New additions, and progress report, for my garden of trees, and bushes, in my attempt to create bonsai…

[KindZone]

Three years into my journey, finds me with many more trees, and bushes to care for than I ever expected at the start ! I have killed off a few along the way, and learned valuable lessons from what did not work well. This was not surprising to me that some died. What did surprise me was that any lived at all ! Those that have lived, taught many valuable things as well ! I am going to try to show each plant separately in a photo, with some description, and hope they will each survive, to have updates in the future.
Pine seedling in its second year.

Mugo Pine two years in the ground.

Third year in a pot, put a chunk of juniper to separate the trunks.

Monterey Lemon Cypress a few months in its pot, mild trimming of inner growth, and bending of branches.

Japanese Red Maple seedling, mail ordered rooted seedling, potted in soil.

Attempting a windswept/cliff side oak. Plan to shorten the three long branches, after the leaves drop.

My attempt at a roots over rock Red Maple. In its fourth year.

Red Maple at four years in pots, freshly repotted. Had poor drainage, which is now fixed. Surface root development seems good.

Rose of Sharon in its third year potted, gave its first flowers this year !

Had to add a flower pic !

Oak in its third year in a pot, ready to be potted into larger pot. Needs the suckers to be air pruned.

Azalea is three years old also. Have taken a couple of cuttings unsuccessfully. Again drainage issues.

Boxwood cutting taken last month.

Sassafrass seedling/ rooted cutting three months old.

This Honeysuckle was cut to the ground five years ago when I moved into this house. Gave it a trellis, and helped it to grabe the fence. The humming birds love it !

This Red Oak was a volunteer in my garden this year. Most likely a squirrel planting !
These are what I have growing in pots right now. There are two more in pots, which I posted in the Maple forum in the threads I started there. I also have planted some Maples in the ground, and have a Birch volunteer that is over 10’ tall ! It must have been cut down below ground level before we moved in here to grow that big ?

Thanks for looking in !

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Good start for expanding one’s horticultural skills and abilities. A lot of variety too.

Just a couple observations you may have already thought of…

Some of these trees will take quite awhile to get into bonsai shape and may need some early structural work to set the trunk etc. and then it might be best to ground grow for three or more years to get trunk girth (Oak, Maple Doug Fir etc)

Others will be a challenge to work with, yet some of these may be interesting to explore into the future. Can’t say I’ve seen a sassafras bonsai, in my recollection trunks are thin, but it might be an interesting project to document and post here..

Others are ones one might concentrate on bringing forward into formal bonsai development as these have potential to be created into bonsai sooner then later. For one example - Azalea - might want to go through this tree and branch select through the tree to get each junction to a bifurcation now. …and prune/seal right off (Cut flush with surface - use Jin Seal for smaller cuts - Jin Seal let dry, then cover with the green topped bonsai putty for larger reductions). Early next year, early March, this tree could be properly root washed and put into a Kanuma mix in a developmental pot (Tokoname training pot), mossed up and get on with its journey to a bonsai. There are a lot of threads on azalea development here.

Food for thought as we approach the winter season.

Good Luck!
DSD sends

 

[czaczaja]

What are your plans for the Lemon Cypress? Formal upright? I got a very similar one this summer and I'm thinking about something along those lines. That oak has some amazing movement.

 

[KindZone]

What are your plans for the Lemon Cypress? Formal upright? I got a very similar one this summer and I'm thinking about something along those lines. That oak has some amazing movement.

I plan to keep the Lemon Cypress mostly as is, wanting to get some spacing between branches, to start with. Thinning out some of the inner growth, for space as well. Mostly looking to get it looking more like a tree, than a topiary bush. As you put it simply, yes, formal upright.
The oak is my favorite new project. It got bent and wired down to the edge of the pot for a year. and a few small buds removed where the ‘eyes’ in the bark are. I thought that I should trim back the branches, but have been advised to let them grow. The adventure with this one is just beginning !

 

[czaczaja]

I plan to keep the Lemon Cypress mostly as is, wanting to get some spacing between branches, to start with. Thinning out some of the inner growth, for space as well. Mostly looking to get it looking more like a tree, than a topiary bush. As you put it simply, yes, formal upright.
The oak is my favorite new project. It got bent and wired down to the edge of the pot for a year. and a few small buds removed where the ‘eyes’ in the bark are. I thought that I should trim back the branches, but have been advised to let them grow. The adventure with this one is just beginning !

Great stuff. I need to wire my cypress this winter or the branches will get too thick to wire them flat. I got a couple of oak seedlings from the forest this summer with 3 surviving. I'll repot them next year and see how it goes.

 

[KindZone]

Decided to attempt branch shaping without wire. Not sure how well this will work.




There may be reasons I have not seen this done more frequently, that I would be interested to know. Main downfall I foresee is the braces may not stay in place in a heavy wind. Thanks for looking in !