags of commercial potting soil I have gone through over the last 3 years, but now, with the addition of a stainless steel sieve, I can recover the inorganics, like pumice, granite, charcoal, rinse & re-use that material, as it does not degrade over time. 

I will continue to report on the conversion to "no dirt" as time goes on.

Coprosma 'Karo Red' (aka Mirror Plant) EOL

 this is an exerpt from the Photo/History page for the Karo Red (Mirror plant); use the link to see the entire history of this little tree.

I've been stalling on writing this post for days, but I think I have to face reality & declare EOL for 'Karo Red'. I defoliated this little tree in a vain attempt to find what killed him, maybe a boring insect or a colony of fungi, but I can find no evidence of him being 'chewed-on' or any apparent damage

I down-potted him into my now standard Bonsai potting mix & I will keep him on the bench for the winter, water the pot occasionally & hope that next spring we might see green buds..stranger things have happened.

Seasons are Changing

 Over the last week or so, we've had 100 degree weather, 2 days of rain caused by Hurricane Rachel, temps down in the 50's & now high-wind warnings for our first Santa Ana's of the season. It's not actually 75 Degrees & sunny here in southern California, all of the time.

I moved all of the vulnerable trees to limit their possible damage from the expected high winds & will continue shuffling plants around as the day progresses & we see just how accurate this prediction will be. Relative Humidity is also quite low & that is the plant killer that I fear the most. The hot, dry Santa Ana's will suck the life right out of a plant if they are not well hydrated.To

Peppers

Yesterday I potted & put out 2 new tomato plants & 2       pepper plants that I've been growing from seed over the last   few weeks. I am experimenting with different types that can   be grown in containers, on a patio & will produce through   the winter months.

Tomatoes

The tomato's are Wilpena, on the left  & Franklin County; the peppers are Pepperencini, on the left & Banana Peppers. These plants are in "dirt-free" potting mix, consisting of Vermiculite, Perlite & Lava Rock in keeping with my goal to transition all of my plants to an in-organic mix. I will continue to report on the progress of these plants periodically.

New Tree on the Patio: Formosa Azalea (Rhododendron × ‘Formosa’)

If you follow my blog, you know that I cannot pass-up a bargain & this is the time of year when Garden Centers & nurseries are clearing out their summer inventories in favor of Fall & looking towards the holidays.

Sure enough, I ran into this specimen, on sale for $4.00 & scooped it up. 

The Formosa Azalea (Rhododendron indica 'Formosa' or Azalea indica 'Formosa') is a classic, large-growing evergreen, prized for its vibrant blooms, hardiness, and rapid growth. It is a staple in landscapes throughout the American South and warmer climates.

He joins the Red Bird Azalea (Rhododendron "Red Bird") as a hardier, more sun-tolerant plant, & will be noticeably larger than his cousin.

If you want to know more about this tree, please visit the Photo/History for the Formosa Azalea or use the menu's located on the R-hand side of every page on this blog.

Fremont Cottonwood (Populis Fremontii) - UPDATE

 Below is an exerpt from the latest entry to the Photo/History page for the Fremont Cottonwood; click to see full history for this little tree.

Looking back at my notes, the Cottonwood is/was overdue for a repot; this tree has really come into it's own this summer, showing clear, sustained growth after months of little or no growth. Also, I wanted to take the opportunity to transition from traditional potting soil to a non-organic potting mix.

As might be expected, root growth was considerable, but I was pleased to see so much new 'feeder root' development. (small white roots, growing from the center, outward) as these are the roots that we want to develop, while cutting away the old "woody' roots that the plant does not need if it is potted.

I also decided, in light of the growth he has had this summer that I it was time for the Cottonwood to have a new home..a nice, new ceramic tray, never used. The repot did not go well. As you can see from the photo, he exhibited all the symptoms of 'transplant shock' & I wasn't sure he survive overnight, but survive, he did, although at the cost of some foliage.

I cut-off some wilted leaves & I think he'll be alright, but I I'll handle him with "kid gloves" for the next few days & try to avoid any kind of stress to this little tree..

UPDATE: 10/13/26

After 2 days of rain, followed by a cold snap, today is dawning clear & we will get some good sunshine today to dry things out. I'm happy to report that the Cottonwood has snapped-back from root surgery & transplanting into our new 'dirt-free' potting mix. He is standing straight, no droopy or wilted leaves in sight & there are even new bright-green buds on a couple of branches..he's fine.

Hibiscus (Rosa sinensis) 'Brilliant' UPDATE

 this is an exerpt from the latest entry to the Photo/History of Hibiscus 'Brilliant'; to see full history for this plant, click-on link.

The Hibiscus continues to impress & amaze me at the resilience & vigor that this little tree displays on a daily basis. I'm starting to understand why the Hibiscus has a world-wide following. Easy to grow, but un-pruned could turn into a giant impenetrable jungle; easy to look at, but flowers only last for a day or two; a tropical plant that given water, can live & thrive in desert-like conditions. 

The 3 'shoots' that I chose to keep in August have become juvenile branches; those branches will become the basic structure of this tree. Given the basic structure, adding sub-branches & sub-sub branching on which the foliage & flowers will appear is just a matter of time & patience.

