Development

"Black Sheep" Pinus Sylvestries Pt II

2010-01-24T17:22:00.013-04:00

Well even though it's winter there is always some bonsai chore to look after. This tree has responded well since acquired from the junk pile at a local nursery, under my nurturing and feeding regime. It has popped many new buds throughout and is ready for spring. It got it's first reduction yesterday and branches were wired for future considerations.

Although many could not see the potential in this tree, I saw it immediately. It looks like a "plucked chicken at this point in time. The tree is still in its nursery container for the time being, come spring we will have a look at what is under the soil.

I found this inspiration a long time ago on line, perhaps it was a faded memory that made me see the potential in Black Sheep. Who knows, does it really matter? The potential is definitely there. In the future the top most tuft may will more than likely not be part of the tree, who knows.

The bottom branches were left on for the time being, as they may be used in the future or may be jinned. This tree (like most trees) is apically dominant so I don't believe too much energy will be wasted on these branches.

Depending on what I find under the soil, I might sit the tree back some and once I get it in a grow box further define the trunk line. The apex needs to be brought forward as well. Since this tree is 5-10 years from its final destination, I believe we will have lots of time for tweaking.

Juniperus Chinensis "Blaauw" Pt III

2009-09-24T11:38:00.010-03:00

The tree has continued to prosper since the summer of '07.

This summer the tree received its first major styling. I still have no idea where I am going with it yet. Regardless of which direction I take with it, bottom branching will need to be developed in upcoming years.

What bothers me is the straight section of trunk in the upper portion. I have been studying a way to do something with it, but this branch is extremely stiff, and I may not be successful. I know at present that the top is taking alot of energy away from the bottom branches. It has been left there as I do not know which way I want to go yet.

This winter I might continue with carving the deadwood some, and perhaps a vision will come to me. If not I will continue to feed aggressively and fine tune it until a vision comes to me.

Pinus Sylvestries "Globosa Veridis"(Dwarf Scots Pine) Pt I

2009-08-20T09:11:00.021-03:00

This tree was acquired recently from the sale pile at the local nursery. It was in the sale pile because it is obvious that during it's developmental years one side was shaded and died back. The compactness of the tree allowed very little light to the interior and albeit not suitable for the landscape, suitable for bonsai. Because this tree caused such a controversy, I decided to name it the Black Sheep. Not many saw a future in this material and in summation I was told I was wasting my time. It seems to me that over the years I have seen many poor candidates turn in to beautiful swans.

This is where "Black Sheep will charter his course as a bonsai. For folks that are interested,here his progress will be updated periodically. Only after the tree has reached it's final destiny will it be published outside of this blog.

This is a Pinus Sylvestries "Globosa Veridis", (dwarf scots pine). At maturity the tree only grows to 1 meter in 20 years. Being that its length from what the soil line is 34 inches with a girth of 3 inches, I can safely estimate its age around 18 years.

This is the chosen front from which I saw a clear Bunjin using the left trunk.

Because of this area, and especially depicted by the lower arrow, thos branch/trunk will not be utilized. The second (top) arrow depicts another area of concern. Although subtle in the phtograph this branch is totally useless in bonsai design and will be jinned at a later time.

As the tree was acquired rather late in the season (3rd week of August), not much was carried out on this tree. The pot was lifted to inspect the roots (with eyes only). The root ball is nice and healthy and mychorizea is well established. All dead branches where removed, stubs where left where jins may be in the future. All dead branching was removed from the interior. All upward and downward growing branches were also removed at this time. Back budding is proliferous throughout the tree, where foliage has died off due to insufficient light gaining access to the tree interior. Now the tree is nice and open therefore these new shoots should develop nicely in the years to come.

The whorls are fat (something I did not care for) but that is to be expected from landscape grown trees, or even yamadori. How we deal with them in the future is more important. The tree will be left to recover and will be placed in a grow box next spring.

The tree developed a twin trunk (branch) half way up the tree the trunkline chosen is the one on the left. The right may be jined at a later date, or totally removed and the area carved out to reduce the reverse taper happening there.

Some thing that wasn't captured in the photos was the trunk movement. I took shots about every 10 degrees of rotation and although visible on the bench, the movement is flattened in 2 D. Those pictures that were uselsss were discarded.

The following picture shows the bend at the juncture that can be accentuated in future design considerations. The tree is remarkably flexible. Trunk base of 3 inches with a height from soil at 34 inches. This tree does not have a 6:1 ratio nor do I believe I wish to apply it here. It has close to a 12:1 ration which makes it suitable for a bunjin. Once the foliage has compacted and chased back to the trunk, it should turn intoan interesting bunjin.

As stated this is a long term project 5-10 years. It will be left to recuperate and grow unhindered for the next couple of years with the exception of energy re-distribution and carving out problematic areas (once the lifeline has been established and defined during the growths cycles. The following photographs (borrowed from European Trees on Walter's website) depict my intentions.

This one shows the first section of trunkline similar to what I have, just vision it with the second photo's top.

Rhododendrom Impenditum "Mauve"

2009-08-17T01:37:00.004-03:00

This tree was a replacement for a similar tree I lost my first winter. Sadly the original would have made an excellent "Serengeti" styled tree. This tree was acquired in May '06.

The tree was given an initial styling after the tree finished blooming, it showed promise. The winter of '07 was bad in Nova Scotia as well as other parts of the country. We are not sure what really transpired differently but several enthusiast and nurseries lost several trees to father winter that year. This tree lost it's entire top.

I had pretty much given up on this tree, it took three summers to recuperate and this year it's the first year since it's near death experience that it is showing promise. This type of Dwarf Rodie are extremely fragile, although they are sold profusely here for the landscape. I know of no one else in my neck of the woods who have attempted to bonsai this cultivar.

Photo circa '09. The tree is once again showing promise and should flower next spring. This variety lends itself well for bonsai with it's very small flowers and leaves. The tree is only 3-4 inches high.

Cotoneaster Horizontalis "Coral Beauty" (Duggy) update

2009-08-17T01:24:00.006-03:00

The back of the tree. Although in this view the narliness of the trunk is less apparent, the foliage seems more symmetrical. This tree has received several hair cuts so far this summer and is coming along quite nicely. A few more years...

Chamaecyparis Obtusa "Kosteri"

2009-08-16T23:41:00.008-03:00

A new addition to my growing family of Hinokis. This trees was acquired as raw nursery stock in June '07. This cultivar is not as graceful as the "Gracilis", but the trunk has good taper and subtle movement so I decided to give this species a whirl

The tree denuded of all unnecessary branches and given an initial styling. Most branches where difficult to bring into a horizontal plane but the guy wirtes took care of that problem.

It was planted out in a grow box and placed on my aggressive feeding regimen