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My Bonsai day so far
https://weetrees.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14726		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Gary Jones [ 23 Mar 2016, 14:50 ]
Post subject:  My Bonsai day so far
Well 3 days ago a skip appeared opposite our house and a bush was dumped on top. Being a radical bonsai man I eyed it up and then being me I dithered. Last night under cover of darkness, with balaclava on and torch in hand armed with the knowledge that "ask the owner's permission" translates as "don't get caught" I liberated the now heavily wilting bush from the skip and whisked it away to my garden and put it in a bucket of water. Would I save the poor the little thing? Well yes this morning it had perked up and looked fit as a fiddle. Aha I thought - now to identify it and decide what to do. A little research and I found out it was (I'm pretty sure) euonymus fortunei - a common garden bush totally unsuitable for Bonsai. Back to the tip or planted in the garden? I'll let the long suffering Mrs J decide.

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Author:  Gary Jones [ 23 Mar 2016, 14:54 ]
Post subject:  Re: My Bonsai day so far
Then I popped round to see a fellow weetree-er and had a jolly good chat for an hour and a half. Even kinder - weetree generosity prevailed and look what I got - some pots and a 3 new babies to play with. (Yew, Box and English Elm). Thank you my friend.

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Author:  Gary Jones [ 23 Mar 2016, 15:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: My Bonsai day so far
Got home and been wandering about this other privet I've got. It's basically a cut off stump.

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Most of the foliage is off this new shoot but I don't think I really need it as a sacrifice and it's not growing off the main stump to form the next section. Any point in keeping this shoot?

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Again is there much point in keeping these shoots coming out of the base just below the soil line? I suppose they could bulk it up a bit but I'm not convinced.

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Here's the foliage growing out just below the chop. I think this is the bit I need but just one shoot from this point - the rest can go.

So in summary I think from a trunk growing exercise point of view I should chop most of the existing foliage off leaving just the one shoot to grow up over the next few years. Am I on the right tracks or just cutter happy?

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Author:  Bill [ 23 Mar 2016, 15:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: My Bonsai day so far
tricky that privet. i reckon you could chop the low branch and regrow it. make a sort of clump style with this branch, a shoot off the stump itself (apex), a branch from the back and that shoot coming from below soil level, which could be pulled down to move it out to the left and be placed below the apex.

fwiw i would not clean it all back to one shoot to grow as leader, all it will want to do is regrow from the base, as the top shoot is likely not connected to much of the root on the right hand side. these roots will want foliage to feed them, so will repeatedly produce buds above them.

my final suggestion is take it out of the pot and look for a simpler tree. e.g. you could split this in 2; the strong low shoot and its roots (depending on how suitable they are) may be split off from the rest, creating perhaps a more interesting trunkline in a smaller tree that already has the next trunk section grown (the strong shoot).
Author:  roger m [ 23 Mar 2016, 17:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: My Bonsai day so far
Lots for you to work on there Gary, that little elm looks kind of cute.

Roger
Author:  Gary Jones [ 23 Mar 2016, 17:17 ]
Post subject:  Re: My Bonsai day so far
Bill wrote:
tricky that privet. i reckon you could chop the low branch and regrow it. make a sort of clump style with this branch, a shoot off the stump itself (apex), a branch from the back and that shoot coming from below soil level, which could be pulled down to move it out to the left and be placed below the apex.

fwiw i would not clean it all back to one shoot to grow as leader, all it will want to do is regrow from the base, as the top shoot is likely not connected to much of the root on the right hand side. these roots will want foliage to feed them, so will repeatedly produce buds above them.

my final suggestion is take it out of the pot and look for a simpler tree. e.g. you could split this in 2; the strong low shoot and its roots (depending on how suitable they are) may be split off from the rest, creating perhaps a more interesting trunkline in a smaller tree that already has the next trunk section grown (the strong shoot).


Thanks Bill - I like that idea.
Author:  Deano [ 23 Mar 2016, 17:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: My Bonsai day so far
roger m wrote:
Lots for you to work on there Gary, that little elm looks kind of cute.

Roger

My thoughts too. Elnglish elm are quite precious nowadays and should be looked after.
Author:  BobbyLane [ 23 Mar 2016, 18:08 ]
Post subject:  Re: My Bonsai day so far
I think a pleasing image could be created with the privet, maybe something like this
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if was mine i'd probably reduce the heavy branch to a stub n make a Uro or hollow feature.

i think you can look at Olives when styling privets, they are part of the same family. i do anyway..
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Author:  Jibletjames [ 23 Mar 2016, 19:34 ]
Post subject:  Re: My Bonsai day so far
Gary Jones wrote:
Then I popped round to see a fellow weetree-er and had a jolly good chat for an hour and a half. Even kinder - weetree generosity prevailed and look what I got - some pots and a 3 new babies to play with. (Yew, Box and English Elm). Thank you my friend.

Image


A day playing with bonsai plus free trees, rub it in why don't you....some of us poor people have been working hard all day :1crybaby: :1crybaby:
Author:  Penny Ann [ 23 Mar 2016, 21:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: My Bonsai day so far
My philosiphy( or however you spell it ) is that anything woody is a potential bonsai until proved conclusively otherwise. Though I think Solandra might prove me wrong!
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