SuperThrive, Auxins & Plant Hormone Mixes

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July 9, 2010

SuperThriveI use SuperThrive primarily as a root stimulator for seeds, cuttings, transplanting, and air layering. In theory, SuperThrive’s plant hormone (Auxin: Naphthalene Acetic Acid NAA) and vitamin mix aids in stimulating plant parenchyma cells into developing into root cells while aiding nutrient and water uptake.

SuperThrive is NOT plant food and doesn’t necessarily make plants, fruits and flowers bigger. It is just very useful in plant propagation and treatment of transplantation shock and drought stress. There are other plant hormone mixes on the market, but SuperThrive is more widely available and water soluble.

Care must be taken when using different types of auxins or plant hormones as higher concentrates of auxins are also used in systemic herbicides. Not all auxins trigger root stimulation. Some auxins specifically trigger reactions such as root differentiation, seed bolting, dormancy breaking, and stem thickening while others may slow root production while triggering larger leaves. Not all plant hormone compounds are water soluble. Plant hormone mixes should also be stored in cool temperatures as extended exposure in hot temperatures will break down the mix. Organic root stimulation compounds can also be made with freshly crushed willow and other plants which easily root on their own.

Follow manufacturer directions when handling commercial plant hormones.

Categories: Bonsai, BonsaiCafe Blog, Herbs & Veggies, Miscellaneous Plants.

Mini Ziploc Greenhouse

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July 9, 2010

I use ziploc bags to store snacks, sandwiches, meats, beads, coupons, whatever. If it can be stored in a plastic bag, in it goes. I also use ziploc bags for mixing foods which I would normally mix with my hands to cut down on dirty dishes and keep my hands relatively clean.

However, as an avid horticulture diva, I also use ziploc bags year round to start seeds and clone rare specimen trees and shrubs. By rare, I am referring to cultivars and mutations that I have just one or two specimens of. I would like more clones of the specimens to transform into bonsai someday or share with other bonsai friends.

Ziploc Bag Mini Greenhouses

Ziploc greenhouses take up little space and can be hung by the window on pull cords.

For seeds, I use sandwich and quart-sized ziplocs while I use quart-sized and gallon ziplocs for cuttings. If the cuttings are too large to fit in a gallon ziploc, I convert large, clear, plastic bottles (soda, water and juice bottles) to serve the same purpose. I use a dinner fork to punch several holes about an inch below the zip and fill the bags with about a cup or two of peat moss or seed starting mix.

In the summer, when I prune back my rare tropical and subtropical plants, I toss nice bits of roots or woody branches into prepared ziploc bags and keep a squirt bottle filled with water and a couple of drops of SuperThrive to hydrate the soil and cuttings.

Serrissa Root Cuttings

This is a close-up of a ziploc bag with a couple of Violet Serissa root cuttings. I actually forgot that I had made these root cuttings. I discovered the thriving bags of Serissa about a month later when I went to open the blinds behind me. The ziplocs were clipped on the pull cord to the blinds. Usually I take woody branch cuttings but I just could not toss the pruned roots from the new Violet Serissa specimen which I just got in the mail. I wasn’t sure if the bits of Serissa roots could develop branches and leaves. I was pleasantly surprised to find the bags of Serissa roots thriving with new green branches and leaves a month later! The prepared ziploc bags create a humid greenhouse environment when exposed to warm temperatures.

In the winter months, I use ziplocs to start all sorts of maple and cherry seeds in the fridge but with a little less moisture.

Categories: Bonsai, BonsaiCafe Blog, Miscellaneous Plants.

Summer 2010 Tree & Shrub Clearance

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June 27, 2010

Summer is the best time to scout for pre-bonsai stock trees and shrubs at your local plant nurseries and home improvement stores! I snagged some great bargains at the Lowe’s in Memphis, TN and Bayless Greenhouse in Millington, TN in mid-June. The pickings at several Walmarts and Home Depots around Memphis were rather disappointing as the plants in general were over-watered or burnt to a crisp.

Bayless is a family run nursery with actual horticulture personnel who keep their plants happy and thriving.  Most department and hardware stores do not have trained horticulture specialists on staff.   While Lowe’s hardware may not have a horticulture specialist on staff, they do have an intelligent automated watering system which keeps their plant stock watered just right.

1) River Birch (Betula nigra) 3 Gal. Pot
$5 USD Lowe’s…regular price $30 USD

2) Gyokushin Satsuki Azalea (Rhododendron ‘Gyokushin’ Satsuki Hybrid) 3 Gal. Pot
$7.50 USD Bayless…regular price $24.99 USD

3) Gumpo White Satsuki Azalea (Rhododendron ‘Gumpo White’ Satsuki Hybrid) 3 Gal. Pot
$7.50 USD Bayless…regular price $24.99 USD

4) Green Velvet Boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. koreana X Buxus sempervirens ‘Green Velvet’) 2 Gal. Pot
$6:50 USD Bayless…regular price $12.99 USD

Hmmm,  $5 a tree at Lowe’s… Honestly, I wanted to purchase the entire $5 tree sale stock. Unfortunately, I could only fit 1 tree in our small car and that tree had to be chopped in half!

The Gyokushin azalea might look like it’s browning from dehydration, but that is just dead flowers as it had just finished flowering. Azalea selling point is its beautiful flowers, so browning flowers=dramatic price mark down=happy Geoline. Bayless was selling their tree and shrub stock at 50%-75% off regular prices to make way for summer crop and autumn stock.

That boxwood (plant 4) from Bayless was a rare find. Yes, those are brown leaves that you see at the base of the shrub, but what you don’t see yet is the awesome deadwood, thick tapered trunk and surface roots hidden inside the pot. Boxwood makes for excellent deadwood sculpting in bonsai as well as traditional Japanese netsuke (miniature amulet figurines) material. Most of the summer bonsai stock I collected locally and from internet purchases need to be fattened and dramatically transformed over 2-5 years to be ready for final bonsai styling. This ugly duckling loner at the back of the nursery whom no one wanted to adopt because he wasn’t as bushy and was browning to one side is a real treasure.  He is ready to transform into a bonsai and decorative pot with minimal work.

I’ll be taking more photos of the summer bargains and my growing and styling plans for them in future articles. I may or may not hunt down more bargains this year. But seriously, if you check out our ON GOING 2010 PROJECTS, our new house and yard is quickly running out of space.

Categories: Bonsai.