Top and bottom trees...stack ranking

[justBonsai]

TOP TREES:

Man my top trees don't even come close to some of these bottom trees. Right now I'm aiming at gaining experience and producing trees good enough for my local shows. That and I can't afford to start with higher quality material yet.

Beautiful maples mach5. I purchased a decent group planting of japanese kashima maples earlier this year. The nebari is good and there is a lot of diversity in the trunks, but the quality of the crown and the branches are complete crap! I will have to redo the crown and many branches from scratch which will result in some scars that will take a number of years to heal out. I feel that if I can spend the time and effort to make poor material good, I can make great material perfect.

Your maples have very refined natural looking branching. What's your method for building ramification and refining?

 

[MACH5]

Your maples have very refined natural looking branching. What's your method for building ramification and refining?

Thanks bleumeon! Glad you liked the maples. I follow pretty much standard methods of pruning and pinching, always cutting back to thinner and weaker growth to create a soft silhouette. Knowing your timing of when and what to cut as much as what not to cut is a very important aspect of building a tree.

Welcome to the madness and look forward to seeing your kashima group planting!

 

[sorce]

Neighbor's having a party.

Kids been bouncing in the bouncy house and eating their food all day....

So when their guests ask for a tree, what do you do?

Stack rank the shit out some ficus!

Good trade!

Sorce

 

[fh05]

Thanks for starting this post Brian. Can other posters post how many trees they have, total.
I would like to know how some members I know have hundreds of trees ( Peter Macaseib, Jerry Norbury, John Jenangel etc.) manage their trees. Sorry if I misspelled your names.
I have what you might call noob syndrome where we try to get whatever we can get our hands on but don't have enough time to do justice to all the trees. I have some very good stock/ projects but no time.

 

[amkhalid]

Good idea for a thread... missed it when it started last year.

I have about 60 trees in total. Probably around 25 of them can be considered bonsai.

Three of my Top Trees (in no particular order)

1. What is the tree and who made it's pot?
Thuja occidentalis in a chinese production pot
2. How much time have you invested in it?
I collected it in 2010
3. Why is this your top tree?
It has good deadwood and is my most refined thuja that I personally collected.
4. What are your plans to get it "promoted" over the next 12 months? New pot, local/regional/national show?
I will try and get it into the 2018 USNBE. I've been looking for a quality Japanese pot, but it would need to be 22-24". I'm prepared to pay the price, but that is not an easy pot to find, even for the likes of Matt O.

1. What is the tree and who made it's pot?
Imported Japanese maple in an Ejiri Taizan pot.
2. How much time have you invested in it?
Purchased from the Kennet Collection sale in 2014. This picture is actually from 2015.
3. Why is this your top tree?
Good nebari, not a single scar, good branch placement (yes, I even like the low branch on the right... to me it makes the tree unique).
4. What are your plans to get it "promoted" over the next 12 months? New pot, local/regional/national show?
I would only exhibit this tree in its winter image since it is quite small and doesn't show well in leaf. That being said... I'm not sure when I will exhibit it! Since this picture was taken I've reduced much of the heavy branching in the apex.

1. What is the tree and who made it's pot?
Taxus cuspidata, third gen yamaaki pot.
2. How much time have you invested in it?
One of my longest trees in training, purchased as nursery stock in 2006. Wow - ten years! Amazes me to think about it...
3. Why is this your top tree?
Not many good yews around, good taper, starting to develop dense ramification.
4. What are your plans to get it "promoted" over the next 12 months? New pot, local/regional/national show?
Might try to exhibit it in Rochester in 2018 in an antique chinese pot.

Three of my bottom Trees (in no particular order)

1. What is the tree and who made it's pot?
Larix laricina in a third gen Yamaaki pot.
2. How much time have you invested in it?
Purchased from the collection of an elderly gentleman in 2014. Was collected 30+ years prior.
3. Why is it on this list?
Ram-rod straight with "not enough" taper.
4. Why is it still on your bench?
The bark is so, so good. Best bark of any larch I have. Mostly developed in a container.
5. What is the plan? Chop? Bend? Plant out? Sell?
Probably sell. Would be a good component of an epic larch forest I am planning, but the bark of this is too unique, so it wouldn't really fit in.

