tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61936067180956595722024-03-12T23:08:40.619+00:00EnglishBonsaiBonsai in Southern England. Focusing on Native English species.Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.comBlogger135125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-36568723338540565202021-04-19T19:47:00.000+01:002021-04-19T19:47:00.166+01:00crab apple<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzt1a7tHgOGshqxUfQe3-gvWPvrEdI6m766szC-SuMKuZt1nkPxSj6zJHCV8sZ5UW1R7eoylW2bwzasT11ZRlYB-nYemMORC8t0IPjZimMyT2xJheg4TM9k3lzLjEX9Al3JUJ8ZSoRDjk/s2048/DSC_6340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzt1a7tHgOGshqxUfQe3-gvWPvrEdI6m766szC-SuMKuZt1nkPxSj6zJHCV8sZ5UW1R7eoylW2bwzasT11ZRlYB-nYemMORC8t0IPjZimMyT2xJheg4TM9k3lzLjEX9Al3JUJ8ZSoRDjk/w640-h426/DSC_6340.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The blossoms are more pink this year and not fading to boring white. This is an improvement.</div><br /> <p></p>Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-66391118132731893872021-04-07T16:16:00.004+01:002021-04-07T16:18:12.184+01:00Calamondin thoughts.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjL9O0k6ZLKEMhLafXqlX2uyxtsHysggfTN_J7zlcCoSPHMuayg2-MB3aMxPLzugt20fMCHbkm_a4ZwXimEMkvnRSRSoNUmKk6GPIGZzABNhOuxawK1znM5wJbOfDli3umyFvnIupqhg/s2048/IMG_20210331_115521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjL9O0k6ZLKEMhLafXqlX2uyxtsHysggfTN_J7zlcCoSPHMuayg2-MB3aMxPLzugt20fMCHbkm_a4ZwXimEMkvnRSRSoNUmKk6GPIGZzABNhOuxawK1znM5wJbOfDli3umyFvnIupqhg/w480-h640/IMG_20210331_115521.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p>In previous years it was never in great shape after the winter. Full of bugs and yellowing foliage.<p></p><p>This year I sprayed it with Roseclear 3 times during the winter - this kept the outbreaks of pests down.</p><p>I also took it outside and gave it a deep watering a few times. Drenching it with fresh rainwater. When indoors I water it less because it will overflow its driptray otherwise.</p><p>It kept good dark green in the leaves because i fertilised it quite a lot - every 10 days or so - with half strength micracle grow general purpose - and I also gave it a few doses or CalMag which it really enjoyed last summer.</p><p>This fertilising regimen seems to work well - so I intend to have the Calamondon and the Satsuki's on the same rotation of fertiliser and CalMag.</p>Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-56707286180302269412021-03-26T15:01:00.001+00:002021-03-26T15:01:22.007+00:00Field Maple<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQr1UbP9or8bpz4g6367katJTYzNvjT94cGhpoS9VtNo95IsqbpkK_LO0UxfF-DxurUy-nylqyy27Gkr0QkZF3PjX81xixAiYvJEUOwTIfEv1lBcAZyvyh0UhFZkEfusjZE4kjxMiUQU/s2048/DSC_5866.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1956" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQr1UbP9or8bpz4g6367katJTYzNvjT94cGhpoS9VtNo95IsqbpkK_LO0UxfF-DxurUy-nylqyy27Gkr0QkZF3PjX81xixAiYvJEUOwTIfEv1lBcAZyvyh0UhFZkEfusjZE4kjxMiUQU/w612-h640/DSC_5866.jpg" width="612" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is one of my first collected trees. It was found in a sorry state on a footpath - roots already ripped out. I experimented with constant mist and various tent configurations to recover it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It has too many straight branches and it's also quite skinny. It really hasn't grown well in a pot. I did make some mistakes with my fertiliser schedule in years gone by - so I expect much better results this year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It does look nice with the leaves out.</div><br /><p></p>Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-11572268115278021092021-03-23T21:59:00.004+00:002021-03-23T21:59:26.058+00:00Crab Apple<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwDaV0010Eppk23GIgUKetmBlZ7SzhHJEYU0heR0b2SUECo9wZUxc8d2GuMuUb5bOIIKwI68omgPTBuCJ7szILiCePWS-62G9DhWUXV1KhfdDPOqI44PAVXRM_ZjhjQ4aEPCTS2_gjBs/s2048/DSC_5878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1681" data-original-width="2048" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwDaV0010Eppk23GIgUKetmBlZ7SzhHJEYU0heR0b2SUECo9wZUxc8d2GuMuUb5bOIIKwI68omgPTBuCJ7szILiCePWS-62G9DhWUXV1KhfdDPOqI44PAVXRM_ZjhjQ4aEPCTS2_gjBs/w640-h526/DSC_5878.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Taken with my Z7 and the 24-70 F4. This is just a few days away from blossoms. I will try to take this same angle in a few days with blossoms.</p>Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-47821131833599394292021-02-28T21:16:00.013+00:002021-03-01T13:27:57.449+00:00Last year in Belgium.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Taken with my Nikon D810 and a sigma art series 24-105. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqO5zGBZL2T7QfFfRZJ2Z4E5w6aU5T1f3euJIa76nKJHIh_NTa4ZvnR1y0xycqNBbIthZWkd0_H8i_BC4pyX5cfkavnFfN8sDcWyExuhoRv4EFEYD3JPGJvyEv-Gwj__VXbixO0RSNExI/s2048/_DSC2221.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqO5zGBZL2T7QfFfRZJ2Z4E5w6aU5T1f3euJIa76nKJHIh_NTa4ZvnR1y0xycqNBbIthZWkd0_H8i_BC4pyX5cfkavnFfN8sDcWyExuhoRv4EFEYD3JPGJvyEv-Gwj__VXbixO0RSNExI/w640-h429/_DSC2221.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmguVsVs56DTEmsTo7R8N9aDzsJ1F20OgYgEnbLzFkFo1xxh4k1Z5Ue6Vfxk5hRyosBFFngt4069oysS4V-ejsigvCm-i94eyE-k3ry8ndpJ5o8CAH0P6m6xAAV32OVFd05nuzWuGqQQ/s2048/_DSC2304.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1368" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmguVsVs56DTEmsTo7R8N9aDzsJ1F20OgYgEnbLzFkFo1xxh4k1Z5Ue6Vfxk5hRyosBFFngt4069oysS4V-ejsigvCm-i94eyE-k3ry8ndpJ5o8CAH0P6m6xAAV32OVFd05nuzWuGqQQ/w429-h640/_DSC2304.jpg" width="429" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSSBM0z96-QJ1vt_7qwlLqil5KfB8dQ4QYkG6JYc9dUf5PLG1DY3hXIwxXJg3jadS6q2Vn6gNkLfjgNokQSURa5wdSf5nvNxIhOt-VOhGIVrI9IGctgMnBf99dimbN1JBpchdDY3xrW4/s2048/_DSC2306.