Hedera sp.

Ivy

Ivy is a prominent plant in legend and lore. It is associated with the god Bacchus (and hence with tavern signs), and a cup made of ivy-wood was thought to cure whooping-cough. Ivy is gaining popularity as a bonsai, for although a vine, ivy will develop an attractive woody trunk for use in pot culture.

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Lighting:

 Prefers semi-shade, although Hedera helix can also grow in shade.

Temperature:

 Lesniewicz claims that H. helix can be grown successfully indoors. It is zone hardy in colder climates, while H. rhombea is more tender.

Watering:

 Frequently during growth, moderating in winter.

Feeding:

 Every two weeks during growth, using liquid bonsai food or half-strength plant food.

Repotting:

 Every two years in spring or early autumn, using basic bonsai soil.

Styling:

 Any style but formal upright. Cut new shoots back hard to the first one or two leaves near the trunk. As with most woody vines, the major challenge is to grow a thick trunk, and to keep growth compact. A good start is by using an old vine that has been collected.

Propagation:

 Cuttings, air-layering. A good source is old, unwanted vines alongside houses, which have had time to grow thick, woody trunks. Young plants creep, but older plants become shrubby - and cuttings taken from shrubby plants retain these characteristics suitable for bonsai.

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Some species suitable for bonsai:


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Michel Bartolone
bartlone@ct.med.ge.com
November 11, 1996
>Temperature: Lesniewicz claims that H. helix can be grown
>successfully indoors.   ^^^^^^

Excuse me..I resemble that remark...er something like that!
Actually, I have been growing H. helix indoors for several
years. Its easy to care for, has produced some spectacular
surface roots, and can take a lot of stress! I live in
zone 5, and I've seen it growing outdoors quite nicely, although
what I grow indoors bay be an unmarked dwarf variant. I would
highly recommend it for indoor beginners.

:)

Mike


Rick
RickBonsai@AOL.COM
November 11, 1996
In a message dated 96-10-27 15:32:08 EST, Michael Persiano wrote:

>Brent:
>
>Interesting!  I have never fried a leaf.  H. canariensis has burgundy-red
>twigs and petioles as well as long, glossy, leathery leaves. This is not my
>specimen.
>My Hedera helix has taken temperatures up to 100-degrees Fahrenheit.

As I've said before, there is a difference in 100F weather in various parts
of the country (world).  When you have 30-60, or more, days of straight,
nearly cloudless 100+ temperatures with accompanying wind, intense sun, and
low to moderate humidity, a large number of leaves can fry.

As an example.  Before the weather forced the postponement of my soil
temperature study, I tried taking a temperature reading in direct sunlight
(temperature in the shade was about 104F) but could not get an accurate
reading because it climbed to over 120F (the max for my thermometer) in less
than 3 minutes.  I felt like I was frying during that 3 minutes. :-)

Rick
S-most, Tx


Brent Walston
bonsai@pacific.net
November 11, 1996
Date: Sun, 27 Oct 1996 12:50:56 -0800
From: Brent Walston 

At 03:31 PM 10/27/96 -0500, you wrote:
>In a message dated 96-10-27 11:41:26 EST, you write:
>
> (valleys of CA). The only ivy to tolerate full sun is Hedera canariensis,
> Algerian Ivy and even it has a tough time in full blast afternoon sun. There
> are always some burned leaves. Most of the Hedera helix cultivars do ok with
> full morning sun. Variegated cultivars seem to need this amount of light to
> show good color. >>
>
>Brent:
>
>Interesting!  I have never fried a leaf.  H. canariensis has burgundy-red
>twigs and petioles as well as long, glossy, leathery leaves. This is not my
>specimen.
>
>My Hedera helix has taken temperatures up to 100-degrees Fahrenheit.
>I suspect that it is the combination of high temperature and low humidity
that makes the difference. We had about thirty days of 100+ this year with
humidity around twenty percent, sometimes accompanied with wind. That will
fry just about anything.

Brent
Evergreen Gardenworks
bonsai@pacific.net
>Cordially,
>
>Michael Persiano

Michael


Brent Walston
bonsai@pacific.net
November 11, 1996
Michael

Hedera helix (all cultivars) will fry in our area if kept in full sun
(valleys of CA). The only ivy to tolerate full sun is Hedera canariensis,
Algerian Ivy and even it has a tough time in full blast afternoon sun. There
are always some burned leaves. Most of the Hedera helix cultivars do ok with
full morning sun. Variegated cultivars seem to need this amount of light to
show good color.

Brent
Evergreen Gardenworks
bonsai@pacific.net




=================================================================

From: Jason Krozel 
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 11:42:40 -0500

HI!  For Hedera, check Brent's catalog.  He has many different cultivars, one of
which I recently purchased, so I really can't give you any kind of info yet 
(since it was recent).
You are doing us all an awesome service with the TOW.  Thanks!

Jason Krozel
Zone 5, Chicago

Date: Sat, 26 Oct 1996 22:58:11 -0400
From: Michael Persiano 
Subject: Re: Hedera summary - final draft
Lines: 27

In a message dated 96-10-26 18:14:20 EDT, rcaine@ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Robert F
Caine) writes:

<< Lighting: Prefers semi-shade, although Hedera helix can also
 grow in shade. >>

Robert:

A Couple of Comments:

I do not know the source for this information, but Hedera helix thrives in
full sun.

Also, young whipping specimens will rapidly develop trunk girth if they are
heavily fertilized with fertilizer cakes.

The leaves of Hedera helix are quite conducive to dwarfing.  Its leaves can
be reduced to as small as 1/2 of an inch through reduced watering and
infrequent repotting.

Cordially,

Michael Persiano

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Information Sources:

Information on Hedera is taken from Lesniewicz's "Bonsai in Your Home," Murata's "Four Seasons of Bonsai," " Resnick's "Bonsai," and Tomlinson's "Complete Book of Bonsai," with species information from Coats' "Garden Shrubs and Their Histories." I also checked the Evergreen Gardenworks catalog, on a recommendation from Jason Krozel.


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