Monthly Cobra's Monthly musings during 2022 December
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01 Jan 2022
Bonsai, in Japanese it means a tree in a pot"
My most recent acquisition, a ficus ginseng. (Ficus microcarpa.) The word “ginseng” means root in Chinese.
A bit of an anomaly this one, its not really a tree, and is more considered to be a house plant, its grown for its bulbous roots.
Once the roots are harvested any number of the fig family scions are grafted on to the root.
Of which there are many shapes and sizes.
As you can see this is very much at the smaller end of the scale.
Bonsai, in Japanese it means a tree in a pot"
My most recent acquisition, a ficus ginseng. (Ficus microcarpa.) The word “ginseng” means root in Chinese.
A bit of an anomaly this one, its not really a tree, and is more considered to be a house plant, its grown for its bulbous roots.
Once the roots are harvested any number of the fig family scions are grafted on to the root.
Of which there are many shapes and sizes.
As you can see this is very much at the smaller end of the scale.
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Jan 13, 2022
Not a Bonsai this time, but one of natures little quirks.
Tillandsia ( air plants )
A genus of around 650 species of evergreen, perennial flowering plants in the family Bromeliaceae.
They take everything they need from the surrounding air, the roots are just for anchoring to trees etc.
In captivity, they are grown in or on all sorts. Inc. "glued" to walls
In this instance a piece of ( drilled) bog wood.
Not a Bonsai this time, but one of natures little quirks.
Tillandsia ( air plants )
A genus of around 650 species of evergreen, perennial flowering plants in the family Bromeliaceae.
They take everything they need from the surrounding air, the roots are just for anchoring to trees etc.
In captivity, they are grown in or on all sorts. Inc. "glued" to walls
In this instance a piece of ( drilled) bog wood.
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January 23rd 2022
A bandit eyeing up the best route to my bird feeders.
Curiously, I've seen it a few times feeding from the peanut holder, without actually destroying it.
That'll be the day traps will be deployed ...
A bandit eyeing up the best route to my bird feeders.
Curiously, I've seen it a few times feeding from the peanut holder, without actually destroying it.
That'll be the day traps will be deployed ...
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February 5th > 7th.
Well this is not quite how I was expecting to start a new month!
Last week I bought a pair of corn snakes, the guy was convinced that they weren't a true pair.
But wasn't sure of the sex. I wasn't bothered either way TBH.
They had always been together, so that was good enough for me. ( no territorial disputes)
Sunday morning, I went to clean them out, there was 6 eggs, she was still wrapped around them,
as they don't incubate their eggs I was sure there was more to come.
Sure enough there was 7 more this morning.
I'd already set up a basic incubator, nothing more than a sandwich box, lid and substrate.
The trick is to keep the humidity up, by lightly spraying everything ,yet, not let it get too damp or they'll likely rot.
and as its been holding steady @30oC & 85% humidity, time to move them in there.
I've no idea if they are fertile or not, I'll be able to "candle" them in a couple of weeks.
For now, I've given them every chance if they are.
Well this is not quite how I was expecting to start a new month!
Last week I bought a pair of corn snakes, the guy was convinced that they weren't a true pair.
But wasn't sure of the sex. I wasn't bothered either way TBH.
They had always been together, so that was good enough for me. ( no territorial disputes)
Sunday morning, I went to clean them out, there was 6 eggs, she was still wrapped around them,
as they don't incubate their eggs I was sure there was more to come.
Sure enough there was 7 more this morning.
I'd already set up a basic incubator, nothing more than a sandwich box, lid and substrate.
The trick is to keep the humidity up, by lightly spraying everything ,yet, not let it get too damp or they'll likely rot.
and as its been holding steady @30oC & 85% humidity, time to move them in there.
I've no idea if they are fertile or not, I'll be able to "candle" them in a couple of weeks.
For now, I've given them every chance if they are.
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February the 15th,
When I first got the Corn's, what I'm now pretty sure is a male, did seem a little underweight.
But the guy assured me they were on one defrosted adult mouse per week.
Again that seems a little low, due to body size / weight ratio..
1 feed after 3 days of ownership, 1 mouse ea.
The next feed 3 days later, 2 mice for the female, 6 for the male. greedy guts!
The male is now looking much better size to weight ratio.
And a first shed from him.
The skin comes off, inside out, starting at the nose and they wriggle out.
Its important to provide a small rock, or a small rough branch to aid this.
It was a complete shed, from the eye covers to the tail tip.
The danger here is that if they don't shed the eye covers and you miss it, it can cause blindness.
any broken part that remains intact, can cause restrictions, to the body.
If in doubt they go in the bath for a good soak and any remaining skin is easily rubbed off by hand.
One complete sloughed skin, (inside out) about 4.5 feet long.
