| Schefflera Bonsai |
This schefflera was up for sale at the August 2009 Minnesota Bonsai
Society general meeting by a lady who was moving and had to sell her
plants. At the time it was a 31 years old bushy house plant , and she
gave it to me for just $20! The result after pruning and styling was a
nice upright bonsai tree, 15 inches tall and 3 inch trunk base. The pot
is by Charles Iker. This was exhibited at the 2009 Minnesota State Fair
bonsai show as a shoji display. The judge, a visiting bonsai master,
suggested it be cut in half at the trunk to get 2 nice looking trees. So
in early Spring of 2010, I chopped the main trunk in half.
Society general meeting by a lady who was moving and had to sell her
plants. At the time it was a 31 years old bushy house plant , and she
gave it to me for just $20! The result after pruning and styling was a
nice upright bonsai tree, 15 inches tall and 3 inch trunk base. The pot
is by Charles Iker. This was exhibited at the 2009 Minnesota State Fair
bonsai show as a shoji display. The judge, a visiting bonsai master,
suggested it be cut in half at the trunk to get 2 nice looking trees. So
in early Spring of 2010, I chopped the main trunk in half.
| Click on images to enlarge |
The result of chopping the tree in half:
The bottom half of the chopped tree (botchop) was wired
and styled by trimming branches, and the trunk shaped
by carving. This was transplanted into a rustic, Charles
Iker cresent pot, resulting in a striking banyan style
brassaia. The tree is now 32 years old. It needs further
growing with pruning to encourage branching and
perhaps smaller foliage.
and styled by trimming branches, and the trunk shaped
by carving. This was transplanted into a rustic, Charles
Iker cresent pot, resulting in a striking banyan style
brassaia. The tree is now 32 years old. It needs further
growing with pruning to encourage branching and
perhaps smaller foliage.
The top half of the chopped tree (topchop) was placed
in neutral rooting soil and kept in a small greenhouse
on a heating pad at 76 deg F and 76% rel. humidity. In a
few weeks the topchop had grown many aerial roots,
some of which reached into the soil and formed a
surface root network. New foliage began growing as
well. This tree is 32 years old also, from a rooted trunk
cutting. It needs lots of additional growing to thicken
the aerial roots into a banyan style trunk.
This was sold at the MBS auction June 2010.
in neutral rooting soil and kept in a small greenhouse
on a heating pad at 76 deg F and 76% rel. humidity. In a
few weeks the topchop had grown many aerial roots,
some of which reached into the soil and formed a
surface root network. New foliage began growing as
well. This tree is 32 years old also, from a rooted trunk
cutting. It needs lots of additional growing to thicken
the aerial roots into a banyan style trunk.
This was sold at the MBS auction June 2010.
Kifu brassaia actinophylla
| Spring 2011 |
The tree was repotted into its original C. Iker pot,
and styled so what used to be the back is now the
front. Age now is ca. 33 years.
and styled so what used to be the back is now the
front. Age now is ca. 33 years.