Welcome to the friendliest forum Dave. It will be good to see what you are growing. Don't delay showing us in case we can help in any way.
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| Hola from Madrid http://weetrees.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=16517 |
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| Author: | bluesky [ 12 Jun 2017, 19:23 ] |
| Post subject: | Hola from Madrid |
Hi! To introduce myself: I'm Dave, living in the foothills north of sweltering hot madrid. It's a bit cooler here in the hilly area but still hot and dry. I have loved all trees since forever, probably since I left school over 30 years ago. I often photographed interesting, beautiful or unusual looking trees in the Great British countryside and abroad on holidays. Moved to Madrid nearly 20 years ago, and like everything else in Spain, the trees here are very different from the natural selection in UK. Here it's largely evergreens, various pines, cypresses, olives, and a very common tree here is the "encina" - Holmes Oak - which is like a short, perennial version of the English oak. I got my first bonsai - a serissa - about 9 or 10 years ago, around the same time I had some dangerous overgrown trees felled in my garden. Unfortunately that serissa met with the same final fate as the poplar and cypresses in the garden, but due to underwatering. Since then I have killed a few more poor bonsai, but I think it is like learning to walk - you have to fall a few times, to understand why you fell and learn to walk. now I have 10 bonsai and about 10 more prebonsais on their way. The trees that are doing best for me are boxwoods, junipers, and the chinese plum is thriving in the hot sun! I'm also growing: chinese elm. serissa, privet, carmona fukien tea, and trying to train a spruce and a maple (orange-dream). Next on my wish-list to do are: holmes oak, olive, and pomegranate, following the rule of thumb that they all do natively well in this climate so should be easier to "tame" and grow as bonsais. I plan to photograph the collected materials, and perhaps if I get the time I will upload the progress on here. I also want to try air layering a few olive branches. Looking forward to participating! All the best Dave |
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| Author: | stymie [ 13 Jun 2017, 23:33 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hola from Madrid |
Welcome to the friendliest forum Dave. It will be good to see what you are growing. Don't delay showing us in case we can help in any way.
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| Author: | Gary Jones [ 13 Jun 2017, 23:39 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hola from Madrid |
Welcome to weetrees. Sounds like you've got a few already and enthusiasm for some more. |
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| Author: | Will [ 14 Jun 2017, 07:36 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hola from Madrid |
Hello and welcome |
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| Author: | Brendan [ 14 Jun 2017, 10:37 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hola from Madrid |
Welcome. In your climate you can also try acacia as they have tiny leaves and are not bothered by the heat. And for a slight twist also crassula ovata and portulacaria afra. These are native to Africa, and I can't grow them in the UK (except indoors). I am originally from South Africa Jealous of your weather! |
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| Author: | Padi [ 14 Jun 2017, 12:38 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hola from Madrid |
Hello and welcome to Weetrees. |
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| Author: | Paul B [Swindon] [ 14 Jun 2017, 18:17 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hola from Madrid |
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| Author: | bluesky [ 15 Jun 2017, 11:18 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hola from Madrid |
THANKS for the friendly welcomes! Brendan, thanks yes I will try an acacia, actually a few months ago I started to style my serissa like an african thorn tree on savanna. First step: add a lion   It is a sensitive tree though, permenantly hanging in the balance between too dry and over-watered. It had some leaves turning yellow actually at the same time as other dry wilted leaves! Continual battle with this one since I repotted in march. Now I use the chopstick method for moisture and it seems to do best outodoors in the shade. Gradually getting stronger again. So I will try to acquire a real acacia - might be easier to make it look real! Here's a pic I took years ago in south Kenya: 
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| Author: | Cultasso [ 16 Jun 2017, 13:00 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hola from Madrid |
hi |
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| Author: | Jason [ 17 Jun 2017, 19:36 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hola from Madrid |
Welcome aboard Dave... And the lion goes roar.. 
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