Weeping Willow stump need advice

[rhawes]

I bought this Weeping Willow stump off of e-bay and it seems to have a hollowed out hole in the middle is there anything I can do to make sure it does not rot. It is thriving and in bud but wandered if I should do something to ensure its survival. I will post some pics tomarrow!!! I do not see any rot on it but not sure? I think it is a really cool find!!!!

Here is a pic of it leafing out thought it turned out nice!!

 

[Gabler]

The branches are largely from the base, so you may not be able to use the full height of the stump, but you have several options remaining for styling using the living parts of the stump.

A caveat: I haven't personally tried it, but I'm told weeping willow can be annoying to train as a bonsai. For one, they won't weep without some encouragement. Big trees weep because the tree grows long, skinny shoots that can't support their own weight. If you trim the shoots, they'll be able to support their own weight and won't droop. That brings up another issue. They grow fast. You'll have your work cut out for you keeping the tree in shape. Lastly, they're prone to aborting branches. I've seen this personally on full-sized trees, where a tree abandons a large branch because the end was pruned. I'm sure that spells trouble in the bonsai context. You can see that a bit on your tree. The trunk was chopped, and instead of growing a bunch of new branches at the chop site like an oak would, the stump died back to the ground and the new growth emanates from the base of the tree. I suspect a good cut paste to seal in moisture would mitigate that problem, but I can't tell that you I'm certain that would work from personal experience, as I lack said personal experience with willow specifically.

My recommendation: Think of this as a tree to learn on, rather than a promising specimen. Be conservative in the amount of work you do in any one year, but have fun trying something new each year to learn how the tree responds. As an example, I practiced at what you might call the "beginner level" for about ten years starting in about the fifth or sixth grade, but in the last two years, I resumed growing trees as I finished school, and I've been taking it more seriously and learning the principles of botany behind bonsai practice. All the so-called "stupid" mistakes I made while messing around have since proven to be a wealth of invaluable experience, now that I can explain why some things succeeded and others failed, and because I've seen it all first hand. Hence, although I've only been practicing seriously for two years, I feel like I've hit the ground running since I re-started practicing. Don't be afraid to just play with less-than-ideal material to use it as a learning experience, but don't grow too attached either.

I suspect that's why bonsai has such a strong connection with Buddhism and Zen. In addition to the fact that monks are patient and have the temperament to enjoy this sort of art, it also has much to each us about life, including impermanence and the inevitability of change, and how such change can be sad, but can also bring great beauty if we embrace it, as we do in the living art of miniature landscapes and trees.

 

[rhawes]

The branches are largely from the base, so you may not be able to use the full height of the stump, but you have several options remaining for styling using the living parts of the stump.

A caveat: I haven't personally tried it, but I'm told weeping willow can be annoying to train as a bonsai. For one, they won't weep without some encouragement. Big trees weep because the tree grows long, skinny shoots that can't support their own weight. If you trim the shoots, they'll be able to support their own weight and won't droop. That brings up another issue. They grow fast. You'll have your work cut out for you keeping the tree in shape. Lastly, they're prone to aborting branches. I've seen this personally on full-sized trees, where a tree abandons a large branch because the end was pruned. I'm sure that spells trouble in the bonsai context. You can see that a bit on your tree. The trunk was chopped, and instead of growing a bunch of new branches at the chop site like an oak would, the stump died back to the ground and the new growth emanates from the base of the tree. I suspect a good cut paste to seal in moisture would mitigate that problem, but I can't tell that you I'm certain that would work from personal experience, as I lack said personal experience with willow specifically.

My recommendation: Think of this as a tree to learn on, rather than a promising specimen. Be conservative in the amount of work you do in any one year, but have fun trying something new each year to learn how the tree responds. As an example, I practiced at what you might call the "beginner level" for about ten years starting in about the fifth or sixth grade, but in the last two years, I resumed growing trees as I finished school, and I've been taking it more seriously and learning the principles of botany behind bonsai practice. All the so-called "stupid" mistakes I made while messing around have since proven to be a wealth of invaluable experience, now that I can explain why some things succeeded and others failed, and because I've seen it all first hand. Hence, although I've only been practicing seriously for two years, I feel like I've hit the ground running since I re-started practicing. Don't be afraid to just play with less-than-ideal material to use it as a learning experience, but don't grow too attached either.

I suspect that's why bonsai has such a strong connection with Buddhism and Zen. In addition to the fact that monks are patient and have the temperament to enjoy this sort of art, it also has much to each us about life, including impermanence and the inevitability of change, and how such change can be sad, but can also bring great beauty if we embrace it, as we do in the living art of miniature landscapes and trees.

Thank you for the encouragement!!!! Thankyou!!! Thankyou!!!