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1368" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSSBM0z96-QJ1vt_7qwlLqil5KfB8dQ4QYkG6JYc9dUf5PLG1DY3hXIwxXJg3jadS6q2Vn6gNkLfjgNokQSURa5wdSf5nvNxIhOt-VOhGIVrI9IGctgMnBf99dimbN1JBpchdDY3xrW4/w429-h640/_DSC2306.jpg" width="429" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-89203841862617367452021-02-11T15:04:00.005+00:002021-02-11T15:46:07.376+00:00Satsuki photography technique<p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxlXsyB7ZSkRlWqkECgky2EmV47qiV_EpFF48E9rR1GkVGOh2bNISy7_8att3xRwdpO2doMRiGagGAE6mTLnc5SlzR1Ok5iZ1HdiWJJ1FjyXQ1XbQ2F0b0-tNNYdLGDLpVsvVSWc5uDM/s2048/DSC_5509.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1734" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxlXsyB7ZSkRlWqkECgky2EmV47qiV_EpFF48E9rR1GkVGOh2bNISy7_8att3xRwdpO2doMRiGagGAE6mTLnc5SlzR1Ok5iZ1HdiWJJ1FjyXQ1XbQ2F0b0-tNNYdLGDLpVsvVSWc5uDM/w542-h640/DSC_5509.jpg" width="542" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Due to the cold weather this Satsuki was brought in. It lives in a small greenhouse during the winter for frost protection and a bit of warmth - but it was too cold last night - so in it came. This gave an opportunity to clear off all the old leaves and critters and then thoroughly spray it with insecticide. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I am hoping that with the right water and fertiliser this tree will grow vigorously this coming season.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWyPbm4Cs1T7xRqiB0-llwPmbVTxKPLh9xp_rUOiI9OznTNKegszM8Ax8K-4ych8VDHeIUPkefjeP0QzOZnIjNePbvLWX69kB62asQoJYoIKVskD-lB8LQsx9mTVDEbYICCj5tsFh0gE/s2048/DSC_5510.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWyPbm4Cs1T7xRqiB0-llwPmbVTxKPLh9xp_rUOiI9OznTNKegszM8Ax8K-4ych8VDHeIUPkefjeP0QzOZnIjNePbvLWX69kB62asQoJYoIKVskD-lB8LQsx9mTVDEbYICCj5tsFh0gE/w640-h426/DSC_5510.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My backdrop for photography is very glossy and wrinkly and I don't have great lighting gear so I opted to paint the tree with a hand held light on a 30 second exposure - you can see my hand and the blurry light as I fill the image. This bottom picture is an uncropped raw image direct to JPG. The top image is the same one cropped with the exposure tweaked. </div><p></p>Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-84635505955573943772021-02-09T19:27:00.016+00:002021-02-10T16:39:52.120+00:00Pomegranate 3 years<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25p4MRRoZEAsy2FVAUpkJ25LOz0GEq2exE1PExw27TIcdxoXUlKNzebS2GAptBEfEEC6GJPWhZcP-LleUYSfETEoHngjJOoO8Gi_sTDJLxhsyou67-nVyqYZ_EbRarjqB-5PzkfzG_pY/s2048/DSC_5499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1789" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25p4MRRoZEAsy2FVAUpkJ25LOz0GEq2exE1PExw27TIcdxoXUlKNzebS2GAptBEfEEC6GJPWhZcP-LleUYSfETEoHngjJOoO8Gi_sTDJLxhsyou67-nVyqYZ_EbRarjqB-5PzkfzG_pY/w560-h640/DSC_5499.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here it is in the garage where its spending the winter. I have cleaned off all the old leaves and trimmed off the longer shoots. I struggled to get enough growth in the first years.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I struggled with leaf curl and purple leaves due to nutrient deficiencies that I couldn't correct. Turns out it doesn't like tap water and it wants a tonne of food. And it also likes extra calcium like citrus.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YD9cOirNr1dTkEjPfuT5S5StW319J07dXJsLR2kHG1WHaVSBG3lvqeXRRHviYDWMDNkLlLml_Rm5lgCKldjrwQbPDtv7j9mIODVarno9T0gqOoax8TUsavFWdnxra9RD49F2RfgAGCk/s4000/IMG_20210209_105817.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YD9cOirNr1dTkEjPfuT5S5StW319J07dXJsLR2kHG1WHaVSBG3lvqeXRRHviYDWMDNkLlLml_Rm5lgCKldjrwQbPDtv7j9mIODVarno9T0gqOoax8TUsavFWdnxra9RD49F2RfgAGCk/w300-h400/IMG_20210209_105817.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once I have enough foliage I will begin to select branches and wire a bit. For now I am just cleaning up the dead wood with a ball cutter.</div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4HgT8j4I8Vintjowgq19kZ5XQ5Ld6daYD5svy1ODxD447sSdE6Rk41GAueZyPXKbDCsLK3ZzDXf0xe-rBh_BdxPvQVS7cexvA8CPKoD1_t0vfcxZtKM_0A5466SjJrOqmPjBG0LP2ms/s4000/IMG_20210209_191545.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4HgT8j4I8Vintjowgq19kZ5XQ5Ld6daYD5svy1ODxD447sSdE6Rk41GAueZyPXKbDCsLK3ZzDXf0xe-rBh_BdxPvQVS7cexvA8CPKoD1_t0vfcxZtKM_0A5466SjJrOqmPjBG0LP2ms/w300-h400/IMG_20210209_191545.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The twigs are really brittle. I broke off a few - luckily nothing critical.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br />Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-25850827114627623092021-01-28T13:16:00.004+00:002021-01-29T14:01:46.760+00:00Beech progress<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The tree is still a bit skinny. I placed it in a larger pot hoping for some more trunk growth.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">January 2021.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DIZOqgIuLbNRIWXPghzGNYecodxuk14cWbH6ZEFUeIH0TkGF-f3rzGajZjkjV0_XQdgMPMz2Gvsf4sd5vz5JqxByZPKrZK-EcKgA62epu9N6Y-LhE93MBIUshQXzMyHidtNk9yYTqkE/s4000/IMG_20210128_112003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DIZOqgIuLbNRIWXPghzGNYecodxuk14cWbH6ZEFUeIH0TkGF-f3rzGajZjkjV0_XQdgMPMz2Gvsf4sd5vz5JqxByZPKrZK-EcKgA62epu9N6Y-LhE93MBIUshQXzMyHidtNk9yYTqkE/w395-h640/IMG_20210128_112003.jpg" width="395" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some years earlier - about 8 I think. Not happy with the progress.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgb1c8-1b8fwZ0Ig9MFg36YTXJCoVC02SkQOtjIsiTFdo7TMIVRCqZWhXF2yfoKVuUTOzegXIFGc0DdrGgngGujkMJJM6E8Afm9dmcrUU6a9pHLAmZAXayKudcmzCsXIBk23ibxU6Pxw/s1596/DSCF0878_modified.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1596" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgb1c8-1b8fwZ0Ig9MFg36YTXJCoVC02SkQOtjIsiTFdo7TMIVRCqZWhXF2yfoKVuUTOzegXIFGc0DdrGgngGujkMJJM6E8Afm9dmcrUU6a9pHLAmZAXayKudcmzCsXIBk23ibxU6Pxw/w400-h286/DSCF0878_modified.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> January 2013 in fact. