Now, how to start this? Over the past nearly 5 years a lot has been said by a lot of people about this method of Bonsai cultivation, both for and against. Some have tried the method with success, some have tried with failures and some have simply made claims the method does not work, with absolutely no first hand knowledge. For all of those 5 years I have been challenged to "put up or shut up", but I have declined because I had no need for another tree. Of course I have copped a bit of a serve for adopting that attitude as well, but honestly I did not feel I had to prove anything to anyone who was not prepared to "have a go" themselves and I felt I was being challenged so those people wouldn't have to prove themselves wrong in their assumptions that the method did not work. I guess, behind my reluctance to grow a tree to simply prove the method works was also with the thought that, should the tree die for any reason then both the method and my reputation would have been placed in ridicule and no one likes that prospect.
Following a post from Shannon recently I re-thought the situation and decided that irrespective of the positive results posted here by several Forum members, the only way to quieten the doomsayer's of this method, was to grow a tree myself. I still don't want another tree and will more than likely give this one away in a couple of years to someone who would appreciate it. I also came to the conclusion that I owed it to Jack Tripovitch to do a photo expo of the method, in order to prove him right. Even if the naysayers believe they are snipping at me, at the end of the day, it is him that is being ultimately questioned.
So, what to do? The other day while watering I looked over a few of the trees I have taking up space on my bench and decided on a likely subject. This tree is a Queensland small leaf fig (give it your own botanical name), it was grown from seed I collected just over 12 months ago from one of the trees growing in Pier Park, Urangan. It was germinated and put up into a 5" plastic pot earlier this year. It hasn't received the greatest of care, getting a bit of fertiliser sometimes and water now and again as well. It had a wayward branch cut off it around the middle of the year as it simply grew wrong. Having taken it out of the pot today I found a really strong root on the side of the cut, which explained that problem.
Anyhow, this afternoon I gathered everything I needed and got to work.
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Cut holes in the bottom of the styro box.
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(The holes I cut are the square ones, the round ones were supplied by the box manufacturer.
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Covered the holes with small pieces of plastic mesh,
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I have a roll of the mesh we use in Bonsai pots, so not so expensive for me. Probably not the same for those who have to buy squares of it from a Bonsai shop I guess.
And filled the bottom of the box with 3 > 5 mm grit,
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There's about 2 or 3 " (50 - 75 mm) of grit in there.
The grit I used is this stuff,
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Which is basically sieved river sand.
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