Into the new set up ..
The male taking a drink ...
The female checking out their new home, one of two hidey holes
Oh and the eggs? it looks like 3 maybe viable, but I'm still not counting mychickens snakes until ( if) they hatch,
in about 6 weeks time.
When I first got the Corn's, what I'm now pretty sure is a male, did seem a little underweight.
But the guy assured me they were on one defrosted adult mouse per week.
Again that seems a little low, due to body size / weight ratio..
1 feed after 3 days of ownership, 1 mouse ea.
The next feed 3 days later, 2 mice for the female, 6 for the male. greedy guts!
The male is now looking much better size to weight ratio.
And a first shed from him.
The skin comes off, inside out, starting at the nose and they wriggle out.
Its important to provide a small rock, or a small rough branch to aid this.
It was a complete shed, from the eye covers to the tail tip.
The danger here is that if they don't shed the eye covers and you miss it, it can cause blindness.
any broken part that remains intact, can cause restrictions, to the body.
If in doubt they go in the bath for a good soak and any remaining skin is easily rubbed off by hand.
One complete sloughed skin, (inside out) about 4.5 feet long.
Into the new set up ..
The male taking a drink ...
The female checking out their new home, one of two hidey holes
Oh and the eggs? it looks like 3 maybe viable, but I'm still not counting my
in about 6 weeks time.
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26/02/22
3 weeks on, and a few more eggs are "plumping up" quite nicely.
I added the Sphagnum moss several days ago to aid with the humidity,
which gets lightly sprayed with water every day.
There are a couple "slugs" in there ( the flat off coloured ones.) I can't remove them with out damaging the other eggs, though
as they are all stuck together. (although 2 have been removed as they were unattached. )
That won't affect the possible viability of the others, and I could do a lot of damage trying to separate them..
About 3 weeks to go before they start to pip. If they do of course....
(hydrometer / hygrometer probe bottom right and a small bowl of water bottom left)
3 weeks on, and a few more eggs are "plumping up" quite nicely.
I added the Sphagnum moss several days ago to aid with the humidity,
which gets lightly sprayed with water every day.
There are a couple "slugs" in there ( the flat off coloured ones.) I can't remove them with out damaging the other eggs, though
as they are all stuck together. (although 2 have been removed as they were unattached. )
That won't affect the possible viability of the others, and I could do a lot of damage trying to separate them..
About 3 weeks to go before they start to pip. If they do of course....
(hydrometer / hygrometer probe bottom right and a small bowl of water bottom left)
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March 10/03/22
Bonsai re-potting and trimming season.
I've been waiting for a mild day, you don't want to be exposing roots in a cold wind or trimming when a frost is imminent.
Today, I made a start,
New pot & fresh soil for the Acer root over rock, this'll be on going for a few years now, as the roots grow around the rock.
New pot, light root trim and fresh soil for the Chinese cherry apple, the fruit are about the size of Cherry's hence the name.
New pot, fresh soil and a root trim for the Siberian Elm. ( its a late "leafer" )
Generally the trees are re-potted every 2 years either a heavy trim and back in the old pot, or a light trim and into a bigger pot.
Propitiatory Bonsai soil can be bought in may forms, and each one better than the other ( apparently)
I make my own, potting compost, peat moss, fine orchid bark and grit.
The idea is it needs to be fast draining, but at the same time hold moisture..
Left to right Acer 6 inches from the bench, Chinese Cherry Apple, 12 inches from the bench & Siberian Elm 20 inches from the bench.
Bonsai re-potting and trimming season.
I've been waiting for a mild day, you don't want to be exposing roots in a cold wind or trimming when a frost is imminent.
Today, I made a start,
New pot & fresh soil for the Acer root over rock, this'll be on going for a few years now, as the roots grow around the rock.
New pot, light root trim and fresh soil for the Chinese cherry apple, the fruit are about the size of Cherry's hence the name.
New pot, fresh soil and a root trim for the Siberian Elm. ( its a late "leafer" )
Generally the trees are re-potted every 2 years either a heavy trim and back in the old pot, or a light trim and into a bigger pot.
Propitiatory Bonsai soil can be bought in may forms, and each one better than the other ( apparently)
I make my own, potting compost, peat moss, fine orchid bark and grit.
The idea is it needs to be fast draining, but at the same time hold moisture..
Left to right Acer 6 inches from the bench, Chinese Cherry Apple, 12 inches from the bench & Siberian Elm 20 inches from the bench.
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15/03/22
This little fella has been awake for a few days now,
I've been leaving a mixture of chopped fruit, meal worms and minced beef, near where it was hibernating / sleeping.
I went to do the food run tonight and it was sat right by the back door,
impatient or what?