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-74411149740968351632018-04-08T10:07:00.002+01:002018-04-08T10:07:10.028+01:00Old wild Hawthorn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eDlgAIF2UvRO4EPSmV6k1nRr15fqPYcttfQErKWE75kOWCAFC5reVAg457XCfA36VGsr2FCqahxllccs-AAzvx7E4R9GsPqw_kuGw6eOjpH1Q_UUf9FfeJaepeFHmt5gQqJ-Px7B3yw/s1600/_DSC9649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eDlgAIF2UvRO4EPSmV6k1nRr15fqPYcttfQErKWE75kOWCAFC5reVAg457XCfA36VGsr2FCqahxllccs-AAzvx7E4R9GsPqw_kuGw6eOjpH1Q_UUf9FfeJaepeFHmt5gQqJ-Px7B3yw/s640/_DSC9649.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Just a lonely old tree i saw while out climbing.Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-16745024910144189702017-08-28T16:07:00.002+01:002017-08-28T16:11:05.465+01:00Trauma<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The trauma of moving the entire bonsai collection to a new home is over. No losses so far - although the Scots pines are very grumpy.Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-40486181303174650662016-05-12T21:59:00.001+01:002016-05-12T22:03:30.196+01:00LadybirdsI have not sprayed the Scots pines this year as I am hoping for the natural predators to help me out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4z15YeAkMP3VKGGKEFer_OA6iSfwDkdYjr-bQA9ItCfWdnTuf9I5_xztk90tpljaSu0yy-5J6dfTVCj6sRuuJjxd0ak4m2JzAS54vmsZ1uKMPyfPv9-z6NPT_6QhloNcwZ5-1K3W7D0/s1600/DSC_3030_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4z15YeAkMP3VKGGKEFer_OA6iSfwDkdYjr-bQA9ItCfWdnTuf9I5_xztk90tpljaSu0yy-5J6dfTVCj6sRuuJjxd0ak4m2JzAS54vmsZ1uKMPyfPv9-z6NPT_6QhloNcwZ5-1K3W7D0/s640/DSC_3030_01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So far the aphids are winning - but each pine is getting more and more ladybirds to manage the aphid population. They seem to eat until they are so full and then fall off and sleep.</div>
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The ant herders seem to also fight off the ladybirds - which is limiting their effectiveness.</div>
<br />Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-35060561362949198482016-04-24T21:59:00.001+01:002016-04-24T22:00:20.062+01:00The new season begins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibav574vOXrr9y1nDf04hb68tzknU0VwznM00o-vBPGuFSUqgmPI7HQoFlImjA7Gw35cTaRta2dqnIOWQJYQt7ltPx0j30khA9b_M97HPKaftyUESYFoj-acKabBC2fdr-9tr8xZku_Ug/s1600/DSC_1752_NEF_embedded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibav574vOXrr9y1nDf04hb68tzknU0VwznM00o-vBPGuFSUqgmPI7HQoFlImjA7Gw35cTaRta2dqnIOWQJYQt7ltPx0j30khA9b_M97HPKaftyUESYFoj-acKabBC2fdr-9tr8xZku_Ug/s640/DSC_1752_NEF_embedded.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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All of the deciduous trees are out now and I hope that I don't get hit by a late frost again this year. The maples have given smaller leaves this year - which is very nice.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Some of the trees are looking really good and I expect a good season. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Just this last week the beech's have dropped their old leaves so they will get going soon as well.</span><br />
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My pines have begun putting up this years candles over the last 2 weeks. The younger and smaller ones are running about 4 weeks ahead of the big established pines.</div>
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I have done some heavy cutting on them just before the big flush of growth and I hope that the timing is right.</div>
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As usual there are visitors on the pines again. I will give the ladybirds another few weeks before I spray.</div>
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Interestingly one of my Oaks is flowering heavily - I'm wondering if this is stress related like the Scots pines or if its just in the mood for acorns. </div>
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I'm still using chemical fertiliser until the soil is warm enough for the organics to digest. Some of the fertiliser pellets on the pines are starting to show some of the characteristic white mycorrhizal fungi on them so the soil is waking up.</div>
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Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-7524420362805939452015-10-25T18:35:00.000+00:002015-10-25T22:38:07.923+00:00Roots and pots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tCMgxAIBI2k4YdXSepWZ3PJzkAWEu1qQAhCRgMrbPVCjwepoz0yxNsq9ZOWTvs65FSA_rU8-cLbK4miwOOx9lW0vZs2PeedfvqGywrGdz64GNpPi-TQzvfJ8LRvz5FVRV0AJVx6ZIbA/s1600/DSC_4275_NEF_embedded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tCMgxAIBI2k4YdXSepWZ3PJzkAWEu1qQAhCRgMrbPVCjwepoz0yxNsq9ZOWTvs65FSA_rU8-cLbK4miwOOx9lW0vZs2PeedfvqGywrGdz64GNpPi-TQzvfJ8LRvz5FVRV0AJVx6ZIbA/s400/DSC_4275_NEF_embedded.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In addition to bonsai I grow something else each year. Most years I grow a chilli or two and in addition this year I've grown garlic and radishes. I use the same soil, nutrients and pots for these projects to learn about them for growing bonsai. </div>
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These were Sante Fe Grande hot chillies. An attractive looking variety that are quite mild and can be used in large quantities for most cooking. You don't have to be careful of them like the Habaneros I grew last year.</div>
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Air pot roots - for bonsai this is perfect. After seeing this I am very pleased to have my pre bonsai trees growing in these pots as they are so suitable for bonsai. The three Scots pines are going to be fantastic growing like this.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincGfVn0LvyJz498M8IayXPlMppGP7j4MBlAbCw-RQyJbcJuMmjFPVuroRvn6DrWmKMqr4qivOmSN9zLCnme9b8MkIESGCXO-Nnk1PS_9jA2nQXGGnWeiCP4-qAaHdG4sj3Bksp-5UJbc/s1600/DSC_4266_NEF_embedded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincGfVn0LvyJz498M8IayXPlMppGP7j4MBlAbCw-RQyJbcJuMmjFPVuroRvn6DrWmKMqr4qivOmSN9zLCnme9b8MkIESGCXO-Nnk1PS_9jA2nQXGGnWeiCP4-qAaHdG4sj3Bksp-5UJbc/s400/DSC_4266_NEF_embedded.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Conventional pot roots. As usual the roots are doing laps of the pot.</div>
