Did I make best use or just another cookie cutter?

[Smoke]

I bought this larger hornbeam at a club show last year around this time. I bought it because it had what I found to be a classical Moyogi shaped trunk. Good movement and nice taper in the bottom one third of the trunk. I knew when I bought it that I was going to make a shohin out of it and was buying it for just a small portion of the plant as bought.

 

[Smoke]

The plant was chopped down and the small brach stubs that remained were wired. The plant went straight away to my fertlizer regiman which consists of Humic acid enriched fertilizer cakes as well as humic acid soil drenches every other week and miricle grow 1/4 strength weekly in a garden sprayer.

All the cuts were sealed due to hornbeams notorious penchant for dying back. I needed all the branches I could scrape up and could not spare to lose even one.

 

[Smoke]

After wire and a little grow out, the branches were more defined. Hornbeams are vigerous growers and will bud all summer like zelcova. Ramification is very easy in my 10 month growing season with diligent pinching and good fertlizer.

By fall the tree was starting to look pretty good.

 

[JasonG]

Geez Al, talk about paint by numbers, lol!!! Just kidding, I like what you have done here and think it is on its way to becoming a kick butt shohin. Nice work!

BTW, DId you get my email the other day?

Thanks for sharing.

Jason

 

[Smoke]

This spring the tree was planted out in a show pot by Jim Barrett. During that time I was able to inspect the roots for the first time and saw some very poor structure in these import hornbeams. Root work was never done on these before export.

I did as much as I dare do in one sitting, but was confident that I would be successful. In fact the lower trunk was cut nearly all the way around and hormone sprinkled on to help grow a better root system for a better flare and nebari.

Now the tree is potted up and looking very nice for one years work.

The dilemma... is it just another cookie cutter moyogi or was there a better path?

 

[Smoke]

Geez Al, talk about paint by numbers, lol!!! Just kidding, I like what you have done here and think it is on its way to becoming a kick butt shohin. Nice work!

BTW, DId you get my email the other day?

Thanks for sharing.

Jason

Yes I did and there will be some stuff coming your way this week. I just have to get past this exhibit tomorrow and then I can concentrate on other things. (like the Kazari) and writing for Kathleen O'Donnel and Golden Statements.

 

[milehigh_7]

I look forward to the opinions. Thanks for the instruction as usual. I learn so much from the way you show these progressions.

 

[bretts]

I love all good bonsai including cookie cutter. So saying I like it might not help you much but I think it is and will be a great little tree.
I find the root base a little prone but I would think that as the tree matures a better arrangement can be made for the base.
I am not sure how much growth I can get down here it is a little hot for them. I am looking to push mine a bit harder next season though.

 

[davetree]

It doesn't look cookie cutter to me. It looks like you tried to make the smallest possible tree, reduced to the essentials. I like that idea and I like the tree.

 

[Dav4]

I hate the term "cookie cutter".... a good tree is a good tree...period. Thanks again Al for the pictorial.

Dave

 

[Anonymous User]

There is potential in this piece, but it hasn't reached the stage of cookie cutter yet, if that's what you were trying for.

For now, it is a stump with some skinny branches and over-sized leaves. One you get the lower branches to thicken in proportion and create ramification, as well as leaf reduction, then it could be very nice.

It is always nice to see creations from scratch.


Will

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I like the pot, Al! The tree is immature at this point, but as you pointed out, you've only been working on the new design for a year. It looks great for how old it is. The branches need to develop, and the trunk has to "grow into" the branches - i.e. thicken near the base of the branches so they don't look like new sprouts. All of this just comes with time, however, so I'm not telling you anything you don't already know.

It does not look cookie-cutter to me.

 

[greerhw]

Hey BigAl1, I looked up Kookie Kutter in the Webster and it only applies to JBP. What you have is a nice little D tree, that should make a very nice little D tree.

Ciao,
Harry

 

[Boondock]

Smoke, thank you very much for sharing your skill and knowledge. The progression series is excellent and i agree with BonsaiNut about the pot

 

[Smoke]

Well well well!

I found the thread I was looking for. So I will post the tree here now.

 

[Smoke]

This is how it looked before the leaves came. Branches are really ramifying fast. Second year this month.

Al

 

[FrankP999]

The plant went straight away to my fertlizer regiman which consists of Humic acid enriched fertilizer cakes as well as humic acid soil drenches every other week and miricle grow 1/4 strength weekly in a garden sprayer.

AL,

What are you using for the humic acid soil drench?

Thanks

Frank

 

[DesertBonsai]

Wow! I really like how you explained all this out...very helpful and very informative. Would this work for all trees? I have this Chinese elm...I was wondering how well it would work for it. I have some humic acid how much should I use?

 

[Just Duane]

Nice tree Al! I like the movement of the trunk, very nice!

 

[catfish chapstick]

i think "cookie cutter" should be defined. does that mean that a composition is too predictable?

i like the tree and i would have probably done the same thing with it.