1. What is the tree and who made it's pot?
Ginkgo biloba in a third gen yamaaki
2. How much time have you invested in it?
Purchased from the same elderly gentleman in 2014. All the trees I bought from him were half dead when acquired.
3. Why is it on this list?
Awkward movement, almost chinese-elm-mallsai-ish. Awkward branch placement.
4. Why is it still on your bench?
Its very rare to have a ginkgo with any movement at all.
5. What is the plan? Chop? Bend? Plant out? Sell?
Maybe sell in the long run. But I want to see where I can get it with a few more years of work.

1. What is the tree and who made it's pot?
Larix laricina, third gen yamaaki
2. How much time have you invested in it?
I collected it in 2014
3. Why is it on this list?
The straight section in the middle of the trunk really bothers me. And it is relatively young for a collected larch.
4. Why is it still on your bench?
I just styled it this year. Even if I plan to sell a tree, I like to have a go at doing the best I can with it.
5. What is the plan? Chop? Bend? Plant out? Sell?
Probably sell next year.

 

[Vin]

Good idea for a thread... missed it when it started last year.

I have about 60 trees in total. Probably around 25 of them can be considered bonsai.

Three of my Top Trees (in no particular order)

1. What is the tree and who made it's pot?
Thuja occidentalis in a chinese production pot
2. How much time have you invested in it?
I collected it in 2010
3. Why is this your top tree?
It has good deadwood and is my most refined thuja that I personally collected.
4. What are your plans to get it "promoted" over the next 12 months? New pot, local/regional/national show?
I will try and get it into the 2018 USNBE. I've been looking for a quality Japanese pot, but it would need to be 22-24". I'm prepared to pay the price, but that is not an easy pot to find, even for the likes of Matt O.

Those are some very nice trees! There is one thing that caught my eye on this one. Do you think shortening one of the jins would create a more natural image? After admiring that beautiful deadwood, that's what I noticed next. It sure is a beauty.

 

[amkhalid]

Those are some very nice trees! There is one thing that caught my eye on this one. Do you think shortening one of the jins would create a more natural image? After admiring that beautiful deadwood, that's what I noticed next. It sure is a beauty.

Yes thank you Vin. Good eye, since this picture I've bent the left jin so it points to the right, and I plan to completely remove the jin on the right. It still needs a decent amount of work.

Cheers

 

[just.wing.it]

View attachment 80864
Above is what I think is my best tree. It is a Thuja in a Ron Lang pot. I have had it for 5 years as a collected specimen. It's age, driftwood and complicated dead branches make it pretty special. It wasn't ready for the Artisans Cup this year or I would have tried to enter it. I would like to try and enter it in the Nationals show next year.

View attachment 80865
Above is an RMJ that I acquired from Sara Rayner who acquired it from Andy Smith. I did attempt to enter this into the Artisans cup. I have some good changes coming up including a new front and smaller pot. The dead wood to the right is no longer extending beyond the foliage. It's age, live veins, dead wood make it a pretty nice tree.

View attachment 80866
Above is a Ponderosa. I have 3 nice Ponderosa's that could deb in the running for third place. What I like about this tree is the height, presence, and flaky bark. It was gathered in South Dakota many years ago by a club member here in MN who sold off a lot of his stuff and moved south. The pot is just average chinese I think.
View attachment 80867
Here's my bottom 10. Pm me for any inquiries. They are all for sale. The Sara Pots are not part of the deal. The fir tree in the tall brown pot is a zone 7 tree. I don't care to give it special care anymore.
Two mugos in a carved out stone, twisted juniper, upright juniper, small tamarack, fir, degroot spire thuja
bottom row: spruce, Alpine currant, Birds nest spruce, chinese elm.

Great thread!
Off topic I know....but I'm too curious...
What is that cog / gear from?

 

[CWTurner]

CW

 

[CWTurner]

Some beautiful trees guys! Intimidating for us beginners.
I just counted 84 trees in development. All but 5 were collected.
Most are in pots, but 1/2 dozen in the ground. Only 8 in bonsai pots.
This doesn't count the dozens of seedlings, that I mostly collected, that are in the ground as long term projects.
I also have another 8-10 bushes that I am using as ornamentals for now, but will someday chop into bonsai.

Here are my favorites: (sorry for the bad photography)
#1 Canadian Hemlock that I collected in spring of 2015, I believe. About 24" tall for now.

