Attempting a Cotoneaster

[JosephCooper]

I've been thinking about attempting to create a good bonsai out of an average mallsai.

Went to Chinatown yesterday, pretty sub-par trees as expected. Mostly junipers and s-shaped teas, elms, and ficus.



But surprisingly there was also really good material out there.

I ended up with a Cotoneaster that had a good trunk and not too many faults other than direct upward growth. it almost looked like it had been hedge-pruned
May not look like much, but this isn't the front I chose.

A little digging reveals a good base to work off of.
And after the first pruning, I have this.

Just a couple questions:

Should I remove the berries?

What's the best trunk line?

Any suggestions are much needed

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I would keep the zig-zag line for your trunk line. 2nd left branch is likely the one I would choose, but really there is not much there yet to choose from.

I would enjoy it as is, with the fruit for this year. Then at a time appropriate for your California climate, repot it into a large nursery container, let it get bushy, let the trunk get thicker. Then 3 or 4 years down the road do a serious styling. When you style it, you can still bring it back to the same size it is now, but you will have a thicker trunk, and more branches to choose from.

You have a nice single trunk,

You could just keep it in a bonsai pot, and enjoy it for a few years, but eventually you will want to get it back into a nursery size grow out container to bulk up.

 

[GrimLore]

Here they grow at a very fast rate with very good back budding and branching. I find them to need at least 2 hours a week of trimming and pruning a week during growing season. I only defoliate them if they don't drop leaf and berries before they freeze - makes no difference they are great growers but I don't like the looks of brown foliage.

As @Leo in N E Illinois stated a larger Nursery container would be my choice(and is) - in 1 gallon containers they grow VERY good and in 2 short years you would have a plant ready for a smaller container... By very good I mean you won't believe how much plant and branches will have in one year.

Grimmy

 

[JosephCooper]

Finally, FINALLY got it in a nursery can about 2 weeks back, today I find this!There are buds popping everywhere now that it's in better soil, too.