Bonsai Moms Anyone?

[Abracadabra B]

Very nice indeed.

 

Small scale scrog mums also work a treat.

 

Apparently.

I must be really stoned.. After reading your post I googled this

 

To make a bird-shaped shrub, clip the bush into a spherical or oval figure to form the bird’s body. Strive for basic not detailed shape and use your eyes to guide you as you cut. Clip slowly and carefully using hand shears. Next, secure lightweight sticks at each end of the body outline. These sticks will be guides to help you form the bird’s head and tail. Decide which stems will be used to form these body parts. If required, tie the stems to the sticks with string to hold them in place. As the plant grows through the summer, clip the growing stem at one end into a small circular shape to form the bird’s head. Trim the shrub at the other end to form the bird’s tail using the sticks as your guide. In addition to clipping, gentle twisting might be necessary to retrain the plant’s growth toward the desired direction. Continue clipping and training throughout the following summers. Loosen the ties if they are hindering the growth of the shrub and remove the sticks after the shape has been defined.

 

Large animals in sitting positions can be created by trimming your shrub into a basic rectangular or square frame. This shape becomes the body of the animal. Once again, use sticks as your guide to determine head and tail placement. If you want to create tall animals in standing positions you will need tall skinny shrubs. The lower parts form the legs. Snip the upper parts of the shrubs to get the beginnings of the animal’s body contour.

 

Wire frames are also helpful to make animal designs easier. You can purchase the frames from garden suppliers or make them yourself. Create the shapes by bending galvanized wire into the desired animal design. Fasten the wire frame securely into the ground and train the plants to grow inside and over the wire. If you use a fast-growing plant like the privet, it will be necessary to trim your wire model every few weeks.

 

You can also create animal shapes in sturdy pots and place them in your garden or around your yard. Fill a pot with potting soil. Bend galvanized wire to make a small animal model and secure it inside the pot. Place several plants inside the soil and train them to grow over the model. Another option is overlaying the galvanized wire with chicken wire. Fill the model with moist sphagnum moss, poke several ivy plants inside the moss and train the plants to grow on the wire shape.

 

Keep your shrubs watered and mulched during dry months. Ensure that the surrounding area is well drained and clear of tall weeds. Check for insects or other pests that can damage the shrubs and ruin your green animals. Some plants grow rapidly and in a short time your animal model will begin to take shape. Other shrubs grow slowly and it might take up to three years before you will see any results. Your patience will be worth the end product. Eventually your garden will be enhanced with eye-catching, green animal figures that you can enjoy with pride.

 

 

I'll get working on something I have some spare screen to use. =D

[bufo marinus]

Longest I have kept bonsai mums has been 18 months, fungus gnats slowly killed them before I could work out what was happening. I used Perlite also which required a root trim every 3 months. Low level flouro lighting worked well but falling temps in winter tripped all mothers into flower, so constant temperature is needed also, at least above 20'C

I used to tip the plant at around 5th or 6th node and get a nice challice shape happening.

They do require constant trimming and tidying to keep the shape and have normal sized tips coming off a small plant

[Abracadabra B]

Your right about it being tedious, problematic, and hard to keep looking healthy; I put this post of for few days to get them up to par .

Gardening's more of a hobby then a choir for me and if Im stressed from work I can relax and work on my tree. I hope these make it past 18 months I think they look much better with thick one inch trunks

not mine

not mine