First trees in Canberra Autumn/Winter weather

[Tangerine]

Greetings, All!

I'm a complete newbie to Bonsai, and last week I bit the bullet and bought several trees to start off. After going to a Bonsai demo in the community center at Weston Creek, Canberra (and received an excellent personal "demo" regarding wiring and pruning from a helpful Japanese gentleman!), I went out to Bunnings and bought some trees: A couple of Juniperus squamata prostrata, two Japanese maples (no idea what subspecies/cultivar), a Serissa and a Juniperus chinensis sargentii.

It's early Autumn here, and I may have jumped the gun a bit with some wiring practice and some shaping too early (!), but I'm wondering about what to do regarding cooler conditions. Living in Canberra has me concerned about chilly winds, frosts and cold temperatures starting round about now - and I'm currently lacking any sort of outdoor cover/shelter. Any suggestions/concerns out there to help a newbie out?

Thanks!


-Tangerine

[Pup]

Welcome Tangerine to this site we are the one to be with. Now you people that live in Canberra make her welcome.
By the way Bunnings is almost a swear word like Mallsai. Except that Bunnings do have some of the products we use.

Again Tangerine welcome Pup

[Scott Roxburgh]

You've come to the right place! I also suggest that you come along to the Canberra Bonsai Society, Hughes Community Center 2nd May at about 10am or try http://www.cbs.org.au

With the junipers you could give them a wire now, not too much bending tho.

Not a lot you can do with the maples at this time of year... serrissa i've no idea!

cheers

Scott.

[Tangerine]

Thanks Pup and Scott!

Yeah, Bunnings had some nasty Mallsai (I bought two though - they seem to have good potential in my newbie eyes). The others were just one or two-yearlings that I assumed weren't dirtied by the Mallsai stigma Incidentally, one of the prostrata has an awesome 'inbuilt' (or pre-wired?) design - two main semi-circular branches forming a broken circle. The other branch sticks out and is just begging to be an -ectomy operation As you said, Bunnings did have the wires I wanted - although a search there today and at Magnet Mart left me short of some knob cutters which I think I need :S

Thanks Scott - I've already given them a bit of prune and wire - though for my above-mentioned broken-circle prostrata it's just to keep it in place I shall attent that Canberra Bonsai Society event!

Just to point out an innocent error in your post, Pup, which could cause hard-to-quash-rumours- I'm not female... At least last time I checked!

[stymie]

Greetings Tangerine.
You're going to be very happy among the bonsai buffs. A word about position. Most of your new acquisitions will be able to stay outside with minimal shelter from the elements but the Serissa is tender and will not withstand the cold. Site it in a well lit place in your house where there is moisture in the air. They like humidity. Trim any extending shoots back to just above the second pair of leaves. This may be repeated every time they extend to four or five pairs of leaves. An offensive smell when you prune or injure them in any way is natural to these trees and is nothing to be concerned about.They never stop growing, even in winter. A feed at two week intervals now should be reduced to a four week interval during the short days of winter. Enjoy your new friends.

[Tangerine]

Thankyou Stymie - my next question was acually going to be about feeding them (can't they learn to be autotrophic? )

Just out of curiosity - what is the motive behind trimming the Serissa's emerging shoots back to the second pair of leaves? I ask because I'm more of a blood, brain, and bone guy, so plant science or the like is unchartered territory for me!

[LLK]

Hello Tangerine,

Another Canberra guy, how nice!
Yes, by all means join a club, it's the quickest way to feel at home with bonsai. There is either the Canberra Bonsai Society, as mentioned by Scott, or the Weston Creek Bonsai Group, whose show you visited. And if you want to gain time, do some reading here:
http://www.bonsai4me.com/ Go to "Bonsai Basics" and to the "Species Guide". You will find that website very informative.
Apart from that, don't rush into buying a lot of plants. You're best off learning what to buy, and what to look for in a plant before you buy it.
Many of our bonsai didn't come from shops, they were dug up in a field or in a garden, not costing us a cent.
Take your time... and READ.

Hope to meet you sometime and somewhere soon.

Lisa

[Asus101]

Apart from that, don't rush into buying a lot of plants. You're best off learning what to buy, and what to look for in a plant before you buy it.

Yup, you'll end up with a load of crap plants.....
Believe me...

[Pup]

Sorry about the assumption Mate. But with my surname I used to get called Anny all the time so I know what its like.
That was OK till you were in the Pub. Then you got some looks!!