AusBonsai

G.M,

now you can teach me. I have the Malpighia punicifolia, which is what you have shown correct ?

But nothing with trunks like that. Love the flowers and the quality of the shrub.
Soil mix ?

Tell me all please.

Should you start a new topic ?
Thanks for the INSPIRATION!!!
Later.
Baba K.

Start a new topic for the benefit of all. I tell you what I know.
Nice serisa!

As you requested G.M.,

viewtopic.php?f=133&t=18750

In the Tropical section.

Here is an image to make you smile, tamarind in marbles and compost, about a year now.
Enjoy.
Baba K

Why are there marbles in the pot?

Hey you Tamarind experts, have any of you underpotted a Tamarind? As can be seen from the pic of mine, (here viewtopic.php?f=133&t=15248&p=181393&hi ... nd#p181393 ) it is in a fairly small pot (to my eye anyhow). It has been in that pot for 4 years now and really hasn't shown the vigor it did when I had it in a training pot prior. even though the training pot wasn't all that much larger.

Hi Graeme.
When was the last time you repotted that tamarind...I know people that overpot their trees often...to maintain vigor...and before a show put it again in a smaller pot.
That plus fertilizing I think will renew the vigor.
Sort out that beautiful tree of yours.

Graeme,

here is my address ....... post to me today please. Beautiful tree.

On our side, tamarinds, don't develop surface roots, just keeps building the bole above the ground. Very distinctive,

I was advised to repot only in April / May, by a friend in the Philippines. How does that factor in with your climate?

Additionally, the tamarind shows health, by constantly throwing off new shoots. I use the rule, 1 leaf at the top, two at the side and three to the base area.
So you must get your tree to keep throwing off new shoots.

When you get the above response for two years, we can talk again.

Do you have a bonsai pot larger than the one in the image ?
They like enough soil to remain moist during the whole day under full sun. My soil holds enough water for 1 or 2 passes in the morning and 1 pass in the evening [ before 5.00 p.m ] Hand watering, and the morning watering leaves the pot dripping through the drainage holes.
I am on the side of hill, east to west location and with a gentle to aggressive breeze/s all day and at times night as well.

You can also try during late spring until early autumn, leaving the leaves to rot on the soil, self feeding the tree, along with a high nitrogen fertiliser. I use 1/3 strength lawn fertiliser into moist soil once weekly, during our almost 6 month long no rain [ dry season ] and the tree is in full sun, save for when I repot. Then it gets a week of rest in bright light no sun.
One / two months later, I can usually defoliate.

I usually fertilise for a month before defoliating.

I only defoliate once a year.

Rainy season, little or no fertiliser or I use Multicote [ 8 to 10 month of use Osmocote type fertiliser from Israel.]

They are not difficult to grow, but they will not normally take under 13 deg.C [ our seed is originally from India, not sure how far North or how far South, since Indians on this side traditionally claim Northern India as there point of origin??? "}
[ I am only 1/4 Indian by the way.]

A hint, test these ideas on Tamarind seedlings, not your main tree.
Later.
Baba K [ Khaimraj ]

G.M.,

remember the Ball Bearing principle, that spheres can only touch at so many points. This ensures excellent fresh air entry into the spaces [ think soil ]

So to test the above, I chose marbles, then used compost for holding the nutrient, from the compost decaying and what the compost absorbs of the fertiliser.
Thus you get aeration, and water retention.

To this you can go to Leca [ absorbent clay balls for hydroponics ] to additionally hold moisture and some fertiliser in solution, by absorption into the clay body.

So far the idea works well.

That tamarind in the image has been pruned 3 or 4 times thus far.

My other variation is builder's gravel at 5 mm, which we can get bagged, from the folks who supply sand blasting material.
Works well. For trees that prefer stone or walls to grow on - Ficus / J.B.Pines.
Hope this helps.
Baba K.

Graeme,

tamarind as it grows in Trinidad - by the beach.
Baba K

re you telling me that it is planted in a mix of marbles and compost????
If yes?
The compost will fill all the voids....
I use a mix of the same size...then the voids stay open...better aeration.

G.M,

hee hee, remember compost decays, roots die / rot and roots regrow. Cycle of nature. Those who use inorganic soils, will end up either feeding with a composted material [ bean meal, etc ] and those who use purely hydroponics will end up with roots dying and decaying.
There is /will always be a source of organic material.

After compost decays, it turns to a rounded organic material and then eventually goes to a grit material.
So with those plants I re-pot yearly, I get the rounded organic material, with those every 3 to 5 years for a repot, the pill bugs and nature keep the soil open as the rounded material goes to grit.
The grit washes out through the drainage holes, never had it remain in the pot.

However, if you use a material that is decomposing pumice going to clay, problems will occur.
Clay tends to bond to itself.
Until.
Baba K.

Good! I am off to Indonesia for the two shows so will not have much time for a month to post.