Mame contest idea

[sorce]

Oh...if anything....my drainless bottom baskets would hold more water than anyone else's training pots....

And I STILL rock this.

W.P. is right.

Sorce

 

[shinmai]

I'm going to Alaska next week. If I can find a yamadori salmonberry, I may have another pony in the race.

 

[Dorian Fourie]

I'm still learning the basics of bonsai. I had never intended to enter this, or any, contest for quite a long time. However, I've read through this thread a few times now, and it's been nothing but encouraging. It looks like this should be a positive experience for everyone and a great opportunity for me to learn. So I'm giving it a shot.

My first (and probably only) entry is a Willow Leaf Fig. It's been sitting on my kitchen window sill for the past year or so. It was an impulse buy at a local nursery and I never did anything with it. It's actually been relatively healthy sitting in the window and has never looked unhappy. We're having some work done on our house and we replaced the kitchen windows. After putting in new energy-efficient windows the plant has sulked. I always wondered why people had such trouble keeping figs happy in the house and it dawned on me. Our terrible windows from 1950 were letting in the full spectrum of sunlight and it benefitted the plants. Now I finally had a reason to want to put the plant outside. Even though I say the plant was healthy, it hasn't grown much since I've owned it. I'm really hoping moving it outside will stimulate it. Here's the before shot:

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I pulled it out of the pot and was completely surprised to find a large tuberous root. I had assumed this was just a small cutting.

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I found what hopefully will be the new radial plane out of which all new roots will grow. I cut it with a nice sharp knife and dusted with powdered rooting hormone (this was probably completely unnecessary). I hedged my bet by leaving roots further up the trunk as well. I'm hoping being outside will encourage the tree to grow enough that the trunk swells and creates a believable taper. We will see.

View attachment 152865

Since I've never kept the plant outside and I just cut off most of the roots, I wanted to plant it a bit deeper in the soil. I found a tall-ish but small pot and buried it in pretty deep. I also didn't wire it in, so I'm hoping the soil keeps it secure in the pot.

View attachment 152866

Please feel free to give feedback. My plan is to let the branches extend and thicken. If inner leaves start getting shaded out, I will partially defoliate the branches and just keep the inner leaves and the extreme growing tips. That's a problem I hope to have in the next few months. Any advice on when I should start fertilizing?

Thanks,
Scott

Hi Scott.

You said you planted it quite deep in the pot. Did you plant it on a tile or a cd? By doing that, it will force the roots to grow out sideways and not downwards which will assist with creating nebari

 

[pweifan]

Dorian, I plan to put it on something in my next repot. I didn't want to this time around because I was just too nervous after cutting the tuber back so severely. You're correct that I probably should have.

 

[Starfox]

Cut this back some more. Starting to get a bit of an idea.

 

[Vin]

I think these small contests are Ok but it seems the goal is to make something for the long haul. Maybe a Mame /Shohin three year time capsule would be good. It can be cut off after a period of time and then in three years it would be interesting to see what comes.

BVF's 3 year time capsule is due to unveil next year.

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/2018-the-three-year-bonsai-time-capsule.20281/

Mine are coming along nicely and still going strong. Looking forward to next year.

 

[Starfox]

Second bougie has decided to turn up with some flowers now too.

 

[StoneCloud]

I'm still on the hunt for my next entry, though I do have one.......maybe two new trees that I am contemplating on entering. Just want to use the little time left though to keep searching....

Looking good on all the others good job peeps!!

 

[Mimstrel]

I am a newbie but I want to give this a try... sounds super fun. I have a couple of possibilities for cutting down nursery stock (not the ones from my introduction thread) or if the weather is nice tomorrow I might venture into my woods and see if there is anything to dig up.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I am a newbie but I want to give this a try... sounds super fun. I have a couple of possibilities for cutting down nursery stock (not the ones from my introduction thread) or if the weather is nice tomorrow I might venture into my woods and see if there is anything to dig up.

Not sure of your location...many trees for my location and collection has passed for success.

But encourage you to offer yourself the best healthiest start with rhe contest. Wishing you well on finding something... In a pot may offer you better success.

 

[Rjoyce]

I just posted my entries in the "entry thread". Entry tree #1, which I think I posted in this thread earlier.

I have since removed most of the wire holding the trunks together and replaced it with parafilm. Otherwise, just letting it grow and looking for pot options.

 

[Rjoyce]

Entry #2: A multi-trunk crabapple air layer which will be removed in early Sept.

Right now, there is only foliage at the tips of the branches with lots of buds behind them. Would it be a very bad idea to remove the growing tips now to encourage back budding, or should I leave it until the spring repot?

 

[Rjoyce]

Entry #3: Another crabapple from the same tree. Will likely be either an informal broom


Or a slanting/semi cascade

Which style will depend on how the roots look and playing with the planting angle. I would probably need a crescent shaped pot to fit this style, but could use some advice.

Actually, advice and critiques on all three entries is welcome. As I said, I am new and want to learn as much as possible, especially from my mistakes.

Thank you.

 

[my nellie]

@Rjoyce your crabapples are so very promising! Good luck with them!

 

[defra]

Yeah cool you joined

Which style will depend on how the roots look and playing with the planting .

Thank you.

If you want a slanting style or cascade style or upright think about it before starting the airlayer

When you remove the ring of bark for the airlayer instead of cutting trough the bark in a horizontal line you can cut it at 45° so the root flair grows in the right angle from the start (this also creates a wider flair then horizontal)

I hope it makes sense if not ill draw something to explain

But they do look promising !

 

[Rjoyce]

instead of cutting trough the bark in a horizontal line you can cut it at 45°

Thanks for the response @defra, I know exactly what you mean. I think I did that to at least one of the 8 airlayers I set up on a couple crabapple trees earlier this year, but I didn't take any pictures of the process, so I don't really remember. Hopefully, I did cut this one at an angle, but I won't find out until Spring when I can bare root it during repot. It will add a bit of surprise when opening the moss and root ball (like a second Christmas!)

 

[VAFisher]

I was taking pics of some trees this morning so I though I would throw up an update of my 2 entries. I'm happy with how they are coming along so far. They are sitting in a tray full of sphagmum with sphagnum on top as well to keep them from drying out. I'm hoping the roots will grow into the tray below similar to what @jeremy_norbury does. I'm not sure if the sphagnum is the best medium for this but it was handy. I could probably also use some turface or something similar.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I was taking pics of some trees this morning so I though I would throw up an update of my 2 entries. I'm happy with how they are coming along so far. They are sitting in a tray full of sphagmum with sphagnum on top as well to keep them from drying out. I'm hoping the roots will grow into the tray below similar to what @jeremy_norbury does. I'm not sure if the sphagnum is the best medium for this but it was handy. I could probably also use some turface or something similar.

View attachment 156518

They sure seem happy! Looking good!

 

[Victorim]

Few more days to find a entry or two. First entry will be a rooted Salix 'Boydii' cutting.

 

[M. Frary]

Someone needs to get a procumbens up in here.
Kingsville boxwood would be an excellent choice.
Cotoneaster?
For people in the heat: Texas ebony.
Saw a bunch of those little mugo and spruces when I was walking around the nursery today. Like $12.00
Miniature leaved elms?
Someone could win this handily with a seiju or Hokkaido or yatsabusa elm.
Think little tree...little foliage.
Don't make me buy something at the show tomorrow and enter. They have the tree and the pot right there. And I'm the kind of guy who will slap that baby right in the pot tomorrow.
I think I just talked myself into it.
Well see how much I have after I buy another regular sized tree tomorrow.