AusBonsai

Hello everyone, I am new in bonsai. After researching a lot and lot, I have come up with a bonsai tree I liked the most. That is “Crab Apple “ I don’t have any crab apple tree yet, but planning to acquire from anywhere any how ,buying . Before I spend my time and money, one Important question has come in my mind. That is ‘Is western Sydney’s climate suitable for crab apple to grow ? I am in quite hurry to start working on crab apple. Please suggest. Please share ur experiences.
Thanks,
Dips ( western Sydney)

I think all of NSW should be good for crabapple. They will grow anywhere other apple trees grow. Definitely frost resistant and they won't mind getting warm in summer provided you water properly and maybe just a little shade in the hottest months.
You've probably already seen that grafted trees can grow to have unsightly bulges or show a change of bark where the graft is so, for bonsai it is better to find one that's not grafted. I know that Ray Nesci grows ungrafted crab apples and would probably be a great place to start looking.

That's good advice from Shibui, I'll only add that ground-growing helps to thicken the trunk quickly. Prune the roots back each year, and keep them well watered in the ground, otherwise you'll just end up with a couple of massive roots that go way down, which can rot when you cut them, and look rough as well.

Many thanks to Shibui for signaling green and advising growing conditions. I will certainly try to avoid grafted ones as u suggested.
Many thanks to GavinG for your advice to grow in ground and annual root pruning. I have a question again, maybe that’s a dumb question as I am new inbonsai. How can I prune roots while it is in the ground? Do I need to dig out, prune the roots and plant back into the ground every year?
Thanks
Dips

Do I need to dig out, prune the roots and plant back into the ground every year?

you got it!

If you put it in a colander then put that intoor on the ground it'll be easier to dig up and root prune...although the cheap ones I've bought have just disintegrated after a year...

Putting inside soil along with colander, good idea. Also helps to improve nebari I think. Thanks Melbrackstone.

Hi guys, I purchased one crab apple today. Trunk is almost 2 inches but it has neither nebari nor taper. I immediately trunk chopped it. The cutting is roughly one and half inch. With very little hope I have put that in the soil to root . I have also put some small branches in soil. Without doing much research I did that. I am not sure whether it is good time of year to do crabapple cuttings. Please see photos.
And I would really appreciate if you guys tell me proper media for crab apple stem cuttings in pots (for future).
Having difficulty in attaching photos. Try to post in another strings.
Thanks
Dips

First photo when I purchased. Other two photos after destruction.
Dips

Small branches in soil, hope they will root.

I have one shohin crabapple ungrafted (florabinda ) that is the only one out of 20 I grew that became something . Crabapples in general are course in there ramification but mine is improving each year and I always wanted a shohin one . Watch hot summer days and they like a drink. Its one of the first trees to tell me when its thirsty

Now is quite a good time for crab apple cuttings. Without leaves (leaves should drop off in a few days) they will not dry out too much over winter and can slowly callus and make roots. Spring is also a good time, especially if you can maintain humidity while the new leaves grow.
I have grown some apple cuttings in garden bed but prefer to use a propagating mix (sand/perlite/coir mix) because it has ideal air/moisture and is sterile.

Thank you Matthew for closely looking the photos.yes that is floribunda I forgot to mention. Thank you for your input.
Thank you very very much Shibui for your valuable information. I assume equal parts parts of sand perlite and coir for cuttings.
One more question to Shibui, then I will be well equipped to go ahead with my crab apple mission. Question is: what would be better potting mix for crab apple trees for repotting and growing in general? For other trees I am currently using 2 parts diatomite, 1 part geolite, 1 part mini pine nuggets and 1 part coco peat.
Thanks
Dips

If you are not doing too many cuttings it will be far easier to go to a nursery or the green shed and buy a bag of 'propagating mix'. If you really need to mix your own I use 50/50 coarse perlite/coir but in the old days before perlite most used sand/peat at 50/50. Depending on the propagating set up and how often it waters you can vary the proportions so it stays damp but does not get too wet. Good air in the mix is important for roots.

I use the same mix for all my bonsai and for developing trees in grow pots. It is far too difficult to have individual mixes for each species and I find that different mixes dry and drain at different rates so watering also becomes more difficult and time consuming when you have different mix in each pot. Most species will grow well in the same mix so I'd advise just use the same for all. I don't know geolite but assume it is inert particles so your mix is probably a good, free draining mix and should suit all plants. Just remember to feed regularly because, like other potting mix, there's probably not much to retain nutrients.

Hi Shibui, thanks a lot for answering both of my questions.
I think I will also use 50/50 perlite and coir for now and see how it goes in our weather here.
Looking at your response it looks like the bonsai growing mix that I am using is not bad. So I will continue with my mix and certainly need to feed nutrient supplements as you have pointed. I got this recipe from one article in which the writer had mentioned the recipe recommended by rbpca. In my one years experience the mix is working well for my few bonsai trees so far. I Hope that will work for crab apples too.
Thank you again for your valuable information.
Dips

is there a way to tell the difference between an apple and a crabapple sapling? I've had a few pop up in the garden and am not sure which it is