What to do with my Cherry (Prunus serrulata)

[Bigmanryan]

Hi i'm quite new to bonsai and decided to get started this spring.

My plan is so far buying some (what i think) are nice-looking nursery stocks that I deem to have some potential and then starting my journey from there.

The specific tree I brought home is a Prunus serrulata which I've read make alright bonsai trees.
I'm however not sure what to do from here. I'm planning to do some heavy pruning and then pot the plant in a bonsai pot, but I'm afraid of pruning a way that I regret.
I've attached some pictures of the tree and then some pictures with different prunings I consider doing. I am hoping that someone in here could help me to decide if the direction I'm taking makes sense.

I've drawn two lines on the trunk in one of the attached pictures showing two different ways I envision the tree taking shape. I personally like the higher cut better, but perhaps my entire approach is wrong?

 

[leatherback]

Note that you have a grafted plant; never allow growth to develop below the grafts.

I would probably nurse that small side-branch down low. Repot now and work on the roots. Let the top of the tree extend quite a bit (This will build the trunk up a bit more). Thenin 2 years chop it back, and develop the small side-branch into your main tree.

Chopping now will gt you a very small tree, which I think would be a shame. 2 years full growth with what you have might double to triple the trunk in diameter.

 

[Canada Bonsai]

@Bigmanryan welcome to Bonsainut!

Nice tree! In your sketches, the cuts you want to make can be good ideas, because they will introduce movement and taper. You might want to hold off for now though, and just get a feel for the tree in its first year.

When it comes to the foliage it looks like you have drawn a juniper or a pine over your cherry. That's understandable, because for a lot of people the pine or juniper is the quintessential image of 'bonsai'. But while pines and junipers are displayed with their green foliage, cherries on the other hand are appreciated at the moment when they are in flower, and mostly without foliage.

I attached some images of cherry bonsai as an inspiration board for your material. No matter what style you go with, there is a general aesthetic to cherries that is governed by their growth habits and qualities that you'll soon be able to recognize from a mile away.

 

[Bigmanryan]

Note that you have a grafted plant; never allow growth to develop below the grafts.

I would probably nurse that small side-branch down low. Repot now and work on the roots. Let the top of the tree extend quite a bit (This will build the trunk up a bit more). Thenin 2 years chop it back, and develop the small side-branch into your main tree.

Chopping now will gt you a very small tree, which I think would be a shame. 2 years full growth with what you have might double to triple the trunk in diameter.

I gather that the grafting must've been done below the side branch since it looks rather thick (which is partly what I found appealing in this tree)? What is the reason not to allow much growth below such a graft?
I do however see the appeal in letting in grow the first two years to gain some width, I might just do exactly that!

How far and for what reason should I cut the low branch? is it to promote branching?

 

[Bigmanryan]

@Bigmanryan welcome to Bonsainut!

Nice tree! In your sketches, the cuts you want to make can be good ideas, because they will introduce movement and taper. You might want to hold off for now though, and just get a feel for the tree in its first year.

When it comes to the foliage it looks like you have drawn a juniper or a pine over your cherry. That's understandable, because for a lot of people the pine or juniper is the quintessential image of 'bonsai'. But while pines and junipers are displayed with their green foliage, cherries on the other hand are appreciated at the moment when they are in flower, and mostly without foliage.

I attached some images of cherry bonsai as an inspiration board for your material. No matter what style you go with, there is a general aesthetic to cherries that is governed by their growth habits and qualities that you'll soon be able to recognize from a mile away.

The colors are rather arbitrary, but I do see the irony. With that being said, I actually haven't considered that most pictures are indeed are without foliage. Thank you for the pictures, they're definitely inspiring. As both you and "Leatherback" propose I find it compelling to let it grow a couple of years. It'll only be more satisfactory to cut it back by then! and I'll learn how to take proper care of it before amputating its limbs.

 

[leatherback]

the grafting site is the very visible step in trunk thickness just below the branches.

The reason for not letting the branches below the graft grow is because it will not be the pretty flowering plant, and with enough growth the graft might be rejected: You loose the pretty flowering scion

 

[Bigmanryan]

the grafting site is the very visible step in trunk thickness just below the branches.

The reason for not letting the branches below the graft grow is because it will not be the pretty flowering plant, and with enough growth the graft might be rejected: You loose the pretty flowering scion

that makes sense, thank you.

 

[sorce]

I'd do some research on what these grafts turn into, if it will look acceptable after some years. Find out the reason they graft em, what the understock is, and wether you can grow it on it's own roots, so you can propoagate it, or, if these grafts prove to look like hell in their future's, avoid working with it, and start from THE beginning, not A beginning.

Welcome to Crazy!

Remember that they tend to graft "gardening" worthy stuff to be seen. Large Flowers, Big Leaves maybe variegated, long internodes to space out flower displays....

Point is, it's not impossible that the root stock has better or equal attributes for Bonsai than the "gardening" top.

I simplified and don't even look at grafted plants.

Sorce

 

[leatherback]

I simplified and don't even look at grafted plants.

Same here, except when i KNOW the graft can be layered off (Japanese maple cultivars, e.g., arakawa)

 

[Bigmanryan]

I see there's a lot of worry about grafting. to be frank, I didn't even think about it being an issue, but I suppose time will tell. I'll keep it in mind the next time I happen to be nursery shopping.

 

[leatherback]

I see there's a lot of worry about grafting. to be frank, I didn't even think about it being an issue,

The grafting is not the issue. The difference between rootstock and scion is. In the end, a bonsai should have some form of natural looking trunk. The jumps and scars from garfting often get worse over time. So if you are in a 10-20 year process to build a tree, best to avoid grafts where possible. In some cases it is accepted like white pine on black pine. But most of the time it is best to avoid.