My 1st Itoigawa

[Japonicus]

It was like I never needed to water this soil it was in. I found myself taking it inside for rainy days.
As I got into the roots, it was not evident that it had ever been HBR'ed. Just how the exterior roots
had grown in previous pics on one side of the pot.





Ok I found the initial front for me on this one. Tacked this root down to exit to the right.


Assessing nebari and I'd already removed surface soil to a minimum amount I'd be happy with, considering a 1st potting down.




With further root reduction I initially planned on using this pot but just a little too much wiggle room. Like 2.5" on either side.
I want to put it in the pot on the left, but it's too shallow for a 1st pot.
Here's the pot we want this in. I purchased this at the 2023 Nationals last year too. So it made sense I would want to try the match them.
The footprint is spot on perfect for the footwork done, just needed a little more height this go around.


Ok, dialing in the right footprint and height (I still would like another 1/2" or so height for training).
This new REB10 Mica pot is not a bad choice to prepare for the other pot. Sorry I don't know who made it.

 

[Japonicus]

My right hand must be heavy.
I straighten these in the Nikon software and it saves it in Nikon software only.
IDK why it doesn't upload with corrected edit even though I chose to SAVE before closing.
Operator error. I'll have to take a better picture next time.

 

[pandacular]

The tree looks great!

IDK why it doesn't upload with corrected edit even though I chose to SAVE before closing.
Operator error. I'll have to take a better picture next time.

You may wish to try to export the photo using the editing software. Sometimes, rotations are saved as metadata rather than editing the picture itself.

It's VERY frustrating and unintuitive, however, I agree!

 

[Japonicus]

The tree looks great!

You may wish to try to export the photo using the editing software. Sometimes, rotations are saved as metadata rather than editing the picture itself.

It's VERY frustrating and unintuitive, however, I agree!

Thanks. I fully expect this front to change when I plan out the shari. A good student
would do that all this 1st time around. I am not that savvy with this "tree".
In my limited experience, most shari I've done have not been planned out when selecting the front,
through all the criteria you would or should use. It would have been handy to have used the shari criteria
this go around, given the character the trunk has. Oh well, too late now

Nikon uses View NXi or similar. Last update changed the program from View NX2 to NXi a lot.
The previous version was pretty sweet to work with for what little I used it for.
I'm too cheap to fork out money for decent software. More money for bonsai if I must choose.
Still it would help if I just held the camera level to begin with my dad would've said
"why is there always time to do it right the second time, that you didn't have time for the 1st time"?

 

[TrevorLarsen]

View attachment 533776

View attachment 533778
View attachment 533779
View attachment 533780
My right hand must be heavy.
I straighten these in the Nikon software and it saves it in Nikon software only.
IDK why it doesn't upload with corrected edit even though I chose to SAVE before closing.
Operator error. I'll have to take a better picture next time.

I love the trunk movement on this one. It has lots of potential.

 

[19Mateo83]

Beautiful itoigawa Japonicus!

 

[Japonicus]

I love the trunk movement on this one. It has lots of potential.

Thank you, wish I could take credit for that. Now if it survives potting down it's all up to me. It's gotta love the new socks and shoes I got it.

 

[Japonicus]

Beautiful itoigawa Japonicus!

Thanks I'm just focusing on the transition and health for now.
Very little design wise is going through my head.
Since I did not grow it out 10-12" height is my 1st thought, removing the top leader eventually.

 

[19Mateo83]

Thanks I'm just focusing on the transition and health for now.
Very little design wise is going through my head.
Since I did not grow it out 10-12" height is my 1st thought, removing the top leader eventually.

Smart man, health first and the rest comes in time.

 

[rollwithak]

Excited to watch the progress... Will you show the repotting pics and what you do to it from here?

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Is it possible to raffia and major bend the central leader and use outside/top foliage to contribute to an apex and hold with guy wires? Curious how pliable that sucker is. Sure would be nice to utilize it, if possible.

 

[Japonicus]

Excited to watch the progress... Will you show the repotting pics and what you do to it from here?

The only pics of repotting I took
sort of begin post 20-22.
I spent 90 minutes from beginning to end including time to wipe my hands clean enough to grag the DSLR and snap a few pics along the way.
From here I may do some cleanup of undersides of a select few branches and scope out foliage that is not receiving direct sunlight. Misting throughout the day.
I will certainly update along the way. I figure August will hold some pruning time if it's happy.

View attachment 533839Is it possible to raffia and major bend the central leader and use outside/top foliage to contribute to an apex and hold with guy wires? Curious how pliable that sucker is. Sure would be nice to utilize it, if possible.

Thanx man. I feel like that exact area holds the future apex already without the leader. But, I don't have any plans to remove it for a couple of years or so.
That lends lots of time to still consider that as it progresses.
One thing that does though is put twisty character at the trunk base and apex with straight hotdog in-between.
It would look better all grown out but I know my record with losing style and interior foliage when they get away from me. I want to enjoy this on my bench before I can't handle my trees very well anymore.

 

[Japonicus]

Continuing to cut out dying foliage/shoots. All runners are still good but I don't want to lose interior! growth lol.

I would change 2 things I did at repotting.
1. Timing. This was repotted mid March.
My procumbens do best late April to early May here, so I would follow suit to repot this Itoigawa.

2. Amount of root removal.
Hind sight given the current health, I would not remove as much as I would with procumbens.
The health of the juniper going into the root work, seemed sufficient. However, the soil was not
a good soil at all as it never dried out for me really, when I was watering many other pots 2 and 3x/day.

I do not feel the juniper is going to die, but this really sets me back at least a year.
I feel my Kishu's are much more hardy, but then again, timing may've been the biggest contributing factor.
(thinking back to the kishu I had in a nursery can for 15 years before its 1st potting. Crammed into its
pot it never missed a lick in recovery).

I've been 2 stepping it from the wind, frosts and misting frequently, which has limited the amount of full Sun
it has been exposed to. Went by the runners rather than the calendar.

 

[Bonsai_hope]

I’ve had this Procumbens for about 8 months. The tips are looking brown and the foliage seems to be yellowing. I recently turned on my automatic watering. It’s a drip system that is only on 5 minutes a day. I live in Savannah, GA and I found this watering system to work. I appreciate any comments or suggestions.

 

[Japonicus]

I’ve had this Procumbens for about 8 months. The tips are looking brown and the foliage seems to be yellowing. I recently turned on my automatic watering. It’s a drip system that is only on 5 minutes a day. I live in Savannah, GA and I found this watering system to work. I appreciate any comments or suggestions.View attachment 541857View attachment 541858

Remarkable to see all adult foliage on a procumbens.
Only water, when the soil is nearly dry no later than and for the biggest part of the time no earlier. Rain and work schedule often have other ideas but if we stick to the above schedule based soley on individual plant/pot needs, then we can avoid a lot of issues.

Where did you overwinter it?
When was it last repotted?
What is the Sun exposure provisions?

 

[Bonsai_hope]

Remarkable to see all adult foliage on a procumbens.
Only water, when the soil is nearly dry no later than and for the biggest part of the time no earlier. Rain and work schedule often have other ideas but if we stick to the above schedule based soley on individual plant/pot needs, then we can avoid a lot of issues.

Where did you overwinter it?
When was it last repotted?
What is the Sun exposure provisions?

Thank you so much for answering. I believe this tree is quite old. I bought it as a pre-bonsai from Plant City in Claymont GA. I. It was overwintered on my front porch but the temperature here in the winter only hit a light frost 2 nights. I left it in the nursery pot while I gave it an initial shaping a repotted after the temperature moderated in early October. Presently it is getting full sun (morning and afternoon).

 

[Japonicus]

Itoigawa continues to pout. I think I did too much root work 1st go of it.
Fortunately the growth tips are unaffected so far, but some collapse continues.


@Brian Van Fleet would you recommend to remove the sacrifice growing towards my feet
or keep that foliage for now, post potting. The size of the branch vs amount of foliage is why I ask.
There's more healthy than dying foliage on it.

 

[Japonicus]

Continuing to cut out dying foliage/shoots.

Accelerating this downfall.
Based on a single specimen I am not impressed with itoigawa from nursery can, but that's just one.
At my age I doubt I'll be throwing much more $ down that hole.

To be fair to itoigawa, this was not a robust plant when I bought it. It was going to fail in the soil it was in.

 

[ChristianDGreat]

This kind of color is a clue that its going downfall specially if we at the growing season already.
Itoigawa is a strong variety. I water mine everyday and its green and doesnt fade.

Maybe its related to the root work done ?

Accelerating this downfall.
Based on a single specimen I am not impressed with itoigawa from nursery can, but that's just one.
At my age I doubt I'll be throwing much more $ down that hole.

To be fair to itoigawa, this was not a robust plant when I bought it. It was going to fail in the soil it was in.
View attachment 555608View attachment 555609

 

[BrightsideB]

Same thing happened with one I purchased that was totally rootbound in it’s nursery container. I removed about half the roots. It is still alive. Definitely pouting still two years later but this season managed to grow some. I reckon 3 more years I’ll be able to work the branches. Hope yours pulls through.