Great Bonsai
Written: Oct 26 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to Grow, hardy to zone 5.
Cons: This is a Outdoor Bonsai, needs to be wintered over.
The Bottom Line: Great plant with red berries. Try it out!! :)
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| TopDamit's Full Review: Windowbox Royal Cotoneaster Bonsai |
Cotoneaster (pronounced ko-toe-nee-AS-ter) is an excellent plant for novice bonsai enthusiasts: they are tough, easy too grow, not too thirsty, tolerant of all sorts of light conditions and most soils. Small, pink/white flowers in the spring and bright red berries in the fall add interest year round. Native to Western China, the Cotoneaster is hardy to zone 5. The "Coral Beauty" is used often in Bonsai.
These shrubs and/or Bonsai should be pruned after they have bloomed. Shape and thin as required, but keep in mind that you may be removing this autumn's fruit. Renewal pruning should be done as the plant gets older. This is done in early spring by removing the two or three of the largest branches. This will re-invigorator old plants but will also remove some of that years flowers.
By fertilizing young Cotoneasters you can increase both the size and the amount of flowers on the plant. Granular, liquid or stake type fertilizers can be used at slightly different times in deferent ways. Its best to use a flowering type fertilizer sold at plant stores/Home Depot etc. Using liquid fertilizers (Rapid Gro, Peters or miracle Gro) is done the same way as watering but remember with bonsai, it best to soak the pot on a basin for approx one hour. This gives the roots of a bonsai time to absorb the water, since the roots are restricted. With any of the above techniques a balanced mix should be used, 10-10-10 or 15-15-15 or 23-15-15 or similar mixes. Organic fertilizers, can also be used with good results.
Rabbits can do a great deal of damage to the Cotoneaster in the winter. But the plants can be protected with a fence formed with hardware cloth (looks like chicken wire, with small square holes). The plant is tied in, then a section of hardware cloth is put around the outside. The base of the cloth is buried in soil or mulch. This protection is put on in late November and removed in mid April. The plants should be checked through the for snowdrifts, the hardware cloth can be pulled up to protect more of the plant if necessary.
Just keep in mind, the COTONEASTER needs winter dormancy in order to survive. Best of luck with your plant !!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
TopDamit
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Member: Thomas Patrick Piedmont
Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 2 members
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