Preparing Tropical Bonsai for Winter [indoors]

[@lefthandluke8923]

Jelle - You're officially my favorite bonsai channel, if only for your instant conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit! Seriously, though, thanks so much for the great content! This was very timely for me (as I'm in the northern hemisphere, of course) and covered exactly what questions I had at this time.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Wow, thank you!

[@ChillGuyBonsai]

Great video so far! You guys are lucky you get snow in winter. Down here on the coast (Western Cape, South Africa) won't even break 5°C! But maybe I'm lucky that I don't have to take my tropical trees inside they do perfectly fine outside all year around, but I'm jealous because I can't grow larches!

[@stevetippin]

You also do not have to shovel snow! It gets old really quickly, trust me. I get my fair share here in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

[@ChillGuyBonsai]

@stevetippin but I can't grow larches or spruces. I would shovel snow every day if I could grow those 2 trees. I also have a hard time getting my japanese maples to go dormant. Most of the go dormant mid winter and come out mid spring

[@JaniLaaksonen91]

​@@stevetippinCame here to say the exact same, but you had already said it!😂

[@stevetippin]

@@ChillGuyBonsai Oh! Yes, I am thankful to shovel if it means that I can have larches and spruce (not said to rub it in). We make do with what we have, I guess.

[@pansepot1490]

@@ChillGuyBonsai do you grow cedrus Atlantica and cedrus libani? They are excellent alternative to larch and they should adapt well to South Africa. I think I saw a channel run by a lady bonsaist in Australia who has dozens of beautiful blue atlas bonsai trees. I looked it up: the name of the channel is Madam Bonsai in case you want to check it.

[@mattbrennan647]

Very informative tutorial Jelle, as usual. Thanks, keep growing

[@GrowingBonsai]

My pleasure!

[@jeffhurst4744]

Good seasonal video. Covering a lot of things we need to do and pay attention to during the fall & winter seasons. Thanks

[@GrowingBonsai]

You bet!

[@CarlBridge58]

Thank you Jelle, another great, practical video. I'm in Tuscany, in the valley between the Apuan Alps and the Apennines, where the highest mountains in Tuscany are located (ca. 2000 mts). We only get around -5C where I live (which is not much for a Canadian expat like me) but enough to kill some of the species of my collection. I use a shaded lean on greenhouse I assemble at this time of the year with a small frost protection heater, and the tropicals come into the kitchen. I finally found a low RPM, low noise, 40cm diametre fan, (for less than 15€ in Amazon) which is a great air-mover for the indoor plants. It also helps with the heating by moving the hot air that normally stays up near the ceiling. Cheers, Carlos.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Would be good to know how your tropicals hold out!

[@judlpd]

Can you tell me the brand of the systemic insecticide sticks you use in your pots please? Can’t seem to find anything on Az.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Substral Plant Pin

[@Hollylivengood]

Love these. That olive tree looks beautiful.

[@GrowingBonsai]

I love my olives!

[@peteryelko2129]

do you have a recommendation on a insecticide that works well with bonsai? How is the solution diluted?

[@GrowingBonsai]

I just use a commercial product from a regular nursery, as directed by the package. In the end, it is just insects on a plant. No reason to make it complex!

[@mcbabs7495]

Un grand merci pour la vidéo!

[@GrowingBonsai]

you're welcome!

[@therealapex7643]

Great video, I have a royal poinciana that I have to shelter in my garage.

[@GrowingBonsai]

cool.Big one?

[@therealapex7643]

@@GrowingBonsai 2 years old grown from seed. About 16 inches tall

[@brianrijks8366]

Thnx voor de tips👌😁👍

[@GrowingBonsai]

My pleasure!

[@6174-is-fun]

So many tips and hints, thank you 👍

[@GrowingBonsai]

Glad you enjoyed that!

[@Baru_089]

love that you have a pseudocapsicum. I got one this year and thought I would try to make it a bonsai. Never seen someone taking a serious approach with it, though. If you will ever make a video about it, I am the first to watch ;)

[@GrowingBonsai]

I might at some point. Not sure what I would show though :). I could of course start from a fruit and grow it over a few years :)

[@ShayanGivehchian]

Thank you very informative.

[@GrowingBonsai]

You're welcome!

[@phillipwaterman5721]

Nice video thanks jelle keep up the good work

[@GrowingBonsai]

Appreciate it!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Spot on as always :)

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thanks again!

[@raymondbirds2392]

Lovely job

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thanks!

[@michaelsmith5852]

As always, I love the content! You didn't mention this one, but it looks very similar to your Brazilian Rain Tree (without the stabby parts!), the Royal Poinciana... Same winter advice for that one as the BRT?

[@GrowingBonsai]

Good call! I am not sure as I have never grown them!

[@stevevaughn2040]

Really appreciate your videos. I stumbled across your blog, good info, are you still doing it? I noticed most are a couple years old

[@GrowingBonsai]

well.. yes, no.. I need to .. but never get around it!

[@JaapAardappel]

Hi Jelle, you are a great source of inspiration for me when it comes to bonsai. I started with bonsai this year. Could you tell me what you've learned the most from in the field of bonsai? Do you have any tips regarding books or other useful resources?

[@GrowingBonsai]

To be honest.. I have mixed in-person workshops with videos, books and magazines, on top of a PhD in biology.. I have spent my life working with plants, so the start was easy for me..

[@JaapAardappel]

@@GrowingBonsai Thanks a lot!

[@mchlbk]

I use insecticide sticks too when the plants go inside. Substral sticks this year but whatever brand they sell is just fine, it's probably the same ingredients anyway. But Jelle, if you plan on eating the persimmons from your new tree perhaps you should check if that's ok after using the insecticide? I'm pretty sure it's ok but better check and be safe.

