“Enkianthus”

Enkianthus is the family to Ericaceae. The plant grows in the Himalayas, Asia, and in native regions. Enkianthus includes the group of Enkianthus campanulatus. In Japan, these trees grow up to 33-feet tall and in France; the plants only grow around 10-feet tall. The tree stands erect and develops beautiful red branches. The leaves are attractively developed in serrated, acute. The geometric shapes or patterns form eclipses. The crown of Enk is green while the undersides are reddish.

Enk has a relative named Enkianthus perrulatus. The kin grows in Japan, native regions, etc. The plants grow around 6 ½ -feet tall. The eclipsed features have acute leaves shaped like eggs. The undersides of the leaves develop elongated veins. The leaves are brilliantly shaded green and in April and May, the specie sends out the troop. The troop includes umbrella-like hanging white flowers. What a beautiful sight!

Now that you have a brief history of the Enk family, you may want to gather seeds, cuttings, etc, to start training your bonsai.

How to seed:
The seedlings should be sown in greenhouse environments. This is not one of the beginner-friendly species. You want to mix peat, heath mould and lightly cover the seeds. Use sieved or meshed soil and place the seeds in a dark, moist environment. After a few weeks, the seeds will start germination, which you want to move the buds to a lighted area. Get your pot together and immediately plant. Make sure the pot has a good drainage environment. Soft shoots grow best in shaded areas. Air and light is needed when the shoots begin to harden.

How to care for your Enkianthus:
In the summertime place, the plants in semi-shaded areas and the remaining year provide adequate light. The plants should be shielded from frost. Strong winds should be avoided.

How to pot:
Use an unglazed, medium deep pot to transplant your Enks.

How to clean:
In the fall, remove all leaves that have not fallen.

How to re-pot:
The shrubs grow slowly. In the early days of spring each year and after your have pruned 1/3 of the roots, re-pot.

How to prune:
Sub-branches should be pruned in summer near the end. Use clippers once the withered flower heads appear, as well as the new shoots begin to harden. Branches should be pruned in September. The elongated branches should be clipped back to a shorter length.

How to wire:
In the spring and fall, you want to wire loosely your plant and prepare bonsai shaping.

Soil:
Enks prefer cool soil, rich humus, leaf mould, etc. Mix ½ of leaf mould, course sand, and loam for the best growth.

How to water:
Once the leaves develop, water generously. After fall, you can reduce the water intake.

How to feed:
Spring and fall is the best time to feed your plants. Enks enjoy liquidities fertilizers with slow-moving macrobiotic affects.

How to spray:
The trees should be sprayed before the flowers start to develop.

Enkianthus is subject to damage and disease. Pests, such as aphids, scale insects, etc, will attack the plant, yet if you provide sufficient care; you can reduce damage, or decomposing. Enks are subject to chlorosis, which is a disease. Use iron, nitrogen, zinc, and magnesium, applying it to the soil to prevent disease.

How to detect Chlorosis:
If your plant has yellow leaves near the lamina, veins, etc, and the new leaves start to show discoloration, you should treat your tree. Sooty mould will also attack the Enk family. Sooty is recognized for its black scabs that appear on the stems and leaves. Deposits of sticky stuff is another indication that your plant has encountered sooty mould. To treat, clean the leaves. Use a sponge and soak it in spirit and water. Use insecticides to eliminate the pests.

43 Things Tags: Bonsai Tree, Enkianthus, Bonsai

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“Vermicomposting – Locating The Worms”

The species of worm used for vermicomposting has a number of common names: red worms, red wigglers, manure worms, or brandling worms. Redworms are healthy and active as long as they are kept above freezing and below 85 degree. Even if the air temperature gets above 85 degree, their moist bedding will be cooled by evaporation as long as air circulation is adequate. They are most active and will consume the most waste between 55-77 degree—room temperatures.

Redworms need to live in a moist environment but must breath air through their skin. Keeping their bedding damp is rarely the problem; preventing it from becoming waterlogged and airless can be a difficulty.

In the South or along the Pacific coast where things never freeze solid, worms may be kept outside in a shallow shaded pit (as long as the spot does not become flooded) or in a box in the garage or patio.

In the North, worms are kept in a container that may be located anywhere with good ventilation and temperatures that stay above freezing but do not get too hot. Good spots for a worm box are under the kitchen sink, in the utility room, or in the basement. The kitchen, being the source of the worm’s food, is the most convenient, except for the danger of temporary odors.

If you have one, a basement may be the best location because it is out of the way. While you are learning to manage your worms there may be occasional short-term odor problems or fruit flies; these won’t be nearly as objectionable if the box is below the house. Then too, a vermicomposter can only exist in a complex ecology of soil animals. A few of these may exit the box and be harmlessly found about the kitchen. Ultra-fastidious housekeepers may find this objectionable.

Basements also tend to maintain a cooler temperature in summer. However, it is less convenient to take the compost bucket down to the basement every few days.

Containers

Redworms need to breathe oxygen, but in deep containers bedding can pack down and become airless, temporarily preventing the worms from eating the bottom material. This might not be so serious because you will stir up the box from time to time when adding new food. But anaerobic decomposition smells bad. If aerobic conditions are maintained, the odor from a worm box is very slight and not particularly objectionable.

I notice the box’s odor only when I am adding new garbage and get my nose up close while stirring the material. A shallow box will be better aerated because it exposes much more surface area. Worm bins should be from eight to twelve inches deep.

I constructed my own box out of some old plywood. A top is not needed because the worms will not crawl out. In fact, when worm composting is done outdoors in shallow pits, few redworms exit the bottom by entering the soil because there is little there for them to eat. Because air flow is vital, numerous holes between ¼ and ½ inch in diameter should be made in the bottom and the box must then have small legs or cleats about ½ to ¾ of an inch thick to hold it up enough to let air flow beneath.

Having a drip-catcher—a large cookie tray works well—is essential. Worms can also be kept in plastic containers (like dish pans) with holes punched in the bottom. As this book is being written, one mail-order garden supply company even sells a tidy-looking 19” by 24” by about 12” deep green plastic vermicomposting bin with drip pan, lid, and an initial supply of worms and bedding. If worm composting becomes more popular, others will follow suit.

43 Things Tags: Organic Gardening, Vermicomposting

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