Ivy for Bonsai

[blashamma]

Hi guys! I just got back from the nursery, and guess what I found there? it's a small ivy! It's called Baltic Ivy, and it's a Hedera helix (meaning it's an English Ivy variety). The leaves are itty bitty! It's perfect to plant with bonsai. I have one tree in a tall pot, and I was looking for something nice to trail over the edge and down the side

Comments

[blashamma]

The ivy isn't the bonsai in my pot, but it is another plant planted in the same pot as the bonsai as landscaping. I just realized I didn't really clafify that too well in my post. I did, however, think that maybe it could be used as a bonsai on it's own, and when I cut some of it back, I saved some cutting to root and experiment with. I'm not too familiar with this particular ivy, but I know fairly well about other English ivys and its relatives such as Algerian Ivy (Hedera canariensis). Hedera species can be quite unruly in the garden, and most people don't grow them unless they're in a pot. If you keep them trimmed well, they backbud just fine most of the time. If you do have problems, it's really easy to take cuttings and start all ove, which in most cases is fine, but as a bonsai tree wont be too well I suppose. But like I said, they usually do just fine if you keep them trimmed up. The only problem I've had with English ivy is it dying from heat. I live in the south, and it can be difficult to get them through the long, and hot summers. They survive the winter just fine though. I believe thier native habitat is in a temperate climate. I'll have to do a bit of research on that. The ivy will probably take years before it'll get a stem thick enough and strong enough to hold it upright, plus it's "branches" get very long, which would be another problem with making a bonsai. You'd probably have to use alot of wire for support for quite a few years. However, I do know that eventually, the base gets thicker, which I actually thought of as being a problem using it as landscaping, but as an actual tree would be ideal. Well sir, I believe I've answered all of your questions. I'll let you know how my experiments turn out with the ivy cuttings.