OT1 Guide To Bonsai Mums

[Notorious B.U.D]

I recently just experienced die back myself for the first time although I did leave some growing tips on the branches albeit not very healthy ones. I keep and treat my mother’s pretty much like @Slippy One does above. I wish I’d of taken a picture of it now she was a right sorry sight 

[Slippy One]

21 minutes ago, Notorious B.U.D said:

I recently just experienced die back myself for the first time although I did leave some growing tips on the branches albeit not very healthy ones. I keep and treat my mother’s pretty much like @Slippy One does above. I wish I’d of taken a picture of it now she was a right sorry sight 

 

Oh you mean like this?

 

2 weeks post axe attack, she basically did nothing and ended up compost. Luckily her genes are amazing for outdoor growing so I had a backup mum.  

 

Go easy on the pruning, nothing brutal bansai crew!  

 

Nice flowers though. This is my 3rd year keeping her alive.  

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by Slippy One

[latigid aikon]

I think what happens when you cut them back that hard is they basically drown from overwatering unless you are very careful, the root system is trying to supply a much larger plant than actually remains. They can survive it but you then need to barely water them until they are growing again and I think it helps to root prune just as hard at the same time.

[Notorious B.U.D]

@Slippy One yes mate pretty much although mine probably looked a bit worse because the shoots that i left were even paler and the stem was also really woody as well...I’ll remember to be a bit more careful next time but like yourself I’m not too stressed about it as I managed to get a cut off the other one of it I had in flower to grow another mother to replace it.

 

I must say that is a absolutely beautiful looking plant you’ve got there mate those colours are stunning especially with those pink pistils surely that was a COTC entry at some point?

 

9 hours ago, latigid aikon said:

I think what happens when you cut them back that hard is they basically drown from overwatering unless you are very careful, the root system is trying to supply a much larger plant than actually remains. They can survive it but you then need to barely water them until they are growing again and I think it helps to root prune just as hard at the same time.

 

Yes I think your right about this as I’ve also lost a few due to this when not leaving enough shoots on when trying to re veg a plant. At first it seemed like it was coming back but after I gave it a full watering that’s when the dieback started to set in because the pot just stayed so wet.

 

[Wacky Wardrobe]

(Accidentally posted this elsewhere in the wrong thread.)

Here's one of my mini bonsai mums. I keep them going in a cardboard box with a couple of 15w Sansi grow lights, a small heat mat and pc fan ventilation.

 

Another bonsai experiment!

I broke the top off an auto in early veg and planted it as a cut.

Who says you can't clone autos :-)

[Oldbear]

Bonsai corner 

 

 

Middle one is still in its starter pot, sexed and topped male Killerskunk 

[Rhubarb & Flustered]

I'd already potted up so missed out on keeping them tiny

 

Where would people advise me to snip these ?  I'm in the process of snipping all 6 & I will then choose 1 of the No4 & 1 of No2 as keepers.

 

I've got 2 No4s & 4 No2s but I snipped 1 of the 2s last night as she wasn't going to make the cut anyway, so I cut her big time as an experiment.

 

I wish I had room to run them.

 

I was thinking of cutting the tops off to leave 3 branches and then cutting the does branches back to the last set of large fans, but think that I may have missed the boat to get the desired mothers. Can always start again from fresh cuts off these though if that's what people think.

 

 

 

 

Thanks in advance

Edited May 23, 2023 by Rhubarb & Flustered

[latigid aikon]

@Rhubarb & FlusteredIs that last photo the one you cut back? You can cut them back a lot more than that!

 

If you want a guarantee in case you cut it back too far put one or two of the branches you cut off into a prop as backups.

[Rhubarb & Flustered]

Just now, latigid aikon said:

@Rhubarb & FlusteredIs that last photo the one you cut back? You can cut them back a lot more than that!

 

If you want a guarantee in case you cut it back too far put one or two of the branches you cut off into a prop as backups.

 

 

No mate, I've not touched her even though it does look like I have, if you zoom in you'll see that it's one continuos stem.

 

The one I cut back I cut right down. I saved to rest until I got photos up on here.

Edited May 23, 2023 by Rhubarb & Flustered

[Slippy One]

When I messed up the stretchiness or they were just too big, I always resorted to simply taking another cut and getting it bonsai'd properly from the start. These look like big mommas from a medical grow nursery.

 

[Rhubarb & Flustered]

38 minutes ago, Slippy One said:

When I messed up the stretchiness or they were just too big, I always resorted to simply taking another cut and getting it bonsai'd properly from the start. These look like big mommas from a medical grow nursery.

 

 

They're in 4" pots 10 x 10 x 11cm

[Slippy One]

Just now, Rhubarb & Flustered said:

 

They're in 4" pots 10 x 10 x 11cm

Jumbo pots!  

 

Anyway, they look like they needed more lumens. What wattage are you using?

 

[Slippy One]

These are around 8 months but have tight nodes from the start.

 

[Rhubarb & Flustered]

Just now, Slippy One said:

Jumbo pots!  

 

Anyway, they look like they needed more lumens. What wattage are you using?

 

 

 

Only got the at 40w atm, have 60 more to play with. What size pots are yours in ?

Edited May 23, 2023 by Rhubarb & Flustered

[Slippy One]

Think those are 1L, and I do use coco, hence the salt build up. I'd opt for more wattage or closer to the light early on, then dim back once they're bigger. 

 

If costs are an issue like they are with me, and you have a garden, they'll be fine outdoors until mid august before flowering, get the keepers indoors from then ..