Thanks Gary, the new foliage is already starting to grow in.

Thanks Iqbal, I really enjoyed your videos on the Hawthorn re pot and styling!

Thanks Nigel, I used to be too cautious and wasted a lot of time. So this time round I took a leaf out of your book when it came to the root pruning.

Muito obrigado!

A good tree to trim outside!

Thanks Amber Hanna, hoping to get it looking really good for our club show in September.

I think the tree will slowly grow larger over the years. If I keep the height the same, the trunk and branches would start to look too thick. I think the pads will get better as I work on them in the up coming years, even at the same overall size of the tree. Ramification comes really quickly because the tree requires frequent pruning over the summer. Yes, all the Elms are doing really well, now I have to think about styling them!

Thank you, the tree has come a long way in the last few years! I place the tree outside in the greenhouse when the last chance of frost passes. As the sun gets less intense near the end of July, I place the tree on the bench in full sun. It comes back indoors when the risk of frost is near, usually early October. The tree winters in the plant room, which has south facing windows.

Thanks a lot and good luck in the future !

Yes, wiring can be a useful tool to make adjustments. The branches of the Serissa get tough really quickly, they would have to be wired when green and young. The heavier branches can be adjusted using wire to lift and lower them.

Nigel Saunders Ah, nice, thank you for sharing the info :)

Thanks Penny, I'll check into it, it sounds interesting.

I have the tree in the greenhouse now, later in the summer when the light gets less intense, I move it outdoors. The greenhouse is hot and humid, but the light is less intense than full sun. Before I built the greenhouse the tree was on the bench in full sun and grew well, but it seems to like the greenhouse even better.

ok thanks

I had a tree fall off the bench into the surrounding weeds in spring. I found it in fall, still alive!

+Nigel Saunders wow! That's a stroke of luck!

The "acacia" or flattop style does suit a tree with a thin trunk, but I think you will have to cut it back at least in half and then develop a branch structure from the new growth that will come from the trunk. I would do this height reduction after you let it grow unrestricted until almost mid summer and then cut it back when it has lots of vigor in the tree. Good luck!

Nigel Saunders ok I'll wait till next summer, it's summer now in New Zealand, but I think i will let grow wild for now and establish itself in new it's new pot. Got to be patient. :)

Hello Frank, I think full sun would be best for tight compact growth, if you can keep it watered mid day and possibly mist the tree in hot weather. Here is a PDF on boxwood care..... www.bonsaitoolchest.com/v/vspfiles/caresheets/boxwood.pdf I have some Boxwood growing in the ground, but none in a pot yet. So I can't advise you first hand.

I would study the base of your bonsai tree and try and find a style of a full size tree from the internet that you could transform your tree in to. The top of the serissa can be cut off anywhere on the trunk, and new branches will form from and below the cut point. Any cuttings can be rooted also if a clump style or a forest is desired. Good luck!

They need as much light as possible and they cannot tolerate frost. If you get temperatures down below 10 C at night, I would bring your tree inside for the night and then place it outdoors in the daytime. I mist mine at least two times a day. If you change the conditions surrounding the tree, they will drop all their leaves, but they will grow back in. Be careful not to over water when the tree is in a leafless state. Mine losses it's leaves every fall when I bring it in for winter. When it goes back outside in spring, again it losses most of it's leaves.

Thank you so much. Appreciate it a lot !!*

The Ficus elastica died during the winter when we had record cold temperatures -32 C or -36 F. The corner of the plant room got too cold and froze three trees in the corner. I have insulated the room better and installed a fan to circulate the air to prevent this happening again. I am looking to buy another Ficus elastica soon, I just haven't found the right one yet. I really miss the tree.

Oh god that's horrible !

I think you will just have to go with the natural flow of the branches and maybe grow a broom style bonsai. They do make a nice medium to large bonsai and the flowers are amazing. If you can send me a photo, I might be able to help with your tree.... thekwbonsaisociety@gmail.com

Thanks for your help I sent you a picture of my young tree.

With like a knife

It is a technique used for trees to increase the thickness of the trunk. You can also poke a series of holes or score it with a knife. The idea is to injure the live tissue and then have it heal. The healing creates a thicker callous and thus the trunk diameter is increased. It is mainly used on trees with a rough bark that will eventually heal over without a trace. On some trees this technique could leave permanent scars. I wouldn't use this technique, instead I would try to find another way to achieve the same goal, maybe you can use sacrifice branches to achieve the same result. Thick trunks come from growth of the upper part of the tree. This injuring technique can be effective with old established mature trees as a last resort to fix an inverse taper problem, but it is generally not used as the results can be fatal to the tree if not done correctly.

Do you have a bideo of how to do it?? I’m sorry I’m bugging you it’s just you seem like the right guy and ya I’m new in all so I NEED TIPS🤣🤣

How deep do I go if hit the top of the tree

The root rake was from a children's gardening kit purchased 20 years ago, I haven't found another one anywhere.

It will be needing more work, later this spring, I'll post an update!

They are doing well, video coming soon!

I removed it all, it just wasn't the right ground cover, it grew too tall and the roots were very thick and dense. It was an experiment that just didn't work out!

Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone kinda excited what is look like with weath grass hahahaha just a funny thing idea u have but its great... people learn from doing something different and sometimes the result is unique👍👍👍.happy planting from philippines!! ☺☺

I think 16 to 18 years? It was grown from a small cutting.

I am going to wait until I can place the tropical trees outside on the bench, then I'll make a long video!

The wheat grass I used was a little too course looking and the roots were developing a large mat below the soil. I am trying threadgrass. So far it looks promising, I am growing it in a separate container and will place it with the tree before a show. Thanks to Penny for sending me the threadgrass!

+Nigel Saunders :)

I would re pot in the summer when it is warm and humid, the tree can be trimmed any time after a period of good healthy growth. I would do any major branch work to the tree in the summer also. If you want to move your Serissa from a nursery pot to a bonsai pot, you can do this as long as you don't remove a lot of the roots. The tree needs to be kept warm and humid after the re potting to help recovery. I would place it in a bright position like a sunny window to help it grow well through the winter. You may find a clear plastic bag over the tree and pot will help keep it humid for recovery also, misting a couple times a day also helps!

email me at... thekwbonsaisociety@gmail.com