Working on my first buttonwood

[evmibo]

I wanted to share this tree with the nuts and get any constructive criticism. This is my first buttonwood and I plan on acquiring several more in the coming years. I live within minutes of Wigert's and this is actually where this little guy came from.

In April my bonsai club had the monthly meeting at Wigert's (typically, it's at a different location). Ed Trout was working on a buttonwood and after there would be a raffle on several items. I had a lucky day and $20 worth of tickets got me this tree and 3 smaller Walsall pots.

I looked at the tree from several angles for about 2 weeks. Typically buttonwoods get repotted when low temps are consistently above 60F, some might even argue closer to 65-70F. Anyways, that's what Ed Trout and Eric Wigert told me so I was also lucky to receive the tree at that time of the spring.

I wanted to be aggressive with it. I would be depending on backbuds (as big chops often do). Enough talk, here's some pictures.

1)Ed Trout working on the demo buttonwood
2)The buttonwood I won (different from the tree Ed Trout was working on)
3)Haircut

 

[evmibo]

1)I left the top because I was hoping for backbuds along the vertical portion, I got one there and a couple more slightly higher up - these will most likely be the leader, all other growth above them is sacrifice right now. Wire has also been removed from the top branch since this photo was taken, buttonwood is very strong when it hardens off and I didn't have the guts to go any further than I did with bending.
2)close up on some carving work, first time!
3)picture taken today, it was time to start halving leaves so more light can get into the new backbuds
4)leafs cut
5)close up of lower back buds, the back side has a large group (right side of this image) next to the large scar... I'll probably leave these be for a while to help heal the area faster and perhaps they will become part of the design... I did not cut these leafs because I want them to soak up as much light as possible, hopefully creating stronger branches for now - this is the right idea, right!?



Finally, this is a rough sketch of the potential future of this tree, I'm sure some things will change but it should be something along these lines:
disregard the pot!

 

[Poink88]

Brave move...and it paid off.

Not sure if you know but you could have planted that big cutting...they take easily (when done on warmer days).

I do not half cut my leaves...just prune or pinch. They grow very fast in warm weather (stops when it is really hot like now here). Pruning and pinching produces lots of back budding on mine.

Question...where are you buying your tea bags? I've been looking and most I can find don't have cinch rope for closure. Thanks.

 

[evmibo]

Oh man, had I known I would have kept that ..

My train of thought here (and correct me if I'm wrong in this) was that I could prune back and get similar results, but after the chop and rootball reduction the tree invested a lot into backbudding and producing all of these new, soft branches. From here I felt like the tree wouldn't skip as much of a beat and the new backbuds would get the light they need to grow stronger.. Later - maybe this year or next spring I will reduce back to the buds I want and mix leaf cutting with pruning - since the tree will be more established with it's new look by then...

I get the tea bags from ebay. I spent $6 + free shipping for 100 of them from this seller.

 

[Poink88]

Thanks. I found the size to be a bit on the small side but since I am on eBay already I searched and found medium sized bags which I believe will work better for me. I appreciate the lead.

 

[A Random User]

Just saw your thread, but currently working... Will get back to you tonight
with a detailed response... You need to start considering where you want
the energy of the tree diverted too, in other wards, what parts do you
want to develop first...

 

[evmibo]

No problem Dario.

Looking forward to your response sawgrass.

 

[A Random User]

Here is some food for thought...
Thought I would post some info for you over a couple of posts, so it isn't
a book one is trying to read at one time. So another post is coming.

Ok, let me first say that one of the really cool things about B-woods is that if
one wires a branch mostly flat, it will put out foliage all along the branch, and will grow
up. Especially if you leaf cut... Where if one does not wire this way, usually you
just end up with a few leaves. So, something to consider when styling your tree.

Next, let me say that you can actually bend a branch until it begins to break. Often,
this is the only way to deal with heavier branches... Only prob. is that it will take a
while, like a year or so for new growth to set the branch, even longer to heal over.
What I do is attach guy wires before one goes to remove any wire, so it will remain
in the same position.

Having said this, they like to throw out new growth and form new branches at the
base of a branch. So, often I will just let one of these grow wild, remove the old thick
un-bendable branch and in one growing season, I have actually obtained an inch
thick new branch, just by letting it go... Be sure though to wire before it gets to big,
or you will end up with another worthless branch.

Now B-woods usually have really heavy distressed bark on the trunk, then the new
growth hardens off and looks very smooth with little bark and no stress... So, often
I leave the wire on a little longer, letting it bite in a bit, leaving a scar. Then I remove
it and then add new wire, even if it the branch doesn't need it, in the opposite direction,
crossing over the pervious scar. This "X" scaring works really well to age a branch... I
use this process with a lot of other type plants as well... a must on Ficus...


As far as leaf cutting, you can actually take more of the leaf off if you want... Especially
on the bigger leaves, I would usually cut those in half again. Also, as soon as the new leaves
grow taller then the one's you have cut, I usually cut them as well... Let, us know what
you think of the results, I am curious to hear what you say... It's a lot of work... always
cutting, but I think it is totally worth it !!! Also, you are going to
need to re-think your sketch for this tree... You will out grow the minimal foliage in a
very short time...

Which leads me to the next post... your tree !!!

 

[A Random User]

As far as your tree...

The taper in your tree's trunk needs to be developed, see pic 2 of post #2.
The fastest way to achieve this is going to be to let what is above it run free.

Prob. with this, is going to be that it will end up out growing your lower left
hand branches, becoming much thicker... So, either they will have to be removed
at a later time, or you might decide to begin some of your lower branches, higher up,
making a taller tree. In pic 4 of post #2, you can see that some of the branches on
the top right hand side are already the same size as the lower left hand branches.

So, you need to try and decide what is more important to you, either start building
your tree now, and slowly work out the probs. of the trunk over time, Or resolve
it now and build tree later. Your decision...

Personally... Because your tree doesn't have any substantial deadwood or amazing
feature, that you would want to be the main focal point, and just have the foliage frame
it in... I would instead choose to design this tree more like an informal upright
Japanese style pine... With tons of foliage and various layered pads and a gnarly base
popping out down below. Going this route, the trunk higher up where your taper issue
is will be for the most part hidden and will work it self out.

If one goes this route... then one needs to start slowing the growth down at the top
of your tree, by cutting the new branches, stopping for the moment the increase in size
and let the lower left branches grow wild to really thicken up.

The really cool thing for us here in our region is that B-woods can be really styled in
just about any style, and seeing that we aren't able to grow a lot of pines here... they are
a really cool substitute !!!

 

[evmibo]

Thanks for all of the advice sawgrass. I will be taking your suggestions into account throughout this trees future. I want to cut back the higher branches to start a more convincing/organized apex (the tree will probably end up being a bit taller than my sketch) - in the meantime I will let lower branches and new buds thicken (some sacrifices and some keepers).

For now I think I'm going to let it rest some, but will continue to cut leaves to let light into the trunk. Would you wait to cut the higher branches until next spring or later this fall?

 

[A Random User]

If you cut back that hard 3 month ago and now your tree has that much growth,
cut away ... You are better doing as much cutting now or soon, and letting it
recover before we hit winter.