Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

amokrun · 2008-03-01 04:28:22

I have half a dozen or so bonsai at home. I've had some of them for about a year now and have really gotten to enjoy watching them grow and change. So far all the ones I have were completed more or less before I bought them. I've been planning to start growing my own now that summer is coming up again. I like bamboo and I've seen some really lovely bonsai made out of various bamboo types. Often the species used for this are rather small and thin which produce a thick forest-like effect.

I'd like to try the larger varieties of bamboo that grow thick branches such as madake. I haven't really seen such bonsai anywhere and have no idea if it would be viable. On the other hand, I've seen bonsai made out of some really strange plants. I have a gut feeling that something like madake should grow just fine like that even if it would take some work to keep it from getting huge. Finding a balance between keeping it small enough and still making it look like a proper bamboo would no doubt be interesting.

Does anyone have any experience on any bamboo types like that as bonsai? Have you ever seen such grown anywhere? I would assume that someone somewhere in Japan has no doubt tried this. Since we have lots of people here who live in Japan, odds are that one of you might have seen such plants if they exist. Any tips would be welcome, especially if you have tried to grow something similar.

Musgo da Pedra · 2008-03-01 07:03:49

Hi Amokrun...

Here where I live exists a bamboo forest that look very close to madake. The only problem is to find a nice piece, with good nodes configuration and bore size in the same piece... Those with good nice nodes arrangement most times are fat or too much thin but spending some time searching we can find some nice pieces. I think if they can have they characteristics changed using a bonsai technique, because one day I cut the upper portion from a bamboo and I had seen that it has a very big bore, so , I don't pick it up. About a month later I went back there and I saw that it became very thicker and more or less with the same height. To make a real bonsai anyway, I think that you will can not make these kind of drastic pruning.

You are thinking about start them from a rhizome or with a sprout with roots? Maybe the sprouts with roots will grow very well because one day I picked a root section, but didn't remove the soil around the roots... about a week later some sprouts starts to grow around!!!

They really look amazing planted as a forest. I would like to see your bamboo forest if you start on it!!!

Good luck!

Zakarius · 2008-03-01 21:11:38

I'm a bit of a bonsai enthusiast as well, but I've never come across a minature bamboo forest which was an actual bonsai (with heavy, pruning, root clipping, etc.). However, there are many varietals of bamboo here in Taiwan which are naturally miniature. Obviously, if you can get your hands on such a species (might be tough in Finland), you won't need to do any pruning/wiring if it's in a shallow pot.

I don't think that bamboo can really be dwarfed since it's a grass (not a shrub or tree)... but I could be mistaken.

Zak -- jinashi size queen

FrederickC · 2008-03-01 22:38:09

Are you going to make bonsai shakuhachi ?

If so I'll put in an order for a 3 sun.

"squeak squeak"

amokrun · 2008-03-01 23:56:04

Zakarius wrote:
I'm a bit of a bonsai enthusiast as well, but I've never come across a minature bamboo forest which was an actual bonsai (with heavy, pruning, root clipping, etc.). However, there are many varietals of bamboo here in Taiwan which are naturally miniature. Obviously, if you can get your hands on such a species (might be tough in Finland), you won't need to do any pruning/wiring if it's in a shallow pot.

I don't think that bamboo can really be dwarfed since it's a grass (not a shrub or tree)... but I could be mistaken.

I have a book on the topic which lists quite a few species of bamboo and has pictures for a few. As far as I can tell, it works quite fine. The only thing is that all the species used are generally those which grow really thin so that it looks more like a patch of grass than anything one might consider bamboo. Given that some rather bizarre plants can be turned into bonsai, I wouldn't be surprised if something like madake would work. Of course it might require a bit of work to keep it from growing too long and/or thick. Then again, I've seen it grown in pots that are larger than bonsai but much smaller than what madake looks like in wild.

As far as bonsai shakuhachi go, that's certainly a cool idea. I can already see how much fun it would be to file the bore with some kind of tiny needle.

Zakarius · 2008-03-02 01:05:38

FrederickC wrote:
Are you going to make bonsai shakuhachi ?

If so I'll put in an order for a 3 sun.

With global warming what it is today, I think 1 sun is enough

Zak -- jinashi size queen

Karmajampa · 2008-03-02 02:54:20

I am growing madake on my property here in New Zealand. The plants I transplanted were originally 2"-4" diameter with very few looking like flute material, i.e. 1". But the ground I planted into is stony clay and has little nutrition, so I am quite excited as this years culms are all around 1" to 1 1/2".
So I think if you planted a rhizome into a very poor material and pruned the roots, it may be possible to get a thin culm happening. You know it comes up from the ground at its final diameter. I suspect though that the nodes will be very closely spaced and it may not put on much height.
It would be an interesting study.

Kel.

Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

#1 2008-03-01 04:28:22

Madake as bonsai?

#2 2008-03-01 07:03:49

Re: Madake as bonsai?

#3 2008-03-01 21:11:38

Re: Madake as bonsai?

#4 2008-03-01 22:38:09

Re: Madake as bonsai?

#5 2008-03-01 23:56:04

Re: Madake as bonsai?

Zakarius wrote:

#6 2008-03-02 01:05:38

Re: Madake as bonsai?

FrederickC wrote:

#7 2008-03-02 02:54:20

Re: Madake as bonsai?

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