Hi all! I bought this mid-sized operculicarya decaryi a few months ago and it was rotting in the nursery’s basic potting soil. I repotted in a 100% gritty mix, it dropped all its leaves, but bounced back to the state pictured here.
I feel a little lost on where to go from here though. Not much of an expert on bonsai (or plants in general) but I’d like to try one here. Right now I’m watering roughly once a week (because the gritty soil mix doesn’t stay wet) and it gets a lot of bright light from my south facing window here in my office.
Hoping you guys could give me some tips on how to encourage the trunk to grow thicker and encourage interesting root growth. Thank you!!
by Any-Impression-7864
5 Comments
Apparently trimming branches helps with that, they dont mind water too much the 100% grit isnt super neccesary, mine never go dry in the growing season, theyre trees after all grow em like a tree
Mine drops almost all of its leaves during the winter and I reduce watering. During the spring/summer, once it starts going back into leaf, I give it plenty of water and food. I’m watering it twice a week now.
I agree with the comments above you can give it more water if the soil is drying out and sometimes not a popular opinion on these drought tolerant plants, but at the end of the day it is a tree. I have 3 of them total varying in different spans for a little guy to a 7 year old one, they all get water twice a week. Just give them water and feed and just leave it be for the time being let it really establish its roots and see what direction the branches are going. I hope that helps great purchase!
It’s not going to do a whole lot in an apartment
Agree with the others that say to water it like a tree during spring and summer. It can tolerate very little water and heavy neglect, and I guess thats why I have been able to keep this plant alive the longest. But I can easily see that it is living it’s best life now that I water more often and give it a little more attention.