Dirty Talks with Alex Bartholomew aka @midwest_plant_guy PART 1
I sat down (over email) with the wonderful Alex Bartholomew a.k.a. @midwest_plant_guy to discuss his outstanding plant collection! Known for both indoor and outdoor plants, particularly his impressive bonsai collection. We get a deeper look into what makes Alex tick. And hell, you might just learn something you can apply to your plants along the way. 😉
Alex with a Massive Portulacaria afra
Adam: Okay, so this seems like an obvious place to start, but can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into growing plants?
Alex: So, My name is Alex Bartholomew, I am a graphic designer by trade, and plants are just one of my many time-consuming hobbies! Back in high school, I was as into houseplants as much as any average consumer, you know with a small Cacti in my window, a pothos trailing down the stairwell, basic stuff like that! Fast forward a couple of years, and by the time I got to college I had acquired a few more basic houseplants, such as a few more cacti, a bromeliad, and a few others I can't even remember the names of! again, nothing crazy, just a few here and there!
Then one evening my girlfriend (now wife), had to run into the store while I waited in the car and she came back out with a Meyer lemon tree! I was thrilled, and became obsessed with trying to figure out how to care for and grow it in Iowa, Zone 5, which is VERY cold in the winter! So I learned how to keep it alive inside for winter and outside for summer, and that knowledge is what led me into doing research into other Tropicals, such as carnivorous plants, and tropical bonsai like Ficus, schefflera, and portulacaria!
A few shelves of the collect… clearly not everything!
Alex (continued): And since then, it has just snowballed into a massive collection of any plant or tree I find interesting! I really do credit the purchase of that lemon tree for pushing me deep into this hobby, and now I am up to well over 100 plants and trees!
Adam: You have a great collection of bonsai. It is certainly impressive. What kind of advice would you give to someone who is just getting into the hobby?
Alex: Bonsai can be a really intimidating hobby, and I know it was for me getting started! I've been active into the hobby for probably 7 or 8 years, and I still consider myself a beginner! My four pieces of advice for beginners would be:
Alex’s First Bonsai Show!
Don't worry if you kill a tree!! everyone does, I've killed many, and I'll probably lose a few this winter, it just comes with the hobby! If anyone tells you they've never lost a tree, they are either lying or brand new to the hobby!
To start with Tropicals! Species like Ficus, or dwarf jade, or citrus, or umbrella trees. These are all great species because they can be kept indoors for winter months, and you don't have to worry about dormancy, which, in my opinion, is the hardest and most intimidating part of bonsai!
Do your research!!!!! I see many beginners buying trees with no knowledge of the species, killing it, then getting disheartened and leaving the hobby. Learn from my mistake because I did exactly that! My first "bonsai" tree was a Juniper, which I'm sure everyone has seen being sold at the mall, or from a guy out of a van in a parking lot! I purchased one of these, with no knowledge on the species, tried to keep it indoors and it died! and that actually turned me away from evergreen and deciduous trees for a while, and why I started with tropical after that!
Don't be afraid to ask others for help or information! 95% of people in this hobby are SO welcoming, and so friendly, and always willing to share knowledge and help others! There are always going to be a few bad apples and a few "purists" or "Gatekeepers" but just ignore them and you will almost always be met with kindness and knowledge! For example, I have been getting REALLY into Bald Cypress over the last year, so, I joined a Facebook group dedicated to that species, and I have learned SO MUCH in the last 6 months from people on that page, and actually met a few people that I talk to almost daily, and would consider good friends, just because I decided to join that group and ask questions.
Dwarf Jade
Adam: Do you find there to be large differences between growing bonsai and houseplants?
Alex: This answer can go both ways, yes and no! Tropical/warm climate bonsai species are fairly similar to the care of houseplants. Species like Portulacaria Afra (dwarf jade) are actually part of the succulent family and should be treated as such! bright light, well-draining soil, low humidity, sparse watering. and species like Ficus and citrus trees are similar in care to something like a monstera, lots of bright light, they like humidity and warmth, water frequently, stuff like that! They will still need a little more attention with pruning, shaping, watering, soil composition, and stuff like that, but they are fairly similar, which is why I always tell beginners to start with Tropicals!
Variegated Schefflera
Alex (continued): Now deciduous/cold climate trees, Like maples, Junipers, Larch, Spruce, and many others, are a whole different ball game and very different from houseplants! These species all need to be kept outside year-round and NEED winter dormancy to survive. These are the species you really need to do a ton of research on. Now for me, Living in Iowa, I have it pretty good for this type of tree because we get decently cold and freezing winters, but it's not extreme cold, and it's not like living in the South. I have the perfect winter for a lot of species, so I just cover them in mulch and keep them in my garage. If you live in a warmer climate, it can be really hard to keep some of these species, because it can be very hard to create a simulated winter for 3-4 months. If you live in an extreme cold environment, you can make it work by heavily protecting your trees, overall winter dormancy can be tricky, but with proper research, you can make any tree thrive!
Bald Cypress
Adam: If you had to start your plant collection over again, what would you do differently?
Find out Alex’s Answer in the Second part of the Blog!!!
Until then, get your copy of ‘Leave it the Fuck Alone’ Out NOW!!