#2 Some sort of Azalea I collected this past spring. Base is about 12" across!
That big left trunk will go next spring.

#3 Another Canadian Hemlock that I collected. Man, this looks crappy in my photo.


#4 A big old Boxwood from my front yard.
Needs to be carved when its healthy.

The worst:
This box is an air layer from the above Boxwood, before it was dug it up.
Just can't muster any interest in it.
I have lots more sticks-in-a-pot, but this is in a bonsai trainer, so it qualifies as bonsai, and I am ashamed.
CW

 

[Vin]

Some beautiful trees guys! Intimidating for us beginners.
I just counted 84 trees in development. All but 5 were collected.
Most are in pots, but 1/2 dozen in the ground. Only 8 in bonsai pots.
This doesn't count the dozens of seedlings, that I mostly collected, that are in the ground as long term projects.
I also have another 8-10 bushes that I am using as ornamentals for now, but will someday chop into bonsai.

Here are my favorites: (sorry for the bad photography)
#1 Canadian Hemlock that I collected in spring of 2015, I believe. About 24" tall for now.
View attachment 114975
#2 Some sort of Azalea I collected this past spring. Base is about 12" across!
View attachment 114976 That big left trunk will go next spring.

#3 Another Canadian Hemlock that I collected. Man, this looks crappy in my photo.
View attachment 114977

#4 A big old Boxwood from my front yard.
View attachment 114978 Needs to be carved when its healthy.

The worst:
This box is an air layer from the above Boxwood, before it was dug it up.
View attachment 114979 Just can't muster any interest in it.
I have lots more sticks-in-a-pot, but this is in a bonsai trainer, so it qualifies as bonsai, and I am ashamed.
CW

Cool stuff but the Azalea is by far the superior one. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

 

[just.wing.it]

Good idea for a thread... missed it when it started last year.

I have about 60 trees in total. Probably around 25 of them can be considered bonsai.

Three of my Top Trees (in no particular order)

1. What is the tree and who made it's pot?
Thuja occidentalis in a chinese production pot
2. How much time have you invested in it?
I collected it in 2010
3. Why is this your top tree?
It has good deadwood and is my most refined thuja that I personally collected.
4. What are your plans to get it "promoted" over the next 12 months? New pot, local/regional/national show?
I will try and get it into the 2018 USNBE. I've been looking for a quality Japanese pot, but it would need to be 22-24". I'm prepared to pay the price, but that is not an easy pot to find, even for the likes of Matt O.

1. What is the tree and who made it's pot?
Imported Japanese maple in an Ejiri Taizan pot.
2. How much time have you invested in it?
Purchased from the Kennet Collection sale in 2014. This picture is actually from 2015.
3. Why is this your top tree?
Good nebari, not a single scar, good branch placement (yes, I even like the low branch on the right... to me it makes the tree unique).
4. What are your plans to get it "promoted" over the next 12 months? New pot, local/regional/national show?
I would only exhibit this tree in its winter image since it is quite small and doesn't show well in leaf. That being said... I'm not sure when I will exhibit it! Since this picture was taken I've reduced much of the heavy branching in the apex.

1. What is the tree and who made it's pot?
Taxus cuspidata, third gen yamaaki pot.
2. How much time have you invested in it?
One of my longest trees in training, purchased as nursery stock in 2006. Wow - ten years! Amazes me to think about it...
3. Why is this your top tree?
Not many good yews around, good taper, starting to develop dense ramification.
4. What are your plans to get it "promoted" over the next 12 months? New pot, local/regional/national show?
Might try to exhibit it in Rochester in 2018 in an antique chinese pot.

Three of my bottom Trees (in no particular order)

1. What is the tree and who made it's pot?
Larix laricina in a third gen Yamaaki pot.
2. How much time have you invested in it?
Purchased from the collection of an elderly gentleman in 2014. Was collected 30+ years prior.
3. Why is it on this list?
Ram-rod straight with "not enough" taper.
4. Why is it still on your bench?
The bark is so, so good. Best bark of any larch I have. Mostly developed in a container.
5. What is the plan? Chop? Bend? Plant out? Sell?
Probably sell. Would be a good component of an epic larch forest I am planning, but the bark of this is too unique, so it wouldn't really fit in.