[@GrowingBonsai]

The persimmons are for the birds though! But thanks for thinking of my health!

[@Dkv534]

I usually air layer my Brazilian rain trees in December or January if I get bored or miss the summer too much. I'm in a slightly colder climate in Canada. It layers very easily if you have a West facing window that heats up the room to around 30C for a few hours on a sunny day and humidity in the room is at least 50% when the sun is down. Mine don't shed their foliage too much if I keep them away from dry heated air. I've also rooted ming aralia hardwood cuttings with a high success rate.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Interesting suggestion. However, we do not heat our house too much in winter, just keeping it liveable, so 30 is never in the books here! Guess I will wait till spring!

[@Dkv534]

@@GrowingBonsai I don't heat mine either, it's all from the window sunlight :)

[@stuartbaines2843]

We in UK have just had two and a half time the monthly rainfall 💦💦💦💦 Any tips on outdoor Rain protection!??

[@GrowingBonsai]

I just use very open substrate. This year has been very wet. I do not protect my trees against it and no worries so far. You can put a few pieces of slate over the top of the pots and reducing the water they receive, and tip the pots a bit, aiding in draining.

[@JaniLaaksonen91]

I take all the Mediterranian and Japanese/Chinese species also inside. As an experiment I left a rosemary and two Italian apple trees outside in a greenhouse, but below -20°C was too much for them. Maybe more mature and established ones could have standed a better chance, but I'm not sacrificing anymore trees for experimenting with the cold.

[@oachkatzlsmum]

My 10 year old rosemary as well as my pomegranate stay outside in Austrias winter down to -30 degree Celsius, since years doing great. This year after quite drastic root pruning they go into a cold frame for the first time 😄

[@GrowingBonsai]

exposure, age, health and pot all make a difference. With sustained -20c many trees get in trouble,

[@DeciduousSnurb]

Your ficus at 2:50, I think I see that foliage grafted to "ginseng ficus" often for its tight foliage habit. I have a few pieces of these started and have been wondering if it has an actual cultivar name or not...I believe it is a type of F. microcarpa and have heard some call it 'Green Island' variety, but to me the foliage looks too densely layered to be 'Green Island'. After browsing Wigert's Bonsai, I came across a variety called 'Green Gem' and to me looks spot on. What are your thoughts on what cultivar it is or could be?

[@GrowingBonsai]

To be honest, I do not know. I have mentioned the green island in the past too but I never really delved deeper..

[@vallvds]

great video. What winter oil do you use?

[@GrowingBonsai]

Absolutely no idea. Just a commercial product from a store. Lost the label and now I am not sure what is in it!

[@laddieokelley6095]

In lieu of repotting in autumn, would you consider using a chopstick to aerate the substrate? This is what I do, but maybe I have been lucky so far. Do you have a caged bird? What species?

[@GrowingBonsai]

I am not sure whether that would not damage the roots much? I do not have birds, no. This is just the way the neighborhood sounds.

[@ShayanGivehchian]

Can any work be done on tropicals during this time ?

[@GrowingBonsai]

I do a lot of work on the tropicals but mostly a month+ before moving them inside. In winter tropicals are unhappy so I want them topfit when they come in.

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌🙂

[@GrowingBonsai]

:)

[@Kreuzritter89]

Do you know if zellkovas should go inside? Or is this species frost hard?

[@GrowingBonsai]

Zelkova needs to stay outside. Keep in mind that often chinese elm is sold as zelkova. (And some people bring these inside in a cold room. I do not; My chinese elms also stay outside)

[@martyclakson9226]

Anyone know the benefit of taking hardy trees off benches and moving them onto the ground at temps below minus 5 centigrade? I'd always assumed that my trees were 'safer' from cold and frost when placed up on a bench... @GrowingBonsai

[@GrowingBonsai]

Air is colder than the soil. The soil acts as one big insulator. Check this out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/haqrqZ5rZr6oeJYsi=k1cXGqfthoZwq3Ot&t=91

[@georggyanti7612]

yesss!!!! i'm the first one. juhuuu

[@GrowingBonsai]

:)

[@FrostBiteBonsai]

I think I lost my bougainvillea. I did the same thing as I have done every year with them. Everyone keeps telling me they need to go dormant for winter, that I should not be taking them in the house. This year I was going to leave them in the trailer. I let them go dormant like usual, but I guess the cold snap killed them. Strange because I have left them out until -5C previous years, the same as my pomegranates. Pests get very bad in the house, last two winters. Systemic solutions are banned here. I have yet to find anything effective. Thrips give me the most problems. Although I have already found orange aphids inside this season. I think tomorrow I will put the pomegranates and figs in the trailer. I have it heated.

[@GrowingBonsai]

its a subtropical species, so dormancy is not a requirements. And moving indoors typically means a switch in environment

[@FrostBiteBonsai]

@@GrowingBonsai I learned this a bit late. The greenhouses and nurseries here that sell them say it is safe to plant in the ground near a heated building. Normally I move them to my carport after the frost starts. This year, because they have the worst bug problem indoors, I thought to take all the advice and let them go dormant. It wasn't until I watched this video I realized all that advice is wrong. If I get another, I will treat it as a tropical. My Bougainvillea was one of my favorite trees I had developed. I feel very stupid at this time, and sad.

[@AlecShernAPS]

Thank you for converting to Fahrenheit lol

[@GrowingBonsai]

Any time!

[@bijanbekhrad-zx6tb]

Hello, if possible, add Persian language for better use of your useful videos

[@GrowingBonsai]

You should contact youtube for adding Farsi to the languages. I do not control youtube translations

[@bijanbekhrad-zx6tb]

​thank you