Carissa

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From: "Richard D. Choate" 
Subject: Re: Natal Plum (Carissa Macrocarpa)

In a message dated 96-02-21 07:13:44 EST, Saleem wrote:

>I just got my first bonsai as a gift. It's a 10" high Natal Plum (Carissa
>Macrocarpa). I have no idea of how to take care of it. I looked into some
>bonsai books but found very little reference to this particular species.
>Can anyone tell me how and when to:
>water (how much)

Let it become somewhat (a know, a nebulous term) dry between waterings.  As
with all bonsai, never let it become totally dry but it doesn't like to be
kept too wet.

>prune

Major pruning should be done in mid to late spring.  Never prune so severely
that you have removed all of the foliage on a branch.  Continue pruning and
pinching throughout the growing season.

>repot (it's in a ugly pot from the nursery)

Mid-spring through mid-summer.

>shape (what kind, because I don't know what it should look like)

I can't help much here since I can't see the tree.  Natal plums look good as
informal uprights and cascades, though.

[snip]

Rick
southernmost Tx

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Date: Sat, 23 Nov 1996 01:42:31 -0600
From: Phil Stephens 

At 12:10 PM 11/22/96 GMT, you wrote:
>Does anybody know what type of soil mix, and what type of lighting is required
>for a Natal Plum?

I've had incredible results with Carissa!  I've used a fast-draining soil of
Sphagnum, compost, pine bark mulch, and fired clay aggregate. I've fed with
Miracid. I've let them soak up all the Oklahoma sun they could....I don't
know the minimum light requirement they need but they obviously love all
they can get. These trees have generally proven to be unbelievably tough and
vigorous- I had to buy kryptonite wire to have any hope of controlling mine.
;-{ )  A sunny window seems to work just fine for them; I've summered mine
outside but many of the hundreds of cuttings recipients I've given these to
keep them in sunny windows year-round. I've also seen them planted in
Wal-Mart potting soil with no ill effects.

Good luck,
Phil


Tulsa, Oklahoma USA  USDA Zone 6, almost 7. Twilight Zone A1.

"Strive for a day when 'NRA' means 'Not Relevant Anymore'"
                                         -Dennis Miller, _The Rants_

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Date: Sat, 23 Nov 1996 07:12:43 -0500
From: Michael Persiano 

In a message dated 96-11-23 01:43:02 EST, jdietz@VT.EDU (Jedi) writes:

<< Does anybody know what type of soil mix, and what type of lighting is
required
 for a Natal Plum?
  >>

Jedi:

Carissa grandiflora, a South African plant, requires conditions suitable for
most tropical bonsai, i.e., plenty of light and warmth to promote its dense,
thorny foliar and fragrant floral growth.  Flowers are a white, and the fruit
is deep red and edible.

When the specimen is moved indoors for the winter, be certain to place it
over a suiban (shallow water tray) for additional moisture.  Do not allow the
water to make contact with the drainage holes in the pot.  If you cannot
position the Carissa near a strong source of natural light, purchase a grow
light to provide an adequate source.  Run a fan in the area to minimize the
chances of fungus and unfriendly infestations.  Feeding during the winter
should be reduced to once every 3-4 weeks.

Wire this specimen with care:  its branches can be stiff and will easily
crack.  Prune back the growth on your Carissa after flowering.  Root pruning
should be performed in early summer.  For those who work with this specimen
in the south, a deep pot is recommended.  Root pruning should not be
aggressive, and overwatering should be avoided to minimize the chances of
developing root rot and the decay of old bark.

The soil mix should be 50 percent aggregate and 50 percent bark--more bark if
your area is extremely hot.  If you post your regional location, members of
the group will provide you with their mixes.  Also, your local bonsai
organizations should be contacted to determine the best soil for your area.

Cordially,

Michael Persiano

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From: Phil Stephens 

My C. grandiflora are thornless....is this perhaps something that appears
much later? I have gotten a couple of flowers on mine....but no thorns.
Thank goodness. ;-{) Some of the nodes have short, soft whiskery growths,
almost like a start of an aerial root, but nothing I would have thought to
call a thorn.

This is a plant that seems to thrive best in sun and humid heat....my 1st
cuttings came from Anita in Maryland, and the rates of growth and
lignification I've gotten here in OK seem far beyond anything ever seen on
the parent plants in a saner climate despite otherwise comparable care. I
got the green rooted cuttings in March '96; since then I've achieved
lignification and flowering as well as rapid growth in size and FOUR
generations of cuttings!

My Carissas are quite possibly the toughest woody plants I've ever seen. I
haven't gone so far as to completely defoliate a branch, but this plant
seems to bud back on old wood with extreme ease and vigor. Growth of shoots
is extremely rapid, and these need to be watched closely during the height
of the growing seasons.

Success of cuttings is almost guaranteed, but lignified wood seems to root
more quickly. I've had excellent, no, _unimaginable_ success with them by
simply rooting the cuttings in a glass of water and potting once roots have
started.

Thanks,
Phil


Tulsa, Oklahoma USA  USDA Zone 6, almost 7. Twilight Zone A1.

"Remember, it is we who create our own reality...even though a
lot of reality is now made in Taiwan, because of the cheaper labor."
                                                -Swami Beyondananda

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From: Joseph W Kraatz 

Carissa don't require high humidity.  They grow like weeds here in inland San
Diego County which is seldom humid.  Very indestructable.

Joe,  http://members.aol.com/exoticlvs

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