HELP! Serissa's not azalea, need emergency repotting..

[Bush bunny]

Hi all. You may remember my ID and pics.(3 azaleas ID 2) Well instead of azaleas, the two were Serissa's which genus I don't know. But reading up I have decided to bring them back inside. Still cold here even though they are in a lidded aquarium under cover. I took them out yesterday and water dripped from the bottom of the pots, well I thought they were azaleas. So they are in organic soil with lots of humus. This is too damp for them now.

I have at my disposal the following

Perlite
Bonsai potting mix (Osmocote)
Propagation sand
Sharp grit
Sphagnum moss
Peat Moss
Vermicompost.
Wood ash and charcoal bits.
Garden compost (aged)
Dried aged sheep manure. Very fine no droppings left.(OK for pot plants and garden beds)
pebbles
Liverwort moss, and ordinary moss.

My problem is deciding on the mix now. I thought of sharp grit at the bottom of the pot, sphags around the roots only, the bonsai potting mix mixed with a generous amount of perlite.
I know they won't appreciate the move, but .... they have lived inside but for a few weeks out in the aquarium.
Maybe a hint of vermicompost on surface with moss. I have a good spot near the palms and the dwarfed umbrella tree next to a large window. I'll plant the two serissas together in a bonsai pot. It gets a lot of light and early morning sun, and it will be next to the indoor water fountain, a buddha so some humidity. Not that I run it all the time anyway. I put the real azalea in a separate pot, with similar mix. I don't give up easily. My British tenacity. But I don't look like a bull dog (I hope?)

Pat

[rodm]

Hi bush bunny,
Here's a thought; wait a little say another 2-3 weeks for the weather to warm up abit. Repot them into your bonsai mix only; this will have everything in it that they will need for the present ie to get them going. Watering at the moment should be at a minimum, I would suggest that you use a tonic eg Seasol at half the recommended rate and every 3rd watering. At present watering should be 1-2 week and in the morning
Cheers Rod

[Bush bunny]

Thanks Rod, but they can be kept inside anyway. I have quite a few inside already, it is not heated my house. We are meany's, and have acclimatised over the years. Wool jumpers and thick socks, and an electric blanket. So the mean temp where I keep the tropicals or sub tropicals, like mangoes, and avocados, palms etc., get used to 10 C. The 30 year old Zygoes, large umbrella tree and dwarf one, the Jade, do go outside when its warmer but undercover or sheltered. We can get late frosts, one year in October, the orchards lost their blossoms. I lost a Grevillea I had for several years. Softly softly here in Armidale. What I fear is hail. In 1996, we had a terrible one, 80% of the roofs in Armidale had to be replaced or repaired, took years. Most trees in September had leaves budding or open. They got a defoliated OK. And I live on top of the valley so we are more exposed to hail.

Thanks again.

Pat

[Bush bunny]

The change over in seasons, like Sept or October, is renown for extreme weather events, here and overseas. I'm on WUWT a skeptical climate change blog. You know our temperate weather day time temps are like some summer time regions in UK!

[rodm]

Sorry but we should not compare our climate zones to overseas climates. Firstly we are in the Southern Hemisphere and Tamworth and Armidale are in the ranges. Tamworth is a bit drier and the temperature has just about the same range only a bit higher.
All my bonsais are kept outside if a bit tender give them some sort of protection, but still outside. They all need the riggers of Mother Nature, one of the many elements that make for good looking natural bonsai. This is how I do my bonsais and after 30 + years I'm still learning and loving it
Cheers Rod

[rodm]

PS. Bonsai of any species, as with almost all plant life, they need good dose of sunlight daily. Also species selection should be appropriate for your local climate
Cheers Rod

[kcpoole]

The change over in seasons, like Sept or October, is renown for extreme weather events, here and overseas. I'm on WUWT a skeptical climate change blog. You know our temperate weather day time temps are like some summer time regions in UK!

I usually are online for motorbike races and chatting to thos in Europe when they are on, Many times there daytime summer temps are similar to our winter Nighttime ones

I would just give protection when the temps are going to be below zero. All other times out in the weather and repot during spring into a Good commercial Bonsai mix, unless you have experimented in developing your own.
If they are holding too much water, let them dry out for a day extra between waterings.

Ken

[Bush bunny]

See my post on 'Ken was right, Bunnings wrong, me confused. They were azaleas after all, and the middle one, was a rulinga.

Cheers

Pat.

Ken, you are right as always, but I was just making a comparison. Of course we have micro-climates on the NW slopes and plains, and Northern Tablelands.