New to the site + Question about collecting trees

[Oleaster]

Hello! I have been stalking the BonsaiNut forums for quite some time now and it has now come the time to join the community. The resources available on the site are insane, especially since you can get info from all different perspectives, which really sold me.
I'm very excited to continue learning and improve my technique (especially since I'm new to the art form).

Now onto the question...
I believe there is a Morrow's honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) growing just outside of my vegetable garden for the past two years. The trunk diameter has gotten quite large (maybe three-four inches at the base?) and splits into multiple smaller trunks. I did some research just now that bush-type honeysuckles (Genus Lonicera) make excellent bonsai. However, it is recommended that they are collected/re-potted just when the buds start to emerge. Obviously, this far into the season, the tree has already produced many new shoots of growth.
Would it be safer for the tree to just keep it inground and collect next year instead?

I can post pictures in the morning.

Thanks,
Olea

 

[M. Frary]

Would it be safer for the tree to just keep it inground and collect next year instead

Yes.

 

[sorce]

If it's in your yard....it won't hurt to wait.

But these are hard to kill...so...
If you get the itch...eh.

Keep its surrounding soil wet so you get or retain some surface roots before dig time...
Feed it.

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Oleaster]

Yes.

If it's in your yard....it won't hurt to wait.

Keep its surrounding soil wet so you get or retain some surface roots before dig time...
Feed it.

Welcome to Crazy!

Thank you both.

I just came back from pruning the bush to take a few pictures of the starting shape. Before pruning it was maybe about 6 feet tall?

 

[leatherback]

Nice base.

I would however chuck these long stalks back to 10% of what they are now. Cut them to the second visible node each?

 

[Potawatomi13]

Hello! I have been stalking the BonsaiNut forums for quite some time now and it has now come the time to join the community. The resources available on the site are insane, especially since you can get info from all different perspectives, which really sold me.
I'm very excited to continue learning and improve my technique (especially since I'm new to the art form).

Now onto the question...
I believe there is a Morrow's honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) growing just outside of my vegetable garden for the past two years. The trunk diameter has gotten quite large (maybe three-four inches at the base?) and splits into multiple smaller trunks. I did some research just now that bush-type honeysuckles (Genus Lonicera) make excellent bonsai. However, it is recommended that they are collected/re-potted just when the buds start to emerge. Obviously, this far into the season, the tree has already produced many new shoots of growth.
Would it be safer for the tree to just keep it inground and collect next year instead?

I can post pictures in the morning.

Thanks,
Olea

YES!

 

[sorce]

Amen cut it back farther...

Careful that grate too....cut it out?

Sorce

 

[bzb12345]

Nice base.

I would however chuck these long stalks back to 10% of what they are now. Cut them to the second visible node each?

YES!

Amen cut it back farther...

Careful that grate too....cut it out?

Sorce

The wire was also worrying me a little bit, so you can just cut out a circle around the trunk.

 

[Oleaster]

@M. Frary @sorce @Potawatomi13 @bzb12345




Chopped the branches down to the second node (the front branches could be cut down to the first node?), sprinkled about a capful of Osmocote, and cut out the wire...
And I have also come to the realization that I need some real bonsai tools!
Any recommendations?

 

[Ryceman3]

I’m not so sure you have chopped back to the second node... looks to me like you could keep chopping. Your base is good but those big long straight sections need to be reduced further, they will have no place in your final design without changes in direction (movement) and taper, both of which you’ll be on the road to achieving if you reduce them down, so keep cutting I say!

In relation to tools, I’m a fan of Kaneshin as a brand on the whole but there are plenty of brands and plenty of opinions so don’t get too bogged down, buy the best you can afford with whatever budget you have.

 

[sorce]

I'm a Kaneshin Fan myself.
Great tools. Outstanding Service.

But don't forget your standard Fiskars stuff for these jobs. Lifetime replacement warranty.

Regular old saws.

I think you can leave this now....
Let it grow.
With always access...
Theres really no hurry.

Sorce

 

[Oleaster]

@Ryceman3 @sorce

It should backbud though, right? And because it is lignified growth, the new shoots will spring out from the cut site? I remember reading or watching that somewhere, please correct me if I am wrong.
If so, are these low enough?

And thank you for the tool recommendations!

 

[Ryceman3]

@Ryceman3 @sorce

It should backbud though, right? And because it is lignified growth, the new shoots will spring out from the cut site? I remember reading or watching that somewhere, please correct me if I am wrong.
If so, are these low enough?
View attachment 195519
And thank you for the tool recommendations!

In short ... that's more like it!

 

[sorce]

I think you stand a good chamce of everything dying except that one green branch down there....

Which would suck.

I'd leave it...

It may grow better buds down there yet...
Just wait!

Sorce

 

[Oleaster]

Buds!

I will update in a week or so.

 

[Ryceman3]

Cool... that’s promising! Hopefully there are even more to come.

 

[Oleaster]

It's really budding now...

But some of the leaves have some damage. There are marks similar to caterpillar bites around the leaves. However, I read that honeysuckle doesn't have any pests or diseases to worry about (according to Bonsai4Me), so if anyone has ideas it would be great if you could share them.

 

[TN_Jim]

If this is anything like a regular ol’ bush honesuckle you could probably cut it to the earth and it would snap back..like a terminator

I’ve done this several times with one. Just kept mowing it too for 3 seasons, same deal. Finally it was ended with fire.

Are you keeping all those trunks? If not, why not cut back to the one(s) desired & seal the rest?

 

[Oleaster]

Are you keeping all those trunks? If not, why not cut back to the one(s) desired & seal the rest?

I didn't want to risk killing it. I'm in no rush if not cutting it back isn't going to kill it.

Also, because I'm new, I have no idea (okay, maybe a small idea) where a stylistic cut would be appropriate. Root pruning is no problem for me, but pruning branches is kind of daunting.
I'm not at a point where I can easily visualize the finished tree before me, obviously meaning that I'm lacking in experience. I've read countless articles and watched hundreds of videos, and all I need now is some guided experience with working on trees.