Bonsai fun over the last month...

[Paulpash]

It seems a lot of my stock material is getting the raft treatment - it's a good way to get something good from leggy, one sided or difficult branches and also compact it too. Occasionally, it's styled and replaced..

A different raft maple and a few junipers being prepped for layering. Birds are the bane of my life here - they will peck off all the moss packed round and under this maple's trunk, hence the meshing.

 

[Paulpash]

This year's dig fest of trees have all seemingly made it through the challenge of pushing new growth. I'm happy both for the prospect of additional raw material to shape and more space in the beds for things like ume and Chinese Quince.

First is a chunky Cryptomeria, then a sangu Kaku with a wide nebari , Juniper clump and a Beech air layer I had forgotten about (I planted it at my dad's house 5 years ago).

Oh and lastly here's some niwaki I did in a friend's garden awhile ago - sorry no before picture but just imagine a big round bush!

 

[Jzack605]

Awesome trees. The Birch reminds me of a pretty epic Yamadori Beech I found with similar movement I need to dig.

 

[Paulpash]

I wired out this juniper today to basically open it up and allow light and air to stimulate backbudding. Because of my increasing lack of space in the growing beds this piece of stock lived all its life in a very big wooden trough next to my garage and consequently has little in the way of back branches.

It's a Blauuws juniper and so it's far less temperamental in terms of reversion than itoigawa but nevertheless I've taken off as much as I am happy with for this year - the excess branching will stay on for now and will be removed later as important branches gain vigour. .

I had to really twist some trunks up and I felt my pliers literally buckling a few times. Anyway here's it before.

And after... Lots more growth & development needed but a step in the right direction.


Here's another Blauuws that I dug & styled a couple of seasons ago that's a bit further on and has shown excellent backbudding and is getting increasingly dense.

8th February 2016, dug up and placed in a big pond basket full of pumice & moler.


Added some Shari and wire and here it is today. It'll need a few more rounds of grow out, cut back and fine wiring but I'm happy with progress so far.

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

I wired out this juniper today to basically open it up and allow light and air to stimulate backbudding. Because of my increasing lack of space in the growing beds this piece of stock lived all its life in a very big wooden trough next to my garage and consequently has little in the way of back branches.

It's a Blauuws juniper and so it's far less temperamental in terms of reversion than itoigawa but nevertheless I've taken off as much as I am happy with for this year - the excess branching will stay on for now and will be removed later as important branches gain vigour. .

I had to really twist some trunks up and I felt my pliers literally buckling a few times. Anyway here's it before. View attachment 248755

And after... Lots more growth & development needed but a step in the right direction.
View attachment 248756

Here's another Blauuws that I dug & styled a couple of seasons ago that's a bit further on and has shown excellent backbudding and is getting increasingly dense.

8th February 2016, dug up and placed in a big pond basket full of pumice & moler.
View attachment 248757

Added some Shari and wire and here it is today. It'll need a few more rounds of grow out, cut back and fine wiring but I'm happy with progress so far.

View attachment 248760

Hi Paul,
Great to see what you can do with Blauws.
You done fantastic with both here.
I guess that getting these in the ground has been the key?
Charles

 

[Paulpash]

Hi Paul,
Great to see what you can do with Blauws.
You done fantastic with both here.
I guess that getting these in the ground has been the key?
Charles

Well, the multiple trunk one was grown in a big tub but yes, the way to get a bigger tree is the ground for sure. Start with a smaller tree and bend the crap out of it to get good movement. I'd recommend not cutting off anything except stuff that shades out the next trunk section. Juniper is definitely a 'head of steam' tree - keep that foliage on and it will power forward / back bud and get really dense. Full sun is essential.

I've got a very twisted one I've worked on for a few years that will be ready to go in the ground next season.

 

[Paulpash]

More messing about - gonna hedge the bottom of the maple in my opening post tomorrow. It's grown a lot - the apex is over 3ft tall.

Before - 7th March '19 - look how small the little shoot is poking up for an apex


Today, just before Hedgement Day, that tiny shoot has thickened a lot. More needed though!


The whole tree - a big bush


Next is one I don't think I have shown before and it's quite an obscure species that I don't think I have seen anyone else do but that might just be me! I dug it out of my neighbour's garden - it was going to be thrown on the bonfire.

As collected


Trunk - bit boring so..

I carved it


Pruned it a bit and here it is today


With the reason I dug it up - lovely snakeskin bark. Euonymus japonicus.

 

[Paulpash]

Double post

 

[woodworker]

Thanks for sharing all of these trees! I am new-ish to the hobby, and I just can't get enough of seeing pics like these with trees in development. Really loving what you did with that last tree.