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The air pot plant was able to stand upright without a stake and was very stable - even with a large amount of fruit on it. The growth rate and yield were not discernibly different to a normal pot. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxWBW9HAu0KoOd_aqN5x4K9uyZVVp6EObkh6SMglPdA1giXlPHAa7vvrRMsBMc0N8C-TGjD8_DqBzKLhd_SKK1Cf8lpG0Fit1RIq-Qu8mtlf2GrjWC5hiUjHaqBP5a7Dqawzj9XuR7wc/s1600/DSC_4264_NEF_embedded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxWBW9HAu0KoOd_aqN5x4K9uyZVVp6EObkh6SMglPdA1giXlPHAa7vvrRMsBMc0N8C-TGjD8_DqBzKLhd_SKK1Cf8lpG0Fit1RIq-Qu8mtlf2GrjWC5hiUjHaqBP5a7Dqawzj9XuR7wc/s400/DSC_4264_NEF_embedded.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Conventional pots led to a plant that flopped all over and needed to be staked upright. Note the slanting trunk after I had cut off all the fruit.<br />
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I learned a bit more about how to grow in coco coir doing this as well. Garden centre top dressings for calcium and magnesium in combination with organic fertilisers are very hard to do and lead to severe nutrient lockout.<br />
<br />Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-11016948767229491102015-10-04T20:42:00.000+01:002015-10-05T21:53:57.981+01:00Local show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here are a couple of nice bonsai I saw while walking around the local Capel Manor / Enfield bonsai show.</div>
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Beech.</div>
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Needle Juniper.</div>
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Hawthorn.</div>
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Beech.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycjWzIhOF_foes8J2SUQXHSl92CM9CU8Vvy-KMdsPbijqYs-oiOr4GS_gPpc3PLq5QsqCsTi-9Ueur_sM74_CcRDDPBen4CxvudgVt-RZy8kxqo2zr8thqbEBMnQ_7LpDqNfXUH1Tj9M/s1600/DSC_3455_NEF_embedded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycjWzIhOF_foes8J2SUQXHSl92CM9CU8Vvy-KMdsPbijqYs-oiOr4GS_gPpc3PLq5QsqCsTi-9Ueur_sM74_CcRDDPBen4CxvudgVt-RZy8kxqo2zr8thqbEBMnQ_7LpDqNfXUH1Tj9M/s320/DSC_3455_NEF_embedded.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Crab apple.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEf8u3oC9Myf74yfq7CO_w2NRpVtkq39hoxk85fvNhcKi4bQqAMoX198rPfI6LHEUhl6ucTiZGOCkteL9Fq89NJhZSx13Z51RLIiMiyCm2DZr-T_RNmwN7Z9qGeT_VpNxgLoQaBkEMMiE/s1600/DSC_3460_NEF_embedded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEf8u3oC9Myf74yfq7CO_w2NRpVtkq39hoxk85fvNhcKi4bQqAMoX198rPfI6LHEUhl6ucTiZGOCkteL9Fq89NJhZSx13Z51RLIiMiyCm2DZr-T_RNmwN7Z9qGeT_VpNxgLoQaBkEMMiE/s320/DSC_3460_NEF_embedded.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Yew.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsuOdPe6OmwhLz82L0lpNMQTQWEzPEOUOkgWXwMlb4NITfQz6L2u5XEAx8V-MKqCYyYGsBJOvMATe3WXcjSx6DlrbwgmDuxCcWdStxZbGX5ThUL6EP3OmZl2DMvqIfT0pGpvZLVM3lV8/s1600/DSC_3461_NEF_embedded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsuOdPe6OmwhLz82L0lpNMQTQWEzPEOUOkgWXwMlb4NITfQz6L2u5XEAx8V-MKqCYyYGsBJOvMATe3WXcjSx6DlrbwgmDuxCcWdStxZbGX5ThUL6EP3OmZl2DMvqIfT0pGpvZLVM3lV8/s320/DSC_3461_NEF_embedded.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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LV had good material available.</div>
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Not harry.</div>
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Nice sized vendor area with good material.<br />
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Got a nice little crab apple from Kaizen.<br />
<br />Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-53465470202744181562015-09-29T16:20:00.001+01:002015-09-29T16:20:37.319+01:00Scots pine progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqJra9pxZK_SJ4fOOUQM3OO1RvD8qh2nbqcHnIHBDjoumJn7eKKbhAOpgDyHL2n1fFTEqSyZrw32nXGhMNNVtWkZEbthBYKcIYA2D3jL1vKvusN54ZJiy5PAGOu9AdI8cuCArEYkv3p0/s1600/DSC_3354_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqJra9pxZK_SJ4fOOUQM3OO1RvD8qh2nbqcHnIHBDjoumJn7eKKbhAOpgDyHL2n1fFTEqSyZrw32nXGhMNNVtWkZEbthBYKcIYA2D3jL1vKvusN54ZJiy5PAGOu9AdI8cuCArEYkv3p0/s640/DSC_3354_01.jpg" width="528" /></a></div>
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I took this image this afternoon as I was removing the old needles.</div>
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I've been really busy this year and I have only had time for basic maintenance and fertilising. I am unexpectedly unemployed and have time on my hands to spend some quality time with the little trees.</div>
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Last year I hurt the pines with being too aggressive with the fertiliser towards the end of the year. They respond very poorly to high PK suitable for flowering or fruiting plants. I remember killing my first Japanese black pine about 15 years ago in Australia using tomato fertiliser - at the time I attributed this to inexperience.</div>
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This year I have used Biogold ( cause you can get them cheap now ) and liquid organic fertiliser. As the needles were hardening off I used a bit of seaweed extract as well. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnBi__DOM1BWgFhz9uZgSYG3SbvR1t_PXXaz33UOa3Zqx3kvZ8melp3E1Pb7uCJ8QSM52URmMfEeoLgmhUZEsj5O1EjRnRcCkCrdY4LNMfkT_Dj7JX1Tg-Id13F0T_1voVb9LTHv3Pno/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnBi__DOM1BWgFhz9uZgSYG3SbvR1t_PXXaz33UOa3Zqx3kvZ8melp3E1Pb7uCJ8QSM52URmMfEeoLgmhUZEsj5O1EjRnRcCkCrdY4LNMfkT_Dj7JX1Tg-Id13F0T_1voVb9LTHv3Pno/s400/DSC_0010.JPG" width="225" /></a></div>
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I took this image earlier this year after the candles had extended and been trimmed. You can see how the needles have reduced in size as the tree was more relaxed and had enough light gathering ability.</div>
