So, ignoring the composition with the dying cryptomeria in the background and a tree literally taking a seat in my garden… I’m looking for information on the dormancy requirements for this tree.
I have a plant room with grow lights, southeast&southwest facing windows and it’s a walkout basement so it stays around 40-50 for the coldest month here in Harrisburg 6b. It’s outside mid april-first frost, has experience 30 twice without skipping a beat, It gets a wet summer and a dry winter with temperature&light change but never goes full deciduous just gets a little messy but keeps 40% of it then pumps growth the next season like any other tree. About the tree, I got it four years ago pretty much when I started bonsai as a johnsteens seedling, put what I call the questionable question mark shaped curve in it which got cut for a new leader. Grew it in the classiest water bottle the east coast to offer then into a 3 gal for a year and it’s been in the bag ever since. I give the water bottle credit for the roots. I’m just really attached to this tree at this point and if it’s going to slow down&die one day I’d rather hear it now than later but if I hear it now maybe I can dump money into the proper dormancy as it’s not this tree but it and the 20 cuttings of various ages. If it can’t be done oh well, I’m looking for that information but until then I’ll do whatever it takes to grow these in Pennsylvania.
First post by the way, found myself recently checking these forums almost daily and I’m trying to not be a lurker.
To my knowledge the dormancy requirements for this species are not widely known since it is not often cultivated outside of its natural habitat (at least before Jonsteen started selling them pretty recently).
I think it looks very healthy and if you’ve already had it for 4 years it is likely able to handle your climate long-term.
These are native to Mexico and grow well here in Texas, and they often stay evergreen throughout winter even being grown 100% outdoors. I think its dormancy requirements are either very minimal or more based on light and subtle temperature changes than a normal temperate tree dormancy cycle.