Nursery stock JBP

[Hbomb]

I picked this up the other day from a local nursery, really overgrown, lots of branches, fat base. Is there any hope I can turn this into a bonsai one day?

 

[Hbomb]

It has a lot of branches at the one spot(as you can see) and not sure if it would be okay to just start eliminating.

 

[0soyoung]

The style of a stick/spear and magic helmet is made from a trunk with a high whirl. If you wanted to do this you would eliminate the heavy branches (i.e., those with foliage away from the trunk) at the whirl above your hand and keep the small short ones for now. Once the trunk is as thick as you want, you would eliminate everything above.

The other possibility is the classic zig zag trunk. With this, the heavy branch to the right of your hand would be the next trunk segment and the spindly little branches you've pushed aside with your index finger will become the lowest branch and foliage. Again, once the trunk is as thick as you want, you'll chop - in this case just above the heavy branch where your hand is. You may want to tilt to the left or modify the trajectory of the next trunk section while you can (soon).

Lastly, there is a possibility for a mini/shohin utilizing that little branch just above the soil. In this case you would eventually chop the trunk just above it.

Regardless of which of these possibilities you wind up selecting, you will want to eliminate heavy side shoots from that whirl and above so that it won't shade the branches below. You may even want to wire the upper trunk to move it to the side in order to accomplish the same end - branches/trunks thicken more, the more the foliage above.

I suggest you do this next spring and then you can ponder which of the possibilities you are going to pursue. Also, if you prune a branch next spring, a fascicular bud or two (or three) will be released. Sometimes, a new terminal bud will be set. This is a means to create a node, or more importantly a shorter internode (backbudding is much more likely at an old node than in an old internode).

So, yes. There is hope. It has all the elements ...

 

[Potawatomi13]

Location, location, location? Please add to profile for better help.

 

[Hbomb]

The style of a stick/spear and magic helmet is made from a trunk with a high whirl. If you wanted to do this you would eliminate the heavy branches (i.e., those with foliage away from the trunk) at the whirl above your hand and keep the small short ones for now. Once the trunk is as thick as you want, you would eliminate everything above.

The other possibility is the classic zig zag trunk. With this, the heavy branch to the right of your hand would be the next trunk segment and the spindly little branches you've pushed aside with your index finger will become the lowest branch and foliage. Again, once the trunk is as thick as you want, you'll chop - in this case just above the heavy branch where your hand is. You may want to tilt to the left or modify the trajectory of the next trunk section while you can (soon).

Lastly, there is a possibility for a mini/shohin utilizing that little branch just above the soil. In this case you would eventually chop the trunk just above it.

Regardless of which of these possibilities you wind up selecting, you will want to eliminate heavy side shoots from that whirl and above so that it won't shade the branches below. You may even want to wire the upper trunk to move it to the side in order to accomplish the same end - branches/trunks thicken more, the more the foliage above.

I suggest you do this next spring and then you can ponder which of the possibilities you are going to pursue. Also, if you prune a branch next spring, a fascicular bud or two (or three) will be released. Sometimes, a new terminal bud will be set. This is a means to create a node, or more importantly a shorter internode (backbudding is much more likely at an old node than in an old internode).

So, yes. There is hope. It has all the elements ...[/QUO

Location, location, location? Please add to profile for better help.

Dallas, TX...it's really hot here

 

[Hbomb]

So since I'm in Tx would early spring be best to start pruning? And repot shortly after?

 

[0soyoung]

I recommend that you only 'half bare root' next spring. I've had consistently poor outcomes cleaning out the nursery soil of p. thunbergii in one fell swoop. Half bare root means sawing off the bottom quarter or third of the root 'ball', loosening the roots from all surfaces and jetting out the nursery soil on only one side of the trunk (of course, you will likely also need to do some root combing to achieve this). Then, the following year, you finish removing the nursery soil from the other half. You can use a somewhat larger plastic pot during this process. Until you've gotten rid of all the nursery soil, there is little to be gained by using a pond-basket/colander though either way, you'll be substituting your chosen bonsai substrate for the nursery soil and spaces around it.

Pruning is best done when the buds/candles have started pushing (you may even see the beginnings of needles emerging). This is a bit late for repotting - do it earlier when you first see the buds start to swell/move OR wait until after the summer solstice; Aug/Sep (and even Oct in your climate) is also a good time for repotting/root-work. Just don't try to repot spring and fall of the same season.

Yes, you can repot and prune in the same season. If you are doing any wiring, it is best to do this before you repot (new root growth is easily damaged by all the jiggling that inherently happens when wiring and positioning branches).

The good news is that the next thing you know it will be Thanksgiving and it will be the Christmas rush. Happy New Year and then Valentine's Day and it will be time for you to get started! Whew!

 

[Hbomb]

I recommend that you only 'half bare root' next spring. I've had consistently poor outcomes cleaning out the nursery soil of p. thunbergii in one fell swoop. Half bare root means sawing off the bottom quarter or third of the root 'ball', loosening the roots from all surfaces and jetting out the nursery soil on only one side of the trunk (of course, you will likely also need to do some root combing to achieve this). Then, the following year, you finish removing the nursery soil from the other half. You can use a somewhat larger plastic pot during this process. Until you've gotten rid of all the nursery soil, there is little to be gained by using a pond-basket/colander though either way, you'll be substituting your chosen bonsai substrate for the nursery soil and spaces around it.

Pruning is best done when the buds/candles have started pushing (you may even see the beginnings of needles emerging). This is a bit late for repotting - do it earlier when you first see the buds start to swell/move OR wait until after the summer solstice; Aug/Sep (and even Oct in your climate) is also a good time for repotting/root-work. Just don't try to repot spring and fall of the same season.

Yes, you can repot and prune in the same season. If you are doing any wiring, it is best to do this before you repot (new root growth is easily damaged by all the jiggling that inherently happens when wiring and positioning branches).

The good news is that the next thing you know it will be Thanksgiving and it will be the Christmas rush. Happy New Year and then Valentine's Day and it will be time for you to get started! Whew!

Thanks so much for the advice Osoyoung, definitely appreciate it.