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The wine bottle is there for scale.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTltPqaGZUaKMq48fadKvXSi1DrZ8POPz6ssLisksbKzE4l-yN6_HvW9P9zeIQROcdoA1Gcps8076ytc5P6aTKw9w4Fjo141j_S2-yIIVFuDYHjXCkdJPIcaQomVA5ro89jcYtJApSufU/s1600/20131202_142046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTltPqaGZUaKMq48fadKvXSi1DrZ8POPz6ssLisksbKzE4l-yN6_HvW9P9zeIQROcdoA1Gcps8076ytc5P6aTKw9w4Fjo141j_S2-yIIVFuDYHjXCkdJPIcaQomVA5ro89jcYtJApSufU/s400/20131202_142046.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">2 years ago. The tree was growing aggressively and had very long needles.</span><br />
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4 years ago. The poor thing was starving as you can see from all the flowers on it.</div>
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Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-29278995113290627892015-08-27T23:34:00.002+01:002015-08-27T23:34:14.483+01:00Wild English Juniper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6h0UN7uj2yxOo3kPEuDigzi5mb8HR0X4ES6-0KQVS-vc3HPri_hPcXHxkUiqFo9wv8zysWRGsWNl8mNJO7KfFxQQGgNl70VTNHbZL2I3Hxyr1tLvk3GJRzzIwo-SzZXeiDmG5nzYMzs/s1600/DSC_2456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6h0UN7uj2yxOo3kPEuDigzi5mb8HR0X4ES6-0KQVS-vc3HPri_hPcXHxkUiqFo9wv8zysWRGsWNl8mNJO7KfFxQQGgNl70VTNHbZL2I3Hxyr1tLvk3GJRzzIwo-SzZXeiDmG5nzYMzs/s640/DSC_2456.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-70981657047134802922015-05-03T15:47:00.000+01:002015-05-03T15:47:41.163+01:00Beech potting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2pJgBWJsiv5HwjKl4BVeQ4Iq8SQLkgyouAGcsjrw3h0j_UXBxQQtldIErT41H-slD7_CwBtjbME1c6Gk4Sl5ZbGKIYFRD73i4Uj0crB-k-xscVOkN3aAFCYPL2xfShEwZWnMsvR5AyU/s1600/DSC_6251_NEF_embedded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2pJgBWJsiv5HwjKl4BVeQ4Iq8SQLkgyouAGcsjrw3h0j_UXBxQQtldIErT41H-slD7_CwBtjbME1c6Gk4Sl5ZbGKIYFRD73i4Uj0crB-k-xscVOkN3aAFCYPL2xfShEwZWnMsvR5AyU/s1600/DSC_6251_NEF_embedded.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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Today I moved this beech over into a proper pot. I am almost settled on the design and I will do the final wiring over the next few days. There is one big branch to be removed - but I am going to do it slowly and make the most out of the deadwood. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWJDkfQj5Rhqx2Bb65Dqp21-g_1SSjG_tGluAzX6ZU_F93EqIPaKQvNJTmJgLRtuADI51xYmPDwA4pr_gbM3V4voc6-thgmK_ThyphenhyphenxiHv_nfL_L0PUJdbdpkf1F_2AE99Cb4WPOIPG0VA/s1600/DSC_6219_NEF_embedded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWJDkfQj5Rhqx2Bb65Dqp21-g_1SSjG_tGluAzX6ZU_F93EqIPaKQvNJTmJgLRtuADI51xYmPDwA4pr_gbM3V4voc6-thgmK_ThyphenhyphenxiHv_nfL_L0PUJdbdpkf1F_2AE99Cb4WPOIPG0VA/s1600/DSC_6219_NEF_embedded.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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The shape and size of the pot were dictated by the shape of the large roots and depth of the root ball. In addition I wanted a pot with a bit of height to accentuate the windswept nature of this tree. Its positioned up as close to the side of the pot as possible.</div>
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I did my usual drainage layer of large hydroponic pebbles.</div>
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Once I was done settling it into the pot I reused some of the original bonsai soil and supplemented it with a coarser mix that I prefer. This mix was quite fine and the roots weren't stellar. In my experience the beech grows well in quite a coarse mix. </div>
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I included a lot of organic material (pine bark) in the mix to give the soil flora something to hang onto.</div>
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I had a choice of pots and went with the tall one in the end. Nice to have a choice of good quality pots to work with.</div>
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Condition of the roots in the nursery pot was not bad. I tried not to disturb them too much, other than loosening the edge of the ball and fitting it into the new pot.</div>
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<br />Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-21074630916706375122015-03-14T17:43:00.000+00:002021-01-29T14:04:25.181+00:00Big pots experiment <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week I dug up one of the Oaks that I was growing in a very large pot and had a good look at what was happening underground. I was becoming a little concerned about the type of roots developing and feared deep thick roots and growth up against the side of the pot.</div>
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I was really surprised at the quality of the roots that came out. A nice dense root ball with very few thicker roots. Clean and healthy too with no dead roots or an smell at all. There were plenty of choice surface roots to work with later as well.</div>
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I trimmed them back and decreased the depth of the root mass to make it easier to pot later. As I reduced the depth of the root ball I came across no thick deep roots that were going to be a problem later. Its gone into a large air pot now for finishing off over the next 2 years. </div>
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Its going to be very interesting to see the growth rate in the air pot compare to the large container behind it.<br />
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So its maybe not as effective as field growing - but for now it easier to manage and gives very good roots. A lot easier to lift from the big pot and retain quality roots that digging up too. I will definitely continue to grow Oaks like this.<br />
