About Me

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Portland, Oregon, United States
I have 15 formal Bonsai trees ranging from 5-25 yrs old which include conifers, deciduous', tropicals, and shrubs. i try and buy one of everything and i dig up whatever i can find. if you want to get into bonsai quickly, find the book call POP BONSAI by Lisa Tajima. go out and buy a little rosemary shrub, prune it down and expose the branches and you're on your way.

Friday, June 11, 2010

This Weather Sucks

I have lived in Portland (zone 9) my whole life but i will be moving to Eugene (zone 8) in the fall. my trees are all accustomed to this climate with an average temperature of 60F and near-daily rainfall. this winter/spring has been particularly unusual because it has rained more than normal. This is HEAVY rain. Portland is always wet, but its been soaked since Fall 2009.

Those in the know are aware that over watering may kill your tree. Amateurs get nervous that they are responsible to keep a tree--not just a houseplant, but an actual tree--alive, therefore overcompensating for the amount of water used needed. many trees are prone to root rot, so finding a pot with good drainage and finding a good soil mix is essential if your trees live outside like mine do. Unfortunately where i live i have little control over the amount of water they receive (working on it) and I'm still not sure how long it takes my pots to dry out. i have moved my collection around many times in the last couple months so it is hard for them to figure out where they permanently live.

if you live in a moist and rainy climate like i do, finding a good soil mix is a good idea. i have my trees in a gritty, rocky soil. the rocks hold a good amount of moisture when rained on, but dry out nicely when there is hot weather. winter and spring are easy times to take care of watering because i let the weather do most of the work. the rain that falls on my collection will be soaked up and absorbed, but the rocky soil makes it easy to drain out. so far it's been good.

this is the reason i choose to grow outdoor trees. they are healthier outise, it is thier natural climate, less work when it comes to recreating thier natural environment. when buying Bonsai, i choose ones meant to be grown outdoors.

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