PaulS Bonchi Glog

I thought I would make a glog for my first attempt at creating some bonchis and share my experience as I'm pretty excited about the whole thing!

I should say I'm following fatalii's growing guide and my own basic plant knowledge! Fatalii's growing guide is here: http://www.fatalii.net/Bonsai_Chiles_Bonchi
If you've never seen it, it's well worth a read.

These are the plants that have been chosen to become bonchis:

a Scotch Bonnet plant. This plant is already two years old which is why I chose to use this one as it already has a thick woody stem and some nice thick roots.

A Spike plant. This was grown this year and is ideal as it's got small leaves and small fruit.

A Fairy Lights plant. Also this years. This one has got awesome colour changing fruits.

An Antillias Carribean plant. Also this years. This one has a nice thick stem.

A Paper Lantern plant. Also this years. Nice and bushy.

Im starting with the Scotch Bonnet plant. I bought a pot from York Bonsai - http://www.yorkbonsai.co.uk
They have good prices and quick delivery.

I exposed these roots a couple of months ago to make them thicker.

I also bought some bonsai soil. I'm also using some leftover perlite and vermiculite.

After being trimmed down.

The roots have been washed off.

 

[PaulS]

Nice! Seems they are looking better and better every day

 
Thanks

 

[PaulG]

That 'terrarium' pic is fantastic.  Great looking bonchis and new additions.

 

[cone9]

Nice work, Paul.  I've been fascinated with Bonsai  since I was a kid (those trees are all ancient now!).
 
I'll enjoy following your thread.

 

[PaulS]

That 'terrarium' pic is fantastic.  Great looking bonchis and new additions.

 

Nice work, Paul.  I've been fascinated with Bonsai  since I was a kid (those trees are all ancient now!).
 
I'll enjoy following your thread.

 
Thanks Paul. There is even more new additions now, I bought a few more carnivorous plants, I get very carried away with things, one is never enough!
It's pretty crowded now!
 
I've been doing a lot of wiring and pruning, actually wiring often turn into pruning as I end up snapping branches! I'll have to take some photos.
 
@cone9. Thanks for the kind words. Are they bonsai trees you own? If so I'd love to see some pics!

 

[cone9]

 
 
@cone9. Thanks for the kind words. Are they bonsai trees you own? If so I'd love to see some pics!

 
Unfortunately, I own no Bonsai.  The 'ancient' reference reflects how many years have passed since I was a kid!
 
I did, however, start a bonchi project this season.  At this point it is just a houseplant that I hope to use as a bonchi next year. I'll certainly be posting pics if I get the project underway.
 

Some early work on influencing branch growth.

 

[PaulS]

 
Unfortunately, I own no Bonsai.  The 'ancient' reference reflects how many years have passed since I was a kid!
 
I did, however, start a bonchi project this season.  At this point it is just a houseplant that I hope to use as a bonchi next year. I'll certainly be posting pics if I get the project underway.
 
 
Some early work on influencing branch growth.

Good one

 

[RocketMan]

That Fatalii is weird, I've never seen a flattened stem like that. It should come out really cool and I'm excited to see if the roots will fuse as your trying to do. Following this!
 
Cheers,
RM 

 

[PaulS]

That Fatalii is weird, I've never seen a flattened stem like that. It should come out really cool and I'm excited to see if the roots will fuse as your trying to do. Following this!
 
Cheers,
RM 

Thanks dude
I haven't seen anyone else do the roots like that so it should be interesting. They have started to fuse at the top already.
I'll post some more pictures later, I have a lot of wiring to do!

 

[PaulS]

A small update. Spent some time wiring and trimming yesterday;
 
Fairy Lights. I've snapped this so many times that its looking pretty sad! There is plenty of new growth coming;

 
Spike.This one is doing really well as usual! There have been loads of flowers on all of the plants, especially this one.
All of flowers got pulled to get more bushy growth.

 
Fatalii. Each individual stem had to be wired this time, they are very fragile so it wasn't easy!
The roots are starting to fuse slightly at the top but there isn't much change near the soil.

 

 
I plan to finish the others this evening, I will post more photos later
 
 
 
 
 

 

[PaulG]

Great projects, Paul.  They should develop very nicely.

 

[Devv]

Nice work Paul, I'm impressed!

 

[JJJessee]

Those are looking great! What kind of wire is that?

 

[PaulS]

Great projects, Paul.  They should develop very nicely.

 

Nice work Paul, I'm impressed!

 

Those are looking great! What kind of wire is that?

 
Thanks guys
The wire is 1.5mm bonsai wire. It's great for most stems, the really small new growth could use a thinner wire but I make do!

 

[PaulS]

Been doing some gardening today, took some moss from outside and decorated!
 

 

 

[thirdcoasttx]

Looking good dude. Love the moss deco. Mine died, dont know what happened leaves dropped and new growth halted oh well I will try again soon. For now I will continue to follow here and hopefully learn a few things.

 

[PaulS]

Looking good dude. Love the moss deco. Mine died, dont know what happened leaves dropped and new growth halted oh well I will try again soon. For now I will continue to follow here and hopefully learn a few things.

 
Thanks dude.
I wonder why your plant died, did it have enough light?

 

[thirdcoasttx]

They were under a 4 bulb t5 fixture it might have been too drastic a shock. With a massive root trim and then coming inside under artificial light. Idk I will try again this season

 

[JJJessee]

These photos have been inspiring.
 
I like the using the terra-cota planters at least until they become show pieces.
 
I brought in this Bolivian Rainbow(or almost) from it's outside 25gal container is grew in.
 

 
 

 
This spring I'll down shift to a big saucer and start pruning and  wiring.
 
I've just started some Fidalgo Roxa and Inca Red Drops to be bonchied
 

 

[PaulS]

These photos have been inspiring.
 
I like the using the terra-cota planters at least until they become show pieces.
 
I brought in this Bolivian Rainbow(or almost) from it's outside 25gal container is grew in.
 
This spring I'll down shift to a big saucer and start pruning and  wiring.
 
I've just started some Fidalgo Roxa and Inca Red Drops to be bonchied
 

 
Thanks dude
The plant in your picture looks perfect for a bonchi. Post your pictures here when you do it, I'd love to see how it goes.
We've planted about six varieties just for bonchis this year! It's very exciting thing.
The plants from this thread have changed loads. I'll have to update soon.

 

[PaulS]

We've been doing some pruning and wiring so it's time for an update!
 
Fairy lights before

 
Fairy lights after

 
Spike before

 
Spike after

 
Scotch bonnet

 
Strange Fatalii

 
And the rest of the family