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Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-59509279052210807222015-03-08T12:59:00.001+00:002015-03-08T13:00:17.830+00:00Wild Pear TreeI have been wanting a nice fruit tree for a while - for the nice spring blossoms - I had been thinking of crab apples. I don't think this is it - although it can possibly have nice blossoms.<br />
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While researching native fruit trees and admiring the blossoms of an old pear tree in garden I discovered the <b>pyrus pyraster </b>which is close to being a native British pear tree. They were hard to obtain and I didn't want to compromise on nursery plant on grafted stock which was of mostly unknown origin.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrus_pyraster">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrus_pyraster</a><br />
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While walking through the CLGA game fair a few years ago a nice lady from the woodland trust gave me a wild pear seeding. And so its been growing in various pots in my garden for a few years and getting more interesting.<br />
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Its trunk is now over an inch thick and I began to think of it in bonsai terms - which means i had to get it into a proper pot and start managing the roots.<br />
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The problem with using conventional pots for growing bonsai material is that when you get it out of the pot you inevitably find the bottom of the pot is a solid disk of roots like this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CTssplVATMzDPvUSWIuNkgDgbEWl6zYkf9eeyHWwilxwdmDgzKPRcoDIXdy37XtIdOZDC9HP6BnlHw1FSLoOaJwtdcLJrS98WTwfWkQoRRcqMzTrJeEh506iVpaOteoYmQNHnUma1a0/s1600/DSCF6187_modified.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CTssplVATMzDPvUSWIuNkgDgbEWl6zYkf9eeyHWwilxwdmDgzKPRcoDIXdy37XtIdOZDC9HP6BnlHw1FSLoOaJwtdcLJrS98WTwfWkQoRRcqMzTrJeEh506iVpaOteoYmQNHnUma1a0/s1600/DSCF6187_modified.JPG" height="351" width="400" /></a></div>
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A series of large thick roots had grown down to the bottom and started doing laps of the pot. This is similar behaviour to my oak roots.<br />
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I'm hoping to see roots coming out of the sides of the pot soon after buds break so that I know its working as it should.</div>
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Here is the increasingly large group of airpot material waiting for the summer. I have several more oaks to move into these pots to prepare their roots for a life of bonsai.<br />
<br />Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-38672934202352130202015-01-18T10:53:00.003+00:002015-01-18T10:53:41.334+00:00Burnham Beeches deadwood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I've been exploring some of the local forests in the Chilterns can came across this stretch while using Google maps. It was a grey Sunday afternoon but rather that sit indoors and waste the day we decided to drive up and have a look around. If lucky there would be some wildlife to take some pictures of although with the low light and grey and misty conditions they would never be any good .</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnham_Beeches">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnham_Beeches</a></div>
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There are many very old Oaks and Beech's in the woods.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigW6zs1uNUeiN1XQhYyC8mkt07xYGUpmv4yEfYqz6CxSBZxh7FZzSXr24GE2be7qrGWKj1JAJ184wJolKqWkrf_86eXwhdZJ0ACbZm8nFFUtvNrLGGL9aIhI3zBvmDQZBGKFPkl5Ijfls/s1600/DSC_4784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigW6zs1uNUeiN1XQhYyC8mkt07xYGUpmv4yEfYqz6CxSBZxh7FZzSXr24GE2be7qrGWKj1JAJ184wJolKqWkrf_86eXwhdZJ0ACbZm8nFFUtvNrLGGL9aIhI3zBvmDQZBGKFPkl5Ijfls/s1600/DSC_4784.JPG" height="400" width="261" /></a></div>
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There were many family's and dogs walking through the woods so the this was the closest I got to seeing any birds. </div>
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I had never seen an wild Oak this contorted in the south.</div>
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The deadwood on the old stumps and trunks was very enjoyable to see. </div>
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Well worth a visit - although during the week may be best as it seemed to get quite busy.</div>
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Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-81573471275223649552014-12-28T18:33:00.001+00:002014-12-28T18:33:11.190+00:00Ashridge Deer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlesCsegpUUgRqGHdOG_L-a8o66GhXwab0TnFauYNP7xL4LnbIPXWEmND_1TnTymhhCxSPzu8yk7loksLBKKLAiU_8DBiL6-pX07HVZBVRb5spZc1AdGEH1DQwhAWWLAPRySSfbnV8Ow/s1600/DSC_3943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlesCsegpUUgRqGHdOG_L-a8o66GhXwab0TnFauYNP7xL4LnbIPXWEmND_1TnTymhhCxSPzu8yk7loksLBKKLAiU_8DBiL6-pX07HVZBVRb5spZc1AdGEH1DQwhAWWLAPRySSfbnV8Ow/s1600/DSC_3943.JPG" height="422" width="640" /></a></div>
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Walking through the woods I came across a small herd of deer with a few stags and followed them for a while.<br />
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The trees are well established with very old birch and hawthorn stands.Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-81500877256528860292014-09-15T22:14:00.004+01:002014-09-15T22:20:00.999+01:00Scots pine starters - 2 years later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the end of the second year of growing these Scots pines from seedlings. They are a bit different to grow than other broad leaved species in that they seem a lot slower - taking a long time to grow roots and stabilise themselves in the pots. This is nice in that you can take your time to arrange the surface roots - unlike Oaks which would have massive tap roots circling the pot in 2 years.</div>
