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The plants that are most exciting to me are those that can be trained
and kept indoors throughout the year. I have tried grapefruit, orange
and lemon seeds indoors but my first real success after this was the
aralia. I found that I could make them bend without using wires by
putting them in front of a window and letting them lean to the light.
When I was sure I had a good twist in the trunk, usually about one
month, I would turn it in another direction and the light would twist it
another way. I am sure you have seen plenty of houseplants leaning
toward the light and if you turn them every time you water them, you
usually have a straight plant about two days out of the week. This
process requires a bit of skill in knowing just when to turn a plant so
if you decide to try it, use a seedling until you get used to the
effects of constant one-sided light. The greenhouse plants that I have
found most satisfactory are: Aralia - of the aralia's, the
chinensis, sometimes called the ming tree is the most
rewarding. Elegantissima planted in a grove makes a nice planting
but it is imperative that you start with seedlings one year old and
less. In three years you can have a charming grove of trees in your
sunny window. Bougainvillea - is a woody vine that develops a
nice trunk in two to three years. The leaves are rather large but they
are worth training due to their blossoms that will develop on a smaller
scale with bonsai treatment. It takes about six years to get the leaf
size to shrink proportionately. Camellia - will make a nice
bonsai subject in about six years. With cool conditions, around fifty
degrees, in winter, it is easy to grow any of the varieties indoors.
Calamondin - is really a dwarfed orange tree of sorts with fruit
that taste like a lime.
Coffee Plant - makes an interesting bonsai subject but it will
take about ten years to really get the proper look. It has shiny leaves
that are somewhat large and the shade of green is fantastic.
Citrus trees - such as orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit are
easy to work with and produce relatively small leaves from the
beginning. Getting a good bonsai specimen from seed requires about ten
years of training. Ficus - trees make nice, large bonsai
specimens. The benjamina or exotica, which is the weeping fig, is very
effective at about 18 inches in height. Gardenia - is a
beautiful plant that has woody stems and develops a nice trunk. It can
be grown indoors with ease. These plants come in miniature varieties
that can be developed in two or three years.
Hibiscus - can be a difficult subject but they are surely
worthwhile. For best results start with small plants and root prune in
May and August until they are well on their way to development. They
require top-pruning often when the trunk and branch pattern has been
developed, but remember on most all blooming plants, the blooms develop
on new growth so if you want blooms, the specimen can't always be
picture perfect. It takes about six years to develop a bonsai look when
starting with a seedling. Ivy - is a fun and easy plant to
develop. Start with a young or old plant, preferably an old one that has
developed some sort of a trunk. Jerusalem Cherry - has brightly
colored fruit and relatively small leaves. Four seasons of training
makes a nice, apocimon plant that you would be proud to own. Jade
- is a favorite of mine because a nice specimen can be had in only
two to three years of growth. The trunk gets very thick and it's
possible to copy almost any shape tree. Lantana - has textured
leaves and a semi-woody stalk that develops into a nice specimen in
about four years. It has a variety of colors in the blossoms and the
leaves are small, oval and textured. Natal Plum - is great for
developing as a bonsai with the cascade style. The trunk is rather small
and slow to develop but the foliage lends itself well to training.
Norfolk Island Pine - is slow to develop and requires quite a bit of
trimming to train, but it is certainly worth the effort. It is best to
start with a small plant and wait a couple of growing seasons to select
a style for developing the plant. They can be grown in their natural
style or pruned to resemble other trees and many times this decision
cannot be made until the tree has developed several layers of branches.
Oleander - is a common shrub in the lower south with flowers of
pink, white or red. The woody trunks are easy to develop and the
gray-green or variegated leaves respond well to training.
Pittosporum - is another southern shrub that has dark green leaves
that form in rosettes. There is also a variegated variety and both have
white, fragrant blossoms. There is a low growing variety that is
excellent. A five year old plant gives a nice bonsai effect.
Podocarpus - has small needle like leaves that twist and curl as
they develop to make an unusual bonsai subject. Four years from the
seedling stage will net you a delightful little bonsai. Chinensis is the
variety that is best for training. Pomegranate - has shiny,
small leaves and red flowers, that sometimes fruit, and is a favorite
bonsai subject for professionals as well as beginners. The variety to
ask for is punica granatum nana, which is a dwarf version of the plant.
Rosemary - is only one of the herbs that responds well to
training. I have a beautiful little specimen of rosemary that is only
three years old but looks twenty. Sage, germander, oregano, and any of
the woody or semi-woody herbs are fun to experiment with - and besides
you can use clippings to season your food. Serissa - is a small
shrubby plant that seldom attains more than three feet of height in its
native habitat. It develops nicely with bonsai training due to its small
leaves and flowers. The leaves are green or variegated and need constant
pruning. Foetida is the variety used for bonsai. |