1. What is the tree and who made it's pot?
Ginkgo biloba in a third gen yamaaki
2. How much time have you invested in it?
Purchased from the same elderly gentleman in 2014. All the trees I bought from him were half dead when acquired.
3. Why is it on this list?
Awkward movement, almost chinese-elm-mallsai-ish. Awkward branch placement.
4. Why is it still on your bench?
Its very rare to have a ginkgo with any movement at all.
5. What is the plan? Chop? Bend? Plant out? Sell?
Maybe sell in the long run. But I want to see where I can get it with a few more years of work.

1. What is the tree and who made it's pot?
Larix laricina, third gen yamaaki
2. How much time have you invested in it?
I collected it in 2014
3. Why is it on this list?
The straight section in the middle of the trunk really bothers me. And it is relatively young for a collected larch.
4. Why is it still on your bench?
I just styled it this year. Even if I plan to sell a tree, I like to have a go at doing the best I can with it.
5. What is the plan? Chop? Bend? Plant out? Sell?
Probably sell next year.

Wow, I'm drooling over your Taxus Cuspida!
The others are nice too, but dang, that red bark and shari, looking mighty fine....damn fine.
I'm a sucker for Taxus.
I hope I can make one half that nice one day.
Thanks for sharing this.

 

[leatherback]

Time for a revival I would say. WIth half the world confined to their homes.. Plenty of time to work this thread?

I need my bottom 5 to look as nice as mach5!!

I wish my top 3 was as good as Mach5s bottom 3!

Bottom three..
What: Deshojo Maple.
WIth me since: Airlayer taken 5 years ago
Pot: Erin pot
Aim: Did a lot of work last year in spring. IN summer the bark started to die-back. If this stabilizes, I will trum back to the bottom branches. I only have it because the foliage is so nice in spring.


What: Olive tree
With me since: 8 months. Got a good deal because I bought a better tree
Pot: Unknown chinese
Aim: It was in bad shape when I got it. It should first settle down and grow for a season before anything is done


What: Juniper
WIth me since: SOme 6 years ago when I traded it for a very big Lonicera. Bad trade.
Pot: .. Forgot the potters name (!), from the UK
Aim: Get it decent enough so someone will buy it from me as I am fed up with this tree. Getting there


Best trees I think
What: Taxus from hardwarestore hedging material
In posession since: Some 8 years
Pot: Toni Remington (I know, the tree is not worth it)
Aim: Keep developing it. Did a lot of work on the nebari last year. This year I will open up some lifelines again


What: Juniperus Squamata
In possession since: 2011, this is my first tree that I can call a bonsai grown from rough stock
Pot: MaDe bonsai pots
Aim: Over time it has to be lowered in the pot, and the top root need to be replaced


What: Larix
In possesion since: Some6 years, purchased as rough stock from Pavel Slovak
Pot: MaDe bonsai pots
Aim: Keep refining. The roots are a little too big for the pot, explaining the off angle; Will change that next spring. Once no longer wired put in the German Nationals (Maybe next year)

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Here’s an update on my list. Maybe this week I’ll look over the collection again and do a new top & bottom; it’s been almost 5 years.

 

[Adair M]

Brian, here’s an update on the three trees I posted 5 years ago:


The twin trunk “Zuisho” turned out to be a Kokonoe. But, it did develop into something special. To advance it, i had Tyler Sherrard update the styling. I has been shown and won the Knoxville show, and the Winter Silohette show in Kannapolis. It’s currently in an antique Japanese pot, but next year, I may change it into a slightly smaller Gyosan.


My JBP went to the Nationals, Atlanta, Asheville, and Kannapolis shows. When it was being shown, it was in a grey Syuzan pot. I cut it back, and I’ve returned it to it’s training pot to get strong again.


The Kishu has been shown in Atlanta, Kannapolis, and Asheville. It’s been an easy keeper, and I’ve repotted it and kept it in this antique Chinese pot.

I have since added a few more “keepers”.
Tomorrow, I’ll post a couple bottom of the list trees.

 

[sorce]

Here’s an update on my list. Maybe this week I’ll look over the collection again and do a new top & bottom; it’s been almost 5 years.
View attachment 293980

You were always better than that Pyro.