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These are the 2 prime pines - now planted over into the new air-pots. There is a 3rd one which is ok and will be used to experiment on other soil types and a 4th which will be a planted out in a quiet flower bed to retire.</div>
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I wire a big bend into the trunks to make them a bit more interesting - no s-bends just a single curve. This takes about 4 months to set - and by the end of the year the wire marks are not visible any more. The large one was too stiff to bend by the time I got around to it.</div>
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All of these pines that I am currently growing have a good selection of lower growth. I have removed the tightly clustered lower growth to avoid major trafic nodes and have a nice spread of shoots to choose from when i sacrifice the upper sections.</div>
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The largest is now 22mm thick and the rest are about 18mm. I believe that a good root colonisation is responsible for the enhanced growth of the big one. The fungi seem to prefer the clay pebbles to the coco media - so i may plant the last good pine in pebbles and see what it does.</div>
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The more vigorous one has quite a good colonisation of the roots by Mycorrhizal which probably explains why it's so much bigger than the other. I preserved all of the roots which were visibly colonised.</div>
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I was planning to move them over to colanders but discovered these air-pots which seem to be the ideal solution to the problem. I had thought that I was a genius for discovering them and using them with pines - but I know that several others have beaten me to it.</div>
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Here the same 2 pines are last year at about this time of year.</div>
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I potted them now in the late summer once the growing was over but the roots still active. They should settle in nicely over the next few months and then have a big start to the spring.</div>
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Here are the roots after 2 years in coco. Even at this stage it's still not too root bound - although this is probably the right time to move them up to a better pot. I didn't want to disturb the roots too much at this time of the year so I moved them over like this. The air-pot should clear up the few wrap around roots in there.</div>
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So after 2 years of trying the canna soils the coco coir media of the professional plus is the way to go for me.</div>
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These are planted again into the coco growing media with clay pebbles lining the bottom of the pots.</div>
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<br />Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-37660008366380476492014-08-27T21:58:00.001+01:002014-08-27T21:58:30.620+01:00Big pot Oak - another year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTPrNtR3IP7xN0N0JHUDas8eXad2Me1chtRfPdq6bwp3hqPMoAX6H3_SMv0eyc2Vp-LRc5cQZZesxGCb6vab3vYVbKTtoEcB-IT-ZiHS9Ccj9iDS8qtmofyFWfybHYdKqABxw8v4Jggo/s1600/DSC_2026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTPrNtR3IP7xN0N0JHUDas8eXad2Me1chtRfPdq6bwp3hqPMoAX6H3_SMv0eyc2Vp-LRc5cQZZesxGCb6vab3vYVbKTtoEcB-IT-ZiHS9Ccj9iDS8qtmofyFWfybHYdKqABxw8v4Jggo/s1600/DSC_2026.JPG" height="400" width="263" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4NVyuQUnra4hzzJMzyxoCvlPGz3kw9hX_LZ-oUhTUGv-Q9JWDldqQgmTejK9X-KGDJCxYM24EtUcnacNt9v5bonRLFnYjjUSyhbX8CargmOUIDFgT9edi3xAtg_dLJN8IFyw594mlbY/s1600/DSC_3416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4NVyuQUnra4hzzJMzyxoCvlPGz3kw9hX_LZ-oUhTUGv-Q9JWDldqQgmTejK9X-KGDJCxYM24EtUcnacNt9v5bonRLFnYjjUSyhbX8CargmOUIDFgT9edi3xAtg_dLJN8IFyw594mlbY/s1600/DSC_3416.JPG" height="400" width="263" /></a></div>
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Since April 2003 I have been growing this Oak in a large pot. It's been a tough growing summer in sunny southern England. It's late summer for my large Oak and it's looking a bit untidy from all the mildew burns on the leaves. Even with careful watering I still had a lot of leaf burn on many other species - just cooked because it was too hot - no problems with nutrients or salts. About the only thing that doesn't seem to burn is the Oak. Due to the shortage of rainwater during the peak of the summer it got a lot of London tap water and this doesn't seem to have made any difference either.</div>
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This one has increased greatly in ramification this year. I've been using guy wires to keep the branches heading in more or less the right direction. I continue to shorten all the top growth and allow the lower branches to grow freely. The taper is quite nice now - and the thick side branches are enhancing the movement in the trunk.</div>
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Using the same matchbox again 12 months later you can see that the base of the trunk has expanded significantly - its approx 6cm now. And its a bit exciting to see that there may be some bark forming at the base too.<br />
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I imagine that I see some good radial surface roots forming around trunk as well.<br />
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I went to great expense (£3.95 ) and bought a soil pH checker. When I first checked the Oaks pot the pH was close to 4 - which can't be good even if the plant likes acidic conditions. I got some lime which is useful for increasing the pH and also adds calcium and magnesium to the soil. The soil is now a much friendlier 6.5 and I know that all the important macro-nutrients are in plentiful supply.<br />
