Bonsai American Kratom Trees
@guywithtrees Haha, this is great. Are you training the branches down so leaves are easier to reach for harvest later? Sort of like a willow... You're always coming up with something, keep the videos coming.
@SubstanceTheSqid that is exactly what we are trying to do! For reference this is the same tree in the video.
https://kratomwatchdog.com/topic/2177/full-mature-flowering-kratom-tree-in-4k
See how big it is?! It's very unmanageable in it's current state so we need to shape it so we can reach all of the branches. It's to tall for a ladder and we have to build scaffolding to reach it.
I vote kratom tree house on the scaffolds! It could be a cool way to observe growth a pick at it. But the bonsai willow method is much more practical... Water bottles might be worth recycling for bonsai purposes.
@SubstanceTheSqid I'm trying to grow bamboo so that I can use that to build scaffolding I just don't have enough bamboo to do it efficiently right now so the only other way I could think of it is getting pallets of 2x4s and trying to nail those together and hope that don't come down.
but I do think that's a good idea for the water bottles that actually might work.
to be as effective as possible I think it's going to have to be accommodation of doing the scaffolding and the water bottles as these trees grow way too fast and if you don't shape them when they're young you're going to have it tougher time when they get too big.
While bamboo is very useful for scaffolding and trellis and plant stands, it is highly invasive and has a tendency to ruin soil where it grows. While I'm sure you'd use as much as you can grow, I don't recommend planting it.
I would love to send some 20ft pole cuttings down your way, it grows everywhere in my state. You should drive around and look for large bamboo stands in your local area. People are usually interested in getting rid of it, and if you spend a day with a team and some electric saws they'll let you take as much as you want. It grows all over the US.
Beware the bamboo boring beetles though. Some pest likes to dig into them at the nodes and leaves tiny holes. Over time this can weaken scaffolds, and they may have to be replaced. I think there is a proper way to dry bamboo and laquer it for long term use though... good luck. It's a very good idea. Even to build larger ladders.
@SubstanceTheSqid wow thank you so much for this information. I had no idea about any of that. Do you have issues with Beatles in the past?
Just in terms of quality of the bamboo for structural purposes, they bore holes and leave little dusty trails and it gets weaker. And its weird to have so many bugs around lol. I am not 100% sure, but I don't think they go after other plants.
@SubstanceTheSqid It's been interesting a little ecross system that exists with the trees. I have been going out of my way to document any plant or animal that comes in contact with the trees.
Insects of the Kratom Nursery: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1hWIjYFQCZZw2NoXzQowTu_hnebc9Is5
@SubstanceTheSqid
Exactly. Thus far I've been controlling it's growth by cutting every single branch that attempts to go vertical.
It is an extremely reactive plant due to its quick growing nature.