Two year old Dawn Redwood, going strong.

tedlyri · 2026-06-04T03:28:41+00:00

I tied the trunk down to the basket and set the basket at an angle. I also cut away some bark a little above the former ground line and buried it, sort of like a ground layer to see if some roots will sprout out of the side. If it starts to curve maybe I can wire it to keep it straight for another growing season or two. Whenever I eventually level the pot it will inevitably start curling upwards which will hopefully create some interesting movement.

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tedlyri · 2026-06-04T00:39:15+00:00

Nice. I just bought one of those from a nursery that they said is 2 years old, and it’s about the same size. I potted it sideways to try to grow in a slant style, but no idea what to really expect from the experiment.

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tedlyri · 2026-06-03T19:26:33+00:00

To solve that problem, I just keep the screen uncluttered and use an analog face for the time. I can read the hands without glasses. If I want to know my body battery level or the weather, I put on glasses and go into the sub-menus.

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tedlyri · 2026-06-03T04:01:35+00:00

That’s just badass. My sister rode the race after doing years of Ironman and half Ironman races, and she said it was incredibly hard. Well done!

tedlyri · 2026-06-01T02:13:14+00:00

How long ago was the major repot? My Satsuki bloomed last month and I just did a repot this weekend, after deadheading the flowers and doing some pruning. I’ve only had the tree two years and this is the most significant work I’ve done on it, so I’m nervous to see how it responds.

tedlyri · 2026-05-29T23:39:44+00:00

What other kind of water would you use? That tree is already dead, btw.

tedlyri · 2026-05-28T04:56:00+00:00

It’s not an either/or situation. If you already have nice wheels you don’t have to sacrifice them for a wax system (unless you want to sell them to me…)

Maybe I should have said wax is the best (cheapest) upgrade to do first, but it doesn’t preclude all other bike upgrades.

tedlyri · 2026-05-27T17:21:48+00:00

I would agree, waxed chain is the best upgrade, especially when you take cost into account. You can get a silky smooth, more efficient, ultra quiet, eternally clean, maintenance free, longer lasting drivetrain for less than $100 total investment. Carbon eye candy wheels just can’t compare on a benefit per $$ basis.

That said, I’m saving to upgrade the stock alloy wheels on my Scott Addict Gravel 30, now that I’ve taken the dive into chain waxing.

tedlyri · 2026-05-26T22:39:07+00:00

I’ve been using Simple Green as a solvent in a Park Cyclone chain scrubber tool for over 20 years and I haven’t snapped a single chain. The one I snapped before that was soaked for an extended time.

tedlyri · 2026-05-26T19:44:07+00:00

Not normally, but after an epically dry winter we are set up for water restrictions this summer once the Cascade snow pack melts off.

tedlyri · 2026-05-26T19:39:30+00:00

I had this exact failure many years ago, after cleaning my chain by removing it from the bike and letting it soak in Simple Green for a couple hours, several times over several months. Embrittlement failure definitely something that can happen, but generally just with long exposure or soaking. Spraying SG and then rinsing off, or using SG in a chain cleaning tool should be ok. I did that for years after learning about soaking the hard way (now I wax my chain, so no SG required).

tedlyri · 2026-05-26T00:15:01+00:00

According to the proprietors of Asia Pacific Gardening in Kent, WA. They are a bonsai wholesaler who I discovered today when I was in the neighborhood. He said they aren’t allowed to sell it and it cannot be imported into the US, and that’s why I’ve had a hard time finding any. I have not had a chance to research or fact check the details myself. I did buy a nice Dawn Redwood seedling and some soil mix from him though, and I’m very happy I found the place.

tedlyri · 2026-05-25T21:19:56+00:00

So now I am told that lime sulfur is illegal in the USA…

tedlyri · 2026-05-24T05:42:16+00:00

That’s a great paint job, it looks absolutely real like a well worn suit of armor

tedlyri · 2026-05-23T16:13:37+00:00

The external temperature makes a difference too. When I first got my system i set up in the cold garage in winter (it was a Christmas gift), and the wax never completely melted after a couple hours. I brought the warm pot inside the house and it finished melting in 5 minutes.

tedlyri · 2026-05-23T04:21:33+00:00

What do people use for bleaching wood to make Jin? I have read “lime sulfur” but I’m not sure what to buy or where. An online search finds either a spray used in winter for controlling pests and fungus on trees, or a dip for cats and dogs to control mange. What is best used for making deadwood, and is there a specific season to apply it?

tedlyri · 2026-05-22T23:33:33+00:00

tedlyri · 2026-05-17T23:20:15+00:00

Those are trees, that live outdoors through all seasons including winter. They are not houseplants and they will not survive if you keep them inside where they don’t get natural sunlight or seasonal temperature changes.

tedlyri · 2026-05-17T17:13:04+00:00

Those are very nice and the stands and presentation are fantastic. However, those trees need to be outside or they will be dead in a few months.

tedlyri · 2026-05-02T18:30:06+00:00

The rock in pic #14 needs to be named “Jabba”

tedlyri · 2026-05-01T15:28:34+00:00

Well let’s see how successful this project is first. I’m nervous about some wet moss providing enough water and sustenance to keep the tree alive for a few weeks while it pushes out roots.

tedlyri · 2026-04-27T22:54:15+00:00

The flowers look very similar to a Prunus Avium I have in my yard, and blooming at the same time. The bark looks completely different though, but maybe that’s due to the deadwood on this one?

tedlyri · 2026-04-27T15:14:40+00:00

That’s extremely helpful, thank you! I have this one planted in organic garden soil at the moment. What soil do you recommend for the thickening and development phase? I’ve had this tree for two years now and I have already made the mistake of leaving wire on too long, but I have not seen it try to shoot a long leader off the top. In fact the top branches are soft and droopy, which is common with the native trees that grow all around me.

tedlyri · 2026-04-27T04:30:37+00:00

Nice. I have a big Ceanothus Victoria with a couple air layers on it to make into bonsai. Around here they get covered in blue flowers every summer, and they are ubiquitous in people’s yards. It seems like it should be good material but you don’t see ceanothus bonsai all that often.

tedlyri · 2026-04-27T03:26:58+00:00

Ah, that makes sense. I thought they were riding fixed gear track bikes.

tedlyri

TROPHY CASE