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I'm find that every time I walk past it now I want to transfer it to a bonsai pot and start working on the twigs. I also know that I need to keep its roots under control and the longer it stays in this pot the more difficult it will be. Over the last 18 months it has increased in trunk diameter from 3cm to 6cm and its is tempting to let it expand another year and risk the root problems.<br />
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Its been interesting to learn that there are other bonsai growers out there going through this same process with Oaks. I hope to get to see how they have been going with their attempts.<br />
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<br />Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-67162607581391653252014-08-10T12:32:00.000+01:002014-08-10T12:32:11.444+01:00Milk as a fungicide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A week ago I sprayed my Oak trees with a dilute solution ( about 1 : 8 ) of skim milk to try to treat the very heavy powdery mildew which had infected them all. It was killing off all the new growth coming through in the late summer.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">After waiting a week to see what happened I had a look at my Oak leaves which were sprayed as an attempt to treat the heavy powdery mildew. I am so extremely surprised at how effective this has been. The underlying damage to the leaves is obviously still there - but the mildew is almost entirely gone.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgm91EnkNgQxcHilHZuBwjDpg06VVUg9cuuBL1grDaBMrR7aWki_Rieo8iKDuD7-kR1zH6OWbKKTMa_bSln_EVotQrIpIzLumraXxPWtw3_FQjNVr8G9PU4RslbdNS3QRfRi8UFD079ho/s1600/DSC_3376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgm91EnkNgQxcHilHZuBwjDpg06VVUg9cuuBL1grDaBMrR7aWki_Rieo8iKDuD7-kR1zH6OWbKKTMa_bSln_EVotQrIpIzLumraXxPWtw3_FQjNVr8G9PU4RslbdNS3QRfRi8UFD079ho/s1600/DSC_3376.JPG" height="422" width="640" /></a></div>
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This should extend my growing season a little and improve the vigour of the oaks greatly. </div>
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This is a great treatment. I cant see any downsides.</div>
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<br />Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193606718095659572.post-41695337988128000412014-07-27T20:52:00.000+01:002014-07-27T20:54:09.934+01:00Mid season leaf problemsI have been growing various things (including bonsai) using Canna coco coir as a growing medium. It's nice in that over a year it doesn't change in volume. It seems to stay nice and airy around the roots too. The only problem with coco is that it can cause a shortage of calcium - hence the special coco orientated fertilisers. I didn't understand until I did some more research.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coir">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coir</a><br />
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I started to see leaf curl on my habanero chilli plants - so I did some research. I bought some calcium nitrate fertiliser off Amazon. I added this to my organic fertiliser and I haven't had a curled leaf since. The vitality of the chilli plants has increased as well.<br />
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Now I am growing some Scots pines in this same growth medium so maybe they have the same nutrient issues? I gave them a dose and they seem to be a bit more perky.<br />
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I now understand why their nutrients come in 2 parts - the calcium and potassium form insoluble precipitants in the solution if they are too concentrated. So I know they are looking after the calcium issue. I am using the soft water version of the fertilisers - so I should be OK. But something still seems to be wrong.<br />
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The calcium nitrate has fixed my citrus up nicely - and my cherry no longer has lacy leaves on its second flush. I have a Pyrus pyraster (wild pear) which is also giving much better growth with this treatment. So far, so good.<br />
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In the summer when it's warm I use organic fertilisers and rainwater. This may be negating the effect of the specialised nutrients looking after the calcium issues with coco growing mediums.<br />
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My copper beechs have a lot of burning on the leaf edges. I'm unsure if it's salt or the hot weather? I am fairly certain that this isn't the calcium issue affected the fruiting/flowering trees in coco coir soils. These are in my experimental <a href="http://englishbonsai.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/move-on-up.html" target="_blank">very large pots</a>. I water these with tap water because I just don't have enough rain water to go around. The beechs in clay based substrate are much better off - but they tend to get the rain water by hand and not the garden hose.<br />
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I tested the pH in my rainwater butts and it was off the scale of my test kit - so well less than a pH of 6. I have bought some hydroponic pH stuff to take this up a little as it can affect the beech roots. I will also test the soil acidity to understand this problem better. I will aim for a pH of 6.0 - 6.5 as this gets rid of the aluminium toxicity problems.<br />
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This is really annoying as June/July are the months when the beech will give its peak growth.<br />
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In addition my poor oaks have terrible powdery mildew - it's really ruining second flush this summer. I have sprayed this with milk (diluted 1-10) and will report back on the success of this treatment method. I have ordered some systemic fungicide just in case - but I prefer the milk spray if it works.<br />
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I am wondering if my low fat milk works as well as full fat ?<br />
<br />Paul Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084928202810488840noreply@blogger.com0