This was/is my 1st "chop", as the term is known, which is a technique used in Bonsai development. Once you get past the horror of 'chopping down a perfectly good tree' you start to realize that this is a method to save a 'perfectly good tree' & that this is how nature does it..different means, for sure, but one of the miracles of life as we know it.

This is a multi-year project, so I don't expect to see anything resembling a full-grown trees for some time, but I hope others might enjoy watching the progression & development over time, as it occurs.

Buxus microphylla var. japonica 'Green Beauty' (Japanese Littleleaf Boxwood) - UPDATE

 below is an exerpt from the latest entry to the Photo/History of the Japanese Boxwood; click-on to see entire history of this little tree.

Since I was re-potting anyway, decided to give the Boxwood this nice ceramic pot.

I swear, my little trees all perk-up when you give them a nice pot..they stand a little straighter, it seems like their color improves & I almost always see a growth spurt within days.

I was very pleased once I de-potted & got a look at the roots..Buxus has developed almost textbook root structure, with a nice "fan" of feeder roots growing out below the base of the tree. And, he is starting to develop a nice-looking nebari, although I elected to rebury it, so it can develop further.

Red Bird Azalea (Rhododendron "Red Bird") - UPDATE

 below is an exerpt from the Red Bird Azalea Photo/History page; click to see full history of this little tree.

It's amazing what an extra hour or two of sun every day can do for an ailing plant. And what a fine line the Azalea grower must take between making sure the plant gets just enough sun, but not too much & just enough water, but not too much & we haven't talked about fertilizer yet! 

Whatever kind of fungus or bug attacked the 'Red Bird' last month has apparently been defeated & this plant is continuing to throw buds, but no flowers..I don't expect him now to bloom before next year, but the new growth did prompt me to do some pruning on branches that had too many clusters. I think that part of the reason that he was susceptible to whatever attacked him last month was density, so even though he did not bloom this year & it's a little early for winter pruning, air circulation is nearly as important to some trees, as sun..yes, plants need to breathe..and not just the foliage, roots need air, too, but that's a subject for another day.

At any rate, I planted a tray of cuttings(see pic) & hopefully, some will survive..the nursery needs some new blood, as many of the seedlings are maturing & getting ready to be potted-on.

We have to start thinking about winter..the rest of the country is having Fall weather, while we're forecast to have 100 degrees over the weekend & on into next week. However, the mornings are getting cooler, which is a sure sign that winter is coming.

Buxus microphylla (Japanese Littleleaf Boxwood) - UPDATE

 this is an exerpt from the Photo/History page for the Boxwood; click to access

The Boxwood is thriving..I commented at the start of summer that I felt like this plant was healthy & strong & he has easily lived-up to my expectations...so well, that I'm now faced with one of those enviable situations, where I cannot decide what is the front &/or backside of this little tree.

The canopy is developing nicely. Boxwoods grow very slowly, but predictably & they 'play by the rules'..by that, I mean that they respond well to pruning.

The density of the canopy makes it absolutely necessary to use directional pruning to organize the internal
branching. Otherwise, the interior of the canopy would become a jungle of interwoven branches that can become almost impenetrable..that might be to your advantage if growing a hedge, but we're growing a 'little tree'.

So, what view should be the front side & which, the backside? I can't decide, so I'll leave it up to the tree..I'm slowly recognizing that the tree knows better than I about some things.

Abelia x grandiflora ‘Kaleidoscope’ - UPDATE

 below is an exerpt from the Photo/History page for 'Kaleidoscope'; click to see full history of this plant.

 This was the last picture taken of 'Kaleidoscope' & the last entry for this specimen. I posted EOL (End of Life) below the photo (left) which is a phrase borrowed from software programming, because I probably didn't want to admit that I had killed this little tree by over-pruning .

So, another lesson learned, but there was another lesson not forgotten, of taking cuttings from all new plants & propagating as back-up in case something happened to the parent plant.

 Meet 'Kaleidoscope II', ready & willing to take his place as candidate. Potted now in a small training tray, he should be good until spring or summer, next year, by which time, he will be a good deal larger & possibly ready for styling.

"we are experiencing technical difficulties"...

 This blog was offline for a couple of days & we apologize for the disruption of service, due to "technical difficulties". I won't go into all the sordid details, but basically nothing has changed except our address..www.jerryspatio.com is now www.jerryspatio.net . (no, you don't have to type 'www')

This address change is permanent, so if you bookmark it in your browser, you won't have to remember to type .net instead of .com. Hopefully the next time something like this happens, I will be able to blame someone else, but for now, my bad.

Jerry

Bouganvillea - UPDATE

 Below entry is an exerpt from the Photo/History page for the Bouganvillea. Click-on link to access

One of the reasons I started this blog was to be able to keep track of what & when & how.Yesterday, I  wanted to see when the last time the Bouganvillea had been potted & went to the Photo/History page & discovered I had not made an entry here since February.

I didn't recognize the connection between then & now, but after thinking about it overnight, I realized that this was when the first of multiple potting soil issues started, leading to the present, when I am in process of re-potting all or most of the collection into a "no dirt" soil mix.