Taking inspiration from a tree with this red bud material I have on hand?

[Daniel son STL]

So I would love to have something like this in my collection. No taper, no bends or twists. Just a natural grove, might even call it a forest or maybe a clump. Either way I love it!

Been growing out this red bud from seed on the side of my house lol wife wants it gone. And I do understand that red bud leaves don’t reduce well, but is there any other reason why they’re not used often in bonsai??

This is what I have to work with:



The tree put it it’s first flowers this year too




I understand all three trunks are the same size. I could trim the smallest as to stunt the growth a bit and let the other two keep growing another cpl seasons.

I could be wrong but I’m thinkin red bud would make a great large bonsai. Especially during the spring!

 

[RKatzin]

I think you're right about that! At least I hope so because I have a few in the works. I just dug up a Western Redbud about that size except a single trunk that divides into multiple branches. You may have some interesting features if you dig down to the base of the trunk.
I don't think it's too late to remove it if you dig a good size rootball, about two feet in diameter and a foot thick. Try not to disturb the rootball. Dig around it and then under and tip it so you can slide a tarp or gunny sack underneath. Wrap it up and bind it so it stays together securely. You need about a five gallon nursery pot or build a box to fit. Keep it until next spring and do the roots and change out the soil and repot.
There's not a lot of difference between the Eastern Redbud, C. canadensis and Western Redbud C. occidentalis, except size. The Western being a more diminutive form, close to half all the way around. I have the Western and C. siliquastrum, Mediterranean Redbud.

 

[Daniel son STL]

I think you're right about that! At least I hope so because I have a few in the works. I just dug up a Western Redbud about that size except a single trunk that divides into multiple branches. You may have some interesting features if you dig down to the base of the trunk.
I don't think it's too late to remove it if you dig a good size rootball, about two feet in diameter and a foot thick. Try not to disturb the rootball. Dig around it and then under and tip it so you can slide a tarp or gunny sack underneath. Wrap it up and bind it so it stays together securely. You need about a five gallon nursery pot or build a box to fit. Keep it until next spring and do the roots and change out the soil and repot.
There's not a lot of difference between the Eastern Redbud, C. canadensis and Western Redbud C. occidentalis, except size. The Western being a more diminutive form, close to half all the way around. I have the Western and C. siliquastrum, Mediterranean Redbud.

Nice!
I believe this one is eastern, but not positive.

I think I’m gonna try and leave it in the ground another season. Probably dig it up next year. Wife hasn’t mentioned it in a cpl weeks

 

[Gaitano]

Go for it. I have eastern redbud volunteers that pop in my yard all the time. A few years ago I started chopping, growing and shaping one. I dug it up this spring.

 

[Daniel son STL]

I like it!
Red buds look really great in the spring time with their flowers being so vibrant. It’s a shame you don’t see them used more often as bonsai material!

 

[ERClover]

Redbuds are one of my favorite trees and though admittedly I haven’t found a ton, they apparently have some characteristics to them that work against taking to typical bonsai techniques.

For one, from what I’ve been able to find they seem not to like root work very much which makes training down to a proper bonsai pot difficult. I plan to make an attempt for a very large, more yard tree type giant bonsai in a big pot for this reason. Also, what was already mentioned about the leaves being large. I’ve also seen mention of inconsistent flowering in containers. It just seems perhaps they don’t love being containerized in general.

I hope everything I’ve read is wrong! But it seems like they are tough nuts to crack for bonsai which is a shame because they could be so beautiful with their flowers being a great size. I’d be very interested in seeing how the one pictured in this thread that was transplanted and the roots cut down significantly fares.

 

[Gaitano]

This sounds like a good opportunity to keep this thread for a native tree case study of the eastern redbud as bonsai if Daniel son does not mind. We can post updates and findings in our seasonal work. Here’s the first spring push.

 

[Stormwater]

Other issues aside. People hound on the leaf size, but don't you have trees you just display when leafless? I mean winter/spring silhouette is a thing. The flowers on these are cool as hell. I've got two trees that if you saw with leaves would think "that's all wrong, what a uninteresting bonsai." Then when leafless you would be that wacky, so interesting and fun to look at. I guess it might be different if you can only appreciate the naturalistic approach to bonsai.
keep us updated on your project!

 

[Gabler]

I've read they respond poorly to root disturbance, so I haven't bothered messing around with them, but if that turns out to be wrong, then I might just have to collect a couple of them to give them a try.

I have to wonder if they'd respond better to summer root work like a persimmon. As a legume, it would make sense that they would rely on their roots as a nitrogen source in early spring.

 

[ERClover]

Has anyone’s leafed out yet? I bought a big box tree of probably 3-4 years of age that I’ve yet to even prune or anything and have just been waiting. No flowers. Definitely alive and maybe pushing some small dark colored buds? First one I’ve had and been able to observe closely so not sure what to expect. Sorry if this is considered hijacking the thread.

 

[Gaitano]

Mine have leafed out. The photos above were taken this morning. I have three separate redbud projects I’m working on. All have leaves, but we’ve had several weeks of warm weather with temps in the 80s.

 

[ERClover]

I picked up a Virginia Pine today from a guy who had redbuds growing like weeds all over his property in the same town as me. All well into leaf out. Going to have some words with Arthur Blank about the kind of operation he’s running if mine doesn’t wake up!!

 

[RKatzin]

Just for comparison I'd like to join in with my Western Redbud.
To begin with it's a much smaller tree with smaller leaves so that's a plus in the right direction.
I was given a pot full of seedlings last year and potted them up in two pots with about eight to ten in each for future groups or forest plantings. They're waking up this spring so they survived that phase of transplant. I did do some root trimming when I set them out.
About a month ago I dug up a large tree, actually it was in a large grow bag and had escaped through the bottom of the bag. I treated it roughly I'm afraid, but no worse than any other deciduous trees. I bare rooted it and cut some pretty big roots out, but left a good mass of fine feeders. I didn't do anything to the top end. I potted it up in 1/4" pumice and it's been getting just a blast of morning sun and bright shade the rest of the day.
It was just beginning to leaf out and showing a few flowers and it has continued to do the same. I'll round up some pics.

 

[Daniel son STL]

Just for comparison I'd like to join in with my Western Redbud.
To begin with it's a much smaller tree with smaller leaves so that's a plus in the right direction.
I was given a pot full of seedlings last year and potted them up in two pots with about eight to ten in each for future groups or forest plantings. They're waking up this spring so they survived that phase of transplant. I did do some root trimming when I set them out.
About a month ago I dug up a large tree, actually it was in a large grow bag and had escaped through the bottom of the bag. I treated it roughly I'm afraid, but no worse than any other deciduous trees. I bare rooted it and cut some pretty big roots out, but left a good mass of fine feeders. I didn't do anything to the top end. I potted it up in 1/4" pumice and it's been getting just a blast of morning sun and bright shade the rest of the day.
It was just beginning to leaf out and showing a few flowers and it has continued to do the same. I'll round up some pics.

That’s great! Would love some pics!

 

[Daniel son STL]

Redbuds are one of my favorite trees and though admittedly I haven’t found a ton, they apparently have some characteristics to them that work against taking to typical bonsai techniques.

For one, from what I’ve been able to find they seem not to like root work very much which makes training down to a proper bonsai pot difficult. I plan to make an attempt for a very large, more yard tree type giant bonsai in a big pot for this reason. Also, what was already mentioned about the leaves being large. I’ve also seen mention of inconsistent flowering in containers. It just seems perhaps they don’t love being containerized in general.

I hope everything I’ve read is wrong! But it seems like they are tough nuts to crack for bonsai which is a shame because they could be so beautiful with their flowers being a great size. I’d be very interested in seeing how the one pictured in this thread that was transplanted and the roots cut down significantly fares.

This is what m afraid of, the collecting process. Or just any repot with root work. Maybe this is the main reason red buds aren’t prevalent in bonsai. They’re just not that resilient when it comes to root work.

But hey it’s fun to experiment and try new things. And if somebody can successfully train a red bud, I think the flowers alone would make it worth it! Plus the bark on old red buds is pretty gnarly and knobby. I believe there’s a lot of good potential with the red bud!

 

[Daniel son STL]

This sounds like a good opportunity to keep this thread for a native tree case study of the eastern redbud as bonsai if Daniel son does not mind. We can post updates and findings in our seasonal work. Here’s the first spring push.
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View attachment 543629

Most definitely. A red bud thread we could update and all learn a little something from sounds like a great idea. I’ll be updating when I do some work it to mine. Although I did just take about a foot off one of the trunks as to stunt it’s growth for a season or two

 

[RKatzin]

New item by Rick Katzin

photos.app.goo.gl

Here's one of two monkeys trying to screw a football. Lol, that's me on the left and Jim with the sawsall, at the nursery collecting the tree.
I'll have to go out in the rain this morning to get a pic of the tree after repotting.

 

[ERClover]

I decided to take some action based on inspiration from this thread.

With my Redbud having not leafed out yet I decided to check on the roots. Pulled it out and some bad signs immediately. Worms, centipedes, all manner of things and a tangled mass of black roots I could easily pull off. I decided to hell with delicacy around the roots, this thing is on its way out if I don’t do something so I cleared all of the soggy nursery soil out and pruned back several large gnarled roots significantly, leaving a good many medium sized feeders but very little fine that had survived the rot. I had this with a large sugar maple I pulled out of the ground that was getting lots of water as it had very minimal roots and had pushed some leaves out, most likely meaning it was getting far too much water considering the soil and lack of leaves or bud swell to pull water out of the soil.

This should hopefully be telling of how readily these can handle some work like this. I trimmed the tree itself back a bit too in an effort to balance out the energy after the root prune and it is still alive throughout. Hopefully this will be just what the doctor ordered.

I got pretty caught up in the work once I saw the progression of rot so no before/during pics but here is the tree in its new, hopefully happy home.

Soil mix I use is roughly 40% 8822, 40% Coco Coir, 10% Perlite and 10% Biochar. Some granular Osmocote and then topped this with a thin layer of mulch to hopefully heat things up a bit for root growth.

 

[RKatzin]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ofJjfyhxtFA8He8p6 here's my tree after repotting. I'm seeing some new leaves emerging since I did the deed. The roots are a good shape for an exposed root style.

 

[ERClover]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ofJjfyhxtFA8He8p6h
Here's my tree after repotting. I'm seeing some new leaves emerging since I did the deed. The roots are a good shape for an exposed root style.

I am not able to see your photos when posted this way. Are you using the “attach files” feature?