JATMAN
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Steroids for Chojubai - 2006/05/07 08:07
If any one saw Bill's exhibit at the Rochester symposium, or his commemorative pamphlet, he has a cascade Chaenomeles 'Red Chojubai' to die for. Of course it is about 25 or 30 years old. Despite that there also is a beautiful Chojubai on the Web that belongs to a Japanese gentleman, <A
HREF="http://www.remus.dti.ne.jp/~masumi-t/pic1/chojubai.jpg">chojubai.jpg (JG
Image, 800x600 pixels)</A>. It is about 15 years old. From the top of my head he attributes its success to growing the trunk in the ground.
I have to have a red Chojubai because it is the only temperate bonsai that blooms for me in fall, winter, and early spring. I couldn't do anything with
Prunus mume (wrong summer climate) As i mostly see it and true almond is subject to crown galls.
Now red Chojubai is a cranky, temperamental customer. I killed a couple before this one. I have been growing this for 2 1/2 years as a cascade. It is fine, except the tail broke or died back a couple of times (fortunately laeding to a nice taper).
No, it is not supposed to be falling off a cliff. Consider it as a tree hanging over a garden wall. It is 3 1/2" tall with an 8 1/2" tail. Until now it is potted in a
3.5" x 4" square pot (not the best chioce but what I had on hand). Furthermore I have the basic trunk & branch structure the way I like it, but it looks flimsy. Not enough leaves, probably due to last summer's heat. Trunk & branches sparse looking. I can't put it in the ground because this cultivar is not hardy here.
I don't want to transfer it to a enormously growing pot because I don't want to mess with the tail. It is begining to look like a bonsai, but I would like to beef it up. Of course I know enough to accordingly feed it & give it full sun durin the summer. Specifically I also keep it with the pot at a 45 degree angle, to give the tail more light & hormones. It spends the winter in my unheated sun porch. Can I cheat on dormancy and put it under the lights in March? Any other suggestions?
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming train.
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