Bonsai in Singapore Neighborhood

  As I do not have many semi-matured and matured Bonsai plants, I have to start cultivating Bonsai materials by cutting off branches from younger plants.  This is more challenging as the younger plants lack mature trunk and ramification structure.  Despite this limitation, I am determined to try out and to experience the growing process for myself.

​

  Space constraint has limited my collection to just 12 pots, in which I consider them as the Super Mini Bonsai series. In fact, Plant 1 & 4 are relatively large as compared to the other 10, where the pot size (opening width) is about 3 to 4 cm.  Most plants having been growing for about 1 year or more except 2 plants. The two plants in Photo 9 & 11 are relatively young and need more time to shape. 

​

Here is a description of the 12 pots in my collection: 

• Plant 1 - 水梅 (Wrightia Raligiosa); The shape of this plant was not groomed intentionally. It started off from a root that has been cut off from another plant. This plant has since gone through 2 trimmings and repottings and is now stable.

• Plant 2 - 壽娘子(Premna obtusifolia); This plant was grown from the cutting method. The shape of the plant is achieved mainly through trimming.

• Plant 3 - 水梅 (Wrightia Raligiosa); This plant was grown from the cutting method. The style of this plant was initially up-right, but later tranformed into inclination (cascading). Like Plant 1, both are about 2 years old.

• Plant 4 - 水梅 (Wrightia Raligiosa); This plant was grown from the cutting method from single to twin trunks. Some time is needed for the joints of the 2 trunks to heal before considering it as mature. 

• Plant 5 - 壽娘子 (Premna obtusifolia); This plant was grown from the cutting method. The shape of the plant is achieved mainly through trimming.

• Plant 6 - 壽娘子 (Premna obtusifolia); This plant was grown from the cutting method. Initially, I was unable to decide whether to nuture the plant as twin-trunks or to keep the third trunk to become a triple-trunk.

• Plant 7 - 水梅 (Wrightia Raligiosa); This plant was grown from the cutting method. The shape is not ideal and appears quite unnatural. It will require more time for the plant to grow so that I can re-shape it.

• Plant 8 -  福建茶 (Carmona microphylla); This plant was grown from the cutting method. The plant looks the same except stronger after I repotted.

• Plant 9 - 福建茶 (Carmona microphylla); This plant was grown from the cutting method. I bent the plant into the shape of a semi-cascade to suit the shape of the pot. This plant is very young with no sub-branches, so it looks very unnatural. 

• Plant 10 -金枝玉叶 Baby Jade (Portulacaria afra); This plant was grown from the cutting method.

• Plant 11 - 水梅 (Wrightia Raligiosa); This plant was grown from a seed. I decided to shape the plant into a cascading style to suit the shape of the pot, which is the only one left in my mini-series collection. This plant is pretty young - will need another 1 to 2 years to before it becomes stable. 

• Plant 12 - 水梅 (Wrightia Raligiosa); This plant was grown from the cutting method. The shape looks better than Plant 7 but still does not look natural. More time is required to groom the plant.