The Trinidad Scorpion Bonchi Project

Jupiter

Jupiter

Hi folks,
 
I noticed yesterday that one of my Chocolate Habanero plants had sustained an aphid infestation - not good! I sprayed it with pest spray immediately, but the treatment proved unsuccessful. I therefore decided that, since repeated treatments would stall the plant's pepper production, the plant was the 'runt' of the four and I won't have enough space for four bushes when I move out in a few months, I would try to convert the plant into a bonchi.
 
Having never done this before, I would really appreciate any bonchi advice you have to offer. Have I done this right or am I forgetting something? Any advice on how to thicken up the surface roots would be particularly appreciated!
 
BEFORE:
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AFTER:
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The bonchi 'trunk' is currently 7 or 8 inches tall. Is that too tall? I was unsure.
 
it looks fine i would cut those big leaves off anytime a leaf gets too big chop it off it kind of messes up the illusion of a small tree
 
the point of bonsai is to make a small tree in a pot, now, for a tree you need branches, not just a stick. pepper branches grow if there is sun, and a bonsai needs well balanced branches. I would suggest putting next to stable light.
 
i want to turn my peppers into bonchii too but the stems are kind of green still and not as thick as i hoped, anyway to thicken them up and make it go woody?
 
ZenPepper said:
the point of bonsai is to make a small tree in a pot, now, for a tree you need branches, not just a stick. pepper branches grow if there is sun, and a bonsai needs well balanced branches. I would suggest putting next to stable light.
Click to expand...
 
It's under two grow lights now so hopefully it should get enough to bush-ify itself in time!
 
EDIT: I've removed the top couple of centimetres because I felt it was a bit too tall. Also, should I hold off with the fertiliser (Chilli Focus) just now or is it more necessary than ever during the plant's fragile stage?
 
it depends if the soil already have fert, the important thing is the shape, I would only keep the branches at the top or near the top of the cut off point and cut branches that grow in the middle, this will give you a tree look. another trick is buy some copper or bonsai wires and shape the branchs as they grow.
 
Yes it will I'm in the process of bonchifying a green stemmed chiltepin and it is starting to turn woody as I said it takes time but its worth it when the final product is there bonchis are awesome looking
 
ya thanks man
 
will the stem continue to thicken as well?
 
i have a short short growing year and i have a thai sun with weird you can say colored leaves, its health and producing like crazy nothing wrong with the plant, but the leaves are almost camo patterned in 2 different greens id like to bonchi it since i dont have room to overwinter all my plants, just wondering if it would go woody and thicken up still
 
It would go woody but I don't know if it would go thick while still in bonchi mode but next season just regrow it to full size again to increase size
 
ya good idea, that way once i get the full size i want i just keep bonchi and i can keep my plants without over wintering
 
Thanks for all the information, everyone! The plant is showing signs of life now and is putting out leaves all the way up the trunk. So it's now a case of clipping off all but the top canopy of leaves?
 
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