This little fella has been awake for a few days now,
I've been leaving a mixture of chopped fruit, meal worms and minced beef, near where it was hibernating / sleeping.
I went to do the food run tonight and it was sat right by the back door,
impatient or what?
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As per posts 7&8
I'd just about given up TBH,
and then I find a pair of boot laces this morning.
A mad rush to source some RUB's ( really useful boxes as we say) and shallow waters dishes.
All sorted using food containers the sort of thing that you would get a take-away in.
and small plastic pots that I cut down.
All for a princely sum of £3:50p I call that a result.
They'll be OK in there for a few weeks.
I'd just about given up TBH,
and then I find a pair of boot laces this morning.
A mad rush to source some RUB's ( really useful boxes as we say) and shallow waters dishes.
All sorted using food containers the sort of thing that you would get a take-away in.
and small plastic pots that I cut down.
All for a princely sum of £3:50p I call that a result.
They'll be OK in there for a few weeks.
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The third and final hatch, one of 5 viable eggs of 13 laid back in Feb this year.
Sadly one died in its shell pretty much at maturity, It just didn't have the strength to cut it self free I guess.
One un be known to me seems to have hatched and somehow escaped the hatching box,
and got itself wedged up behind the heater guard. I found that one dead yesterday.
This one is making a bit of a pigs ear of the whole thing, at the moment, its been trying for 24 hours to hatch, cutting 3 hatching slits which I opened to one. Its still nice and moist at the moment, but another 24 hours and I'll drag it out into the real world. Hopefully that won't be necessary though.
Sadly one died in its shell pretty much at maturity, It just didn't have the strength to cut it self free I guess.
One un be known to me seems to have hatched and somehow escaped the hatching box,
and got itself wedged up behind the heater guard. I found that one dead yesterday.
This one is making a bit of a pigs ear of the whole thing, at the moment, its been trying for 24 hours to hatch, cutting 3 hatching slits which I opened to one. Its still nice and moist at the moment, but another 24 hours and I'll drag it out into the real world. Hopefully that won't be necessary though.
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21/04/22
When snakes hatch they usually have enough on board nutrition to last them about 7 days.
At which point they slough, (shed their skin) and begin feeding.
#2 fed after 4 days after hatching, but is yet to shed.
#1 & #3 both shed right on time, 7 days after hatching, hopefully they'll both feed tonight.
Shed skin, head forward and inside out.
A normal pencil for comparison.
When snakes hatch they usually have enough on board nutrition to last them about 7 days.
At which point they slough, (shed their skin) and begin feeding.
#2 fed after 4 days after hatching, but is yet to shed.
#1 & #3 both shed right on time, 7 days after hatching, hopefully they'll both feed tonight.
Shed skin, head forward and inside out.
A normal pencil for comparison.
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There is only one way to skin a snake ..
And that is to let them do it themselves, until they get into a mess, that is.
And then its a soak in a lukewarm bath, and then gentle rub down with agreasy rag with a damp cloth
to get the last of it off.
Although he made a right mess, of it, coming off in a few sections, normally they shed a complete skin.
The eye shields are there, the tip of the tail is there, and nothing constricting the mid section.
All these can cause issues, later.
Carrying his head on his back.
There should always be some form of rough surface to help a snake get started,
in this case a couple of small rocks and a cork bark tunnel also for a hidey hole.
Its thirsty work this shedding lark.
And that is to let them do it themselves, until they get into a mess, that is.
And then its a soak in a lukewarm bath, and then gentle rub down with a
to get the last of it off.
Although he made a right mess, of it, coming off in a few sections, normally they shed a complete skin.
The eye shields are there, the tip of the tail is there, and nothing constricting the mid section.
All these can cause issues, later.
Carrying his head on his back.
There should always be some form of rough surface to help a snake get started,
in this case a couple of small rocks and a cork bark tunnel also for a hidey hole.
Its thirsty work this shedding lark.
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11/10/22
My Japanese Larch Bonsai, suffered quite badly this summer in the heat wave.
Before I set about it with clippers.
After a trim up. I'll leave it now to sort itself out, as you can see its starting to back bud.
The cane is there to support a new leader.
A top branch tied up to become part of the trunk, ( rather than wiring) and the trunk will be eventually shaped / carved to the new leader.
All in all it stands about 1 foot tall.
And a cone, approx 3/4in round
My Japanese Larch Bonsai, suffered quite badly this summer in the heat wave.
Before I set about it with clippers.
After a trim up. I'll leave it now to sort itself out, as you can see its starting to back bud.
The cane is there to support a new leader.
A top branch tied up to become part of the trunk, ( rather than wiring) and the trunk will be eventually shaped / carved to the new leader.
All in all it stands about 1 foot tall.
And a cone, approx 3/4in round
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