Sorce

 

[Adair M]

And here are a couple at the bottom of the stack:


Grafted Japanese White Pine. I’ve become disenchanted with the large bulge at the base. I was going to try to find a rock to plant it in/on. I’ll probably let someone else try that.



Japanese Black Pine. It’s not a really bad tree, but I have better ones. I did some heavy bending with a Juan Andrade on this tree which helped it a lot. It could use some more.



Japanese Maple, Shohin sized with Imperial internodes. Lol!!! The foliage and internodes dictate this should be a much bigger tree than Shohin. It has the start of a great “plate” nebari, which is why I bought it. It just doesn’t fit my vision for the style I want.

 

[Dav4]

This update makes me nauseous and tearful all at the same time, but here goes...

I'll give this a whirl. The top five are easy, though. It's the bottom five that will take some thought.
View attachment 80769 Dead- killed by a following tree during a heavy snow in 2017
#1. Japanese Red Pine in a nice Tokoname round...don't know the maker or kiln but it is stamped. Purchased about 8 years ago from NEBG as neglected stock. Completely restyled after purchase. This tree has always proven vigorous and forgiving at the same time, and has responded well to everything, good and bad, I've done to it. The bark and shape of the trunk are exceptional, and it's the most refined pine I own. It's been shown several times in local shows, but I eventually want to take it nationally. My hope is to continue to keep this one happy as it gets older and more refined.
View attachment 80768Severely weakened by repeated spider mite infestations, recovering and in line to be grafted with Shimpaku next spring
#2. San Jose Juniper. Purchased from NEBG as neglected stock about 8 years ago. It was re-potted into this Bigei oval this past spring. The foliage on this one is quite good for a San Jose, and the trunk movement and the deadwood are focal features. Going forward, I'm planning to refine and add to the deadwood carving in the upper 1/3 of the trunk, as well as continue to tighten up the trunk.
View attachment 80773Currently being grafted with Shimpaku
#3. Rocky Mountain Juniper. Purchased from NEBG about 10 years ago as completely untouched collected stock in it's original wooden box. It's planted in an older Tokoname. This is a great tree because it has exceptional natural deadwood along with great foliage for an RMJ. Also, well...it could be close to 1000 years old, so what's not to like. Going forward, I want to find a slightly shallower and slightly wider pot for it...Matty O is on the case... and I need to further refine and define the foliage pads, which has proven a bit difficult with this one...but I think it's worth the effort.
View attachment 80780Dead as a doornail...
#4. Satsuki azalea 'Eikan'. This was purchased from NEBG as raw imported stock just over 6 years ago. It's planted in a contemporary Chinese container. You'll be hard pressed to find an azalea anywhere with a more impressive trunk...the pot is over 22 inches wide, so this one is BIG. The trunk, massive as it is, also has great movement, the primary branch is pretty cool, and the tree-pot combo really works. I started rebuilding the apex last year -the picture is over a year old-, so I'm going to continue developing it while keeping the rest of the pads in shape. Growing out the second lowest branch on the left is also a priority.
View attachment 80787Deadwood and roots damaged during same snow storm that claimed the JRP... getting re-potted today.
#5. Japanese Yew. This tree was collected from my In-Law's yard in upstate New York 7 years ago. It's planted in a Dale Colchoy round. This is a great tree because of the natural AND carved deadwood, and the trunk is massive to say the least. The foliage is good, and I'm learning- slowly- how to refine and manage it. It needs to be fine wired this winter, and the deadwood will get a tune up in the next year or two.

 

[james]

Here we go for top of the list. Several to populate the bottom
What: JBP, US field grown. 12" tall.
In posession: 5 years
Pot: Japanese, can't tell you the make. Not at my property at this time. Will look into potter.
Aim: 2018 Members Choice BIB in small pine category. Tree has had some troubles in last 2 years. Project to get it healthy again. Show at larger venue, should health return.

 

[james]

Here we go for bottom of the list.
What: Crabapple
In posession: 20 years
Pot: Cheap Chinese
Aim: Drastic restyling, new front. Nebari is terrible. Rodents scared the trunk base. So will air layer after bloom to fix those 2 problems. It looks pretty now in flower. The other 50 weeks of the year I want to throw it away. Never quite get to it. One of the first to leaf out, flowers bloom and I just can’t toss it