Bonsai culture is certainly interesting. I had some downtime/delays on a recent trip and found a store nearby with a small Bonsai section. The lady gave me a very rudimentary lesson in broken English which I probably understood 10% and simply nodded and the remaining 90%. So with that in mind...

I would expect the difficulty in a Plumeria Bonsai is going to be in the unknown growth habits of the seedling you are using. Those seedlings may be lanky or petite or somewhere in between. I know its possible to stunt the growth as I kept 3 seedlings (used to be 5 but two have since died) in the same 1 gallon pot half full of soil for 3 years now and they aren't more than 8 or 10 inches tall where normally they would be 3-4 feet tall by now.

For what it's worth you will want to cut above a leaf node scar on the trunk and hope that it branches out from the leaf scar. You could snip the very tip and remove the top two leaves (leaving any leaves below those top two). That way the plant MAY start growing branches from those leaf nodes. I think it will be hit or miss for you on a seedling that small. Good luck with it.

polynesian sunset is a good one for bonsai, the seedlings branch out early and they are a relatively slow grower. Keep them even more potbound than usual with bonsai to help slow down the growth even more. Some of the dwarf species work for bonsai but with the seedlings you just never know what kind of growth you will get. One of these days I will get a Polynesian Sunset into the ground before he gets to it.

My BF will turn anything into a bonsai if you let him, it`s a battle, will I get it in the ground or will he get it in a bonsai pot?

Good luck!
Tally HO!

Mkalis - in order to be attractive, a bonsai has to be something you can look at and immediately envision in nature. It should evoke something in the viewer's imagination. For instance, you might look at one bonsai and see a stately old tree with a straight trunk growing alone in a meadow or field. Another tree's tortured looking trunk and branches might speak to you of the hardships it's had trying to maintain life hanging off a mountainside while it battled ice and snow that killed several branches (jin) or even parts of the trunk (shari) still in evidence on the tree. Because of the way plumerias branch and how their leaves grow, making one into a believable bonsai would be difficult. I would encourage you to pursue bonsai because of how richly rewarding it can be, but I wouldn't put plumeria high on a list of trees that readily lend themselves to being transformed into bonsai specimens - and that would be especially true of someone with little or no experience as a bonsai practitioner.

Al

This is the best ever description/explanation of Bonsai I have ever read. I could not help but post what my Maui seedling looks like all crooked and some what crested at only 1 1/2 inches high. It would make an interesting Bonsai to say the least IF it would only stay small. mahalo, roxanne

I agree Rox ..

That explanation was awesome.

Cute seedling !!

Night

Laura

I totally agree with Al. I think if this were easy, you could buy a zillion of them from Thailand now. One of the worst things about plumerias is that you buy 50-100 and have a beautiful garden and a decade later they are ten feet tall and ten feet wide each and you need several acres to grow them easily. When you hack them, they rarely look as nice as the natural splitting and growth. This is why there is such a push to create dwarfs. I feel the direction will be to cross dwarfs with name varieties and create great looking dwarfs. This has started. I do not see any bonsai being developed or sold so far.

love those trees Bill! How is Pyscho doing? Still blooming strong I bet.

Mike

so, after re-thinking this whole thing....is it not a type of Bonsai we are not trying to grow in pots totally out of their natural climate? roxanne

Mike- those are Bud Guillot's Calif Sally, Jeannie Moragne and Saigon Moon. They are in the 40-60 year category. My Psycho is totally leafed out but only has a few blooms left. More leaves but less flowers this year. My Golden Rainbow is also totally leafed out but has no flowers. Many of my plants still have some leaves but almost no flowers. Time to start cutting and shaping plants. With our good weather I would rather go surfing. Bill

Al, I give you an A plus, plus, plus for your wonderful descriptions. I have often looked at Bonsai trees for sale at nurseries and swap meets. The ladder of course being highly suspicious. We spent a small time in Japan and learned there that this was way over my head and not enough time. I think all people who turn to their garden for hobby/relaxation/therapy....find the perfect plant (s) that work for them eventually. Like I like to say with my garden..."it is Order and Chaos with a Tropical Flair"....mahalos, roxanne

Love it Roxanne: "order and chaos with a tropical flair"!!!!

Mima

mahalo, Mima

I would think the dwarf Singapore Plumeria obtusum would work. Branches much more then P.rubra,and I'm sure staged in the right sized Bonsai pot would look great.

Thank you tapla! I have sprouted some Plumeria seeds from Thailand and next is Dessert Rose seeds. Gonna try my hand at it. They only bet big bottoms from seed, so this is what I am aiming for. Just don't know when to clip roots after big enough to plant. Is there another forum that you speak of more? I am following you now. Thanks again, very prophetic!

Kat

I'm always glad when someone finds something of value in any of my offerings, Kathy, so thanks for the kind words (and for 'following me'. I can speak with better than average authority when it comes to keeping most plants healthy in the ground and under container culture, but some of the plants I haven't spent a good deal of time getting familiar with do best with care methodologies tailored specifically to that plant. I think you would get better tactical advice re manipulation strategies from someone who devotes a large fraction of time spent on growing Adenium; and, there is a Forum Dedicated to Adenium. I don't spend enough time there (I'm mostly at Houseplants or Container Gardening) to be able to tell you who the top dog is, but Laura and Rob (Lovesplants2 and Halocline) can always be counted on for reliable advice.

Have a great holiday!

Al