Perplexody
Shohin
Picked up this (in my opinion) good looking koto hime and I'm just looking for styling advise, looks like it may have been pruned recently and it has pretty bad inverse taper I'm open to any suggestions
Koto hime
- Thread starter Perplexody
- Start date
Could we get some more pics? Perhaps of the nebari, uncovered a bit, different angles and mostly just showing the first 10-15" of it, the main trunk and primary branching. The rest of it is not needed to see, to get opinions on styling 
Perplexody
Shohin
Hopefully this helps a bit more, now sure how to best photograph to show everything
this is the current back side but it could go either way at the moment
this is the current back side but it could go either way at the moment
Hartinez
Masterpiece
Nice. Doesn’t seem to be grafted which is a great start. Can you tell us what you were thinking in terms of its future? Even if you think the plan is silly, it’ll help people make suggestions on what they see AND what you see.
Perplexody
Shohin
i was thinking of removing the right branch next spring with an air layer so id have another tree and id see about style from there, i also briefly considered taking both side branches off and leaving the middle one as the leader for a much shorter overall tree
but i am completely open to any ideas and style
but i am completely open to any ideas and style
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
I think it's a shame such good material gets like this, really, what are we/they doing?
When one more cut and 2 more minutes means doubling the price and over quadrupling the value, how come every piece of material is like "a year late"?
.0005 cents of a blade and 20 seconds?
Is it our responsibility to find these trees the moment before they get all jacked up?
Is it someone's foolish idea that the more messed up and hard to fix a tree is, the more value it holds?
It just makes absolutely no sense at all.
Oh whine about "how long shit takes" and "how valuable someone's time is", bullshit, this laziness ain't worth laughing at.
I'm sorry, but a slightly more shallow pot and 2 more cuts would have taken this out of this "may as well restart the whole thing" situation it finds itself in.
Has no one that cares more found the time to buy these folks out and run a proper "pre-bonsai" business?
I think this tree has a lot of options it shouldn't have.
Sorce
When one more cut and 2 more minutes means doubling the price and over quadrupling the value, how come every piece of material is like "a year late"?
.0005 cents of a blade and 20 seconds?
Is it our responsibility to find these trees the moment before they get all jacked up?
Is it someone's foolish idea that the more messed up and hard to fix a tree is, the more value it holds?
It just makes absolutely no sense at all.
Oh whine about "how long shit takes" and "how valuable someone's time is", bullshit, this laziness ain't worth laughing at.
I'm sorry, but a slightly more shallow pot and 2 more cuts would have taken this out of this "may as well restart the whole thing" situation it finds itself in.
Has no one that cares more found the time to buy these folks out and run a proper "pre-bonsai" business?
I think this tree has a lot of options it shouldn't have.
Sorce
Perplexody
Shohin
are you saying it has a lot of potential or that restarting is the best at this point I'm just torn on what to do with it but I 1000% agree with a shallower pot and I have one in mind as well
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Oh...rant over? Lol!
What sucks is the middle straight part is the correct size for a next segment but in the wrong place, and the side ones are already too big.
So do you hack all three off and pray?
Ugh...that's why I get so mad with it, this tree has done everything it was supposed to and the human hasn't done it's part.
You should Always know what you will do with a piece of material before you buy it.
If this came home with me it would be with a plan to layer the salvageable lengths of interest for new trees.
With things that are so beautiful and grow so slow, we must give them that much more attention.
While you ponder the difficult decision, I think keeping the current "knot" clean (maybe cutting out that middle part) and getting it into a more appropriate pot can allow you thought time.
Sorce
What sucks is the middle straight part is the correct size for a next segment but in the wrong place, and the side ones are already too big.
So do you hack all three off and pray?
Ugh...that's why I get so mad with it, this tree has done everything it was supposed to and the human hasn't done it's part.
You should Always know what you will do with a piece of material before you buy it.
If this came home with me it would be with a plan to layer the salvageable lengths of interest for new trees.
With things that are so beautiful and grow so slow, we must give them that much more attention.
While you ponder the difficult decision, I think keeping the current "knot" clean (maybe cutting out that middle part) and getting it into a more appropriate pot can allow you thought time.
Sorce
Perplexody
Shohin
i did intend to layer off at least one branch weather it be sooner to fix the design or much later as a mother tree to many future bonsai, shouldn't I start the layer next spring or would now be just fine
BrightsideB
Omono
Some maples don’t layer easily. Just be aware. You may end up postponing your trees development. Plus the time and effort in the layer. They may layer well though I’ve never done one to this cultivar. If it was mine I’d probably just start development.
Perplexody
Shohin
I've read that they are slow growers but fast for air layering and you can root normal cuttings from fairly thick branches too
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
dont mistake it for shishigara, these are extremely fast growers and prolific back budders.
recently chopped one back, its a constant battle to remove unwanted new buds
Attachments
BrightsideB
Omono
I have a shishigara and realized it would be a battle for bonsai. Is the back bidding the only hurdle? They have a funny way they grow. Doesn’t look like most trees. They look like buds on sticks from a distance.
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
ive never owned one, but everyone on here keeps saying theyre slow growers
BrightsideB
Omono
Lol yeah mines only grew like several 15 inch long leaders this year. So slow….ive never owned one, but everyone on here keeps saying theyre slow growers
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
yeh i wouldnt own one, bonsai takes long enough as it is, i rather not make it longer by having slow growing trees.
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
Swiming against the current, I don't see this as "reverse taper". It would be nice if all trees would adhere to the strict guidelines of never having the sum of the sub-trunks larger than the trunk, but that's probably rare. Since this tree is what it is and the only ~salvation~ would include leaving a huge scar (or two), I'd accept it as it is and carry on. Chalk this up to not shopping until after the purchase is made, and shop better next time. Incidentally, if only perfectly proportioned trees are purchased by a body, he will have damn few trees.
Hack Yeah!
Omono
I think I'd take this route if the nebari can be manipulated any.. good luck.
Perplexody
Shohin
I got it for the species and because I was already a fan of the shape, I'm still well happy with my purchase especially at what I saw as a reasonable price
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
If you bought it because of the shape you like, and you like the species, don't let someone talk you into some kind of 20 year pursuit of the perfect tree. For two reasons: You can have a lot of enjoyment in the 20 years you spend tweaking this shape into something that is a more refined form, and because a tree can drop dead at any time during the 20 year perfection pursuit leaving you with nothing: No 20 years of playing with it and admiring it every day, and no future with it either.
Before you undertake any catastrophic recombobulating chop session at the behest of some distant critic, look around the forum here for examples of the same process. Count the number of starts, and contrast that with the number of trees that actually make it to the finished form you like.
Before you undertake any catastrophic recombobulating chop session at the behest of some distant critic, look around the forum here for examples of the same process. Count the number of starts, and contrast that with the number of trees that actually make it to the finished form you like.
