Shireen Gonzaga wrote:

Hi ....

Since I live in an apartment, all my bonsai are
indoor plants. I keep them under flourescent
growlights, and the pots are placed over a tray
of pebbles filled with water to maintain high
humidity.


Shireen:
If you check the archives, (see below), you will find that the humidity
trays do not do too much to raise the humidity. I tried many different
things when I had about 50 Potensai in our Living room. Eventually, you
will probably find that you need a humidifier as well as an oscillating
fan to grow healthy trees indoors. This of course, is my own
experience. I finally decided I had to move my trees into their own
environment.. Our furnitures as well as our own health could not handle
the higher humidity, which I felt the trees needed.


The Serissa foetida plants seem to be particularly
fussy. Leaves tend to yellow and dry out fast
despite watering and high humidity. The shoots
take a long time to grow, and in some places where
I've pinched back, there's no growth at all.

Serissa liked to dry out in between watering. Yellow leaves are usually
a sign of over watering. Serissa also like to be in a cooler
environment. I try to keep them as low as possible in my green house,
where the temperatures are cooler. I have been experimenting with
leaving Serissa outdoors, and they have survived three winters. (not
sure yet as far as this winter is concerned) :-[ Of course they are in
the ground and not in pots.

I am also trying to propagate the plants using
cuttings from the parent plants, but very few have
survived. I've tried to root them in water, as
well as plant cuttings dipped in root hormone.

A five or six inch branch of Serissa will propagate in a glass of water
as long as it is in a bright area, but not in direct sun light, in less
than 30 days!


It has been my personal experience that if you take your cuttings as we
enter the end of winter/spring and use hormone powder on the fresh cut
end and place them in coarse builders sand, you should have good
results. On February 14 I took five Grape vine cuttings and treated
them as described,two weeks to the day, I had the first buds swell into
a leaf and four of the five have leafed out and are growing like crazy.


I hope this helps. Please note my zone, below!

Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7
http://bmee.net/rosner
http://www.jamesbaird.com/cgi-bin/Ja...d=00000068 48


Can anyone provide some tips on keeping these
plants happy in an indoor environment.

Thanks!
Shireen, bonsai novice

--
Shireen Gonzaga, Data Analyst O-
Space Telescope Science Institute _/ )
Office tel.#: 410-338-4412, e-mail: /|





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Firstly I must state that I have been an activist within the IHSC.

A couple of years ago I was asked to diagnose the problem or provide a
replacement for a distraught Serissa owner/killer. They had received it
as a present and killed it the best way possible, by overwatering it on
top of the TV! I told them it was DOA and that it would take me a while
but I should be able to replace it in a couple of years.

Anyhoo, I was offered some trimmings at a club meet and these were
stuffed carelessly into my usual sharp sand/peat mix (50/50). This was
in midsummer and in a well ventilated greenhouse. They all rooted and
now I have ten, two year old bushy things that stink to high heaven
whenever I trim them (which they need VERY often) or repot them.

They do the usual Serissa thing, losing most of their leaves when moved,
worked on or looked at. Watering is adjusted and despite the setbacks
they recover and thrive.

They go outside after the last frost and come back to the frost
protected greenhouse once temps drop in autumn.

Slowly, and I hate to admit it, I am beginning to see some saving graces
in these quirky, smelly, Mallsai fodder plants. I may even keep the best
one for myself!

Keep in mind that I am in zone 9

Kev Bailey
N Wales, UK


Hi ....

Since I live in an apartment, all my bonsai are
indoor plants. I keep them under flourescent
growlights, and the pots are placed over a tray
of pebbles filled with water to maintain high
humidity.

The Serissa foetida plants seem to be particularly
fussy. Leaves tend to yellow and dry out fast
despite watering and high humidity. The shoots
take a long time to grow, and in some places where
I've pinched back, there's no growth at all.

I am also trying to propagate the plants using
cuttings from the parent plants, but very few have
survived. I've tried to root them in water, as
well as plant cuttings dipped in root hormone.

Can anyone provide some tips on keeping these
plants happy in an indoor environment.

Thanks!
Shireen, bonsai novice

--
Shireen Gonzaga, Data Analyst O-
Space Telescope Science Institute _/ )
Office tel.#: 410-338-4412, e-mail: /|

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********
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********
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--
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail
+++++

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Carl and Kev,
thanks for the advice about S. foetida. I've been
reading quite a bit about bonsai in various books
(and now, there's the archives to wade through!),
but there is no substitute for the advice of
experienced bonsai growers. That's why I really
appreciate this newsgroup.

I'll pick up a hygrometer from Radio Shack,
and check this humidity issue for myself (not
that I don't believe y'all, I'm just curious).
If it's too low, I'll transfer the humidity-
loving plants to aquariums.

Again, thanks a bunch!

cheers,
shireen



--
Shireen Gonzaga, Data Analyst O-
Space Telescope Science Institute _/ )
Office tel.#: 410-338-4412, e-mail: /|

(Carl L Rosner) said:
Shireen:
If you check the archives, (see below), you will find that the humidity
trays do not do too much to raise the humidity.

You're absolutely right, Carl. I tested this using
a hygrometer from Radio Shack. The humidity at
"mid-tree" level never rose above about 30%.

I'll hang on to the humidity trays anyway, a little
humidity is better than nothing. Besides, those
wet pebbles are kinda pretty. :-)

cheers,
shireen

--
Shireen Gonzaga, Data Analyst O-
Space Telescope Science Institute _/ )
Office tel.#: 410-338-4412, e-mail: /|