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  1. BonsaiMatt

    Digging a Large Trident Maple

    Trident maple progression over the last six years. Pictures are around one year apart. Spring 2024:
  2. BonsaiMatt

    NN - 10 years challenge

    Year five update (forgot to update last year), continued from posts 10, 59, and 78. Just trying to grow some little shohin nuggets. Only five more years to complete the 10 year challenge! Anyone else still going?
  3. BonsaiMatt

    Digging a Large Trident Maple

    Some fall color:
  4. BonsaiMatt

    2023 Fall Haiku Contest

    Asking for a friend Will this winter be as bad As the forecast says
  5. BonsaiMatt

    Coastal Redwood collapse - At my wits end!

    Do you grow your trees up against the wall? What direction does your garden face? The exposed side of a house soaks up a lot of sunlight, and can get really hot in the afternoons if it faces West/SW.
  6. BonsaiMatt

    Digging a Large Trident Maple

    Here we are today, a month after full defoliation:
  7. BonsaiMatt

    Digging a Large Trident Maple

    Around a month ago (May 13) I did a defoliation and trim. Before: Halfway: Finished:
  8. BonsaiMatt

    Help me NOT kill my dog!

    Set a few mousetraps out on your pots. He'll learn quick. After he learns, you can set mousetraps out and not even arm them. Worked great to get my rottweiler to stop eating my trees.
  9. BonsaiMatt

    Large Trident Progression

    Seems like there is no sap flow to that top section (no live branches), so that is why the graft failed. I doubt you will get a graft to take in that section. If it were mine, I would feed it aggressively and let it grow a bit wild, and then chop it back and hope for some good back budding...
  10. BonsaiMatt

    Digging a Large Trident Maple

    This spring I repotted this trident, changing the planting angle a little. I also added a few more root grafts during the process. Here it is before and after repot and trim: And this morning:
  11. BonsaiMatt

    Ground Layering a Chinese Elm

    It didn't seem to work.
  12. BonsaiMatt

    Ground Layering a Chinese Elm

    The V cut splits up the main trunk to help transition taper to the sub-trunks. It helps make the flat trunk chop less noticeable (hopefully).
  13. BonsaiMatt

    Ground Layering a Chinese Elm

    Just starting to leaf out in spring:
  14. BonsaiMatt

    Ground Layering a Chinese Elm

    I started the layer on July 18, 2020, and removed it on March 20, 2021
  15. BonsaiMatt

    Digging a Large Trident Maple

    Trident maple chop scar healing over the years, pictures are around one year apart:
  16. BonsaiMatt

    Digging a Large Trident Maple

    I appreciate the input guys, always nice to get fresh eyes on a project. I don't think I can tilt the tree too much, the base wouldn't look right, and I feel that the straight, heavily tapered trunk looks best vertical. The eye poker branch doesn't bother me in person, it provides a lot of...
  17. BonsaiMatt

    Digging a Large Trident Maple

    Thinking about future development of this tree. I did a virtual of some top structure that I hope to get in place over the next year. Eventually I want a broad, wide canopy around that structure, but that'll take years. Then I messed around removing a couple branches to see how it might...
  18. BonsaiMatt

    Invasive Species as Bonsai

    Yes, Callery pear are awful! Everyone was planting Bradford pear a couple decades ago, but now they are a menace. They are very vigorous growers, and have nasty thorns.
  19. BonsaiMatt

    Digging a Large Trident Maple

    End of season update. Grew a new leader, will be cutting it back to the first node next spring.
  20. BonsaiMatt

    I switched from T5 to LED and now my greenhouse is seeing temps as high as 110

    Get the led driver out of the tent, that's where most of the heat is coming from. Can rewire them pretty easily to extend the cord length.
  21. BonsaiMatt

    Suggested Resources for Styling

    Principles of Bonsai Design by Dave De Groot is pretty good and design focused. https://stonelantern.com/products/principles-of-bonsai-design-by-david-de-groot
  22. BonsaiMatt

    Presumed recurrent fungal infection on Trident Maple

    I had plans to try h2o2 if things went bad again, but my tridents stopped showing these symptoms. I credit a good repotting and switching to rain water. I also started using bonide infuse a couple times a year (spring/fall). I still think I had a bacterial infection caused by root fungus. I...
  23. BonsaiMatt

    Ground Layering a Chinese Elm

    Leafing out
  24. BonsaiMatt

    The Nebari Thread

    Spirea clump:
  25. BonsaiMatt

    Ground Layering a Chinese Elm

    You are probably right. I was initially thinking of a broom-style canopy when I left them the same height, but it would be more interesting with one more dominant than the other. Definitely considering letting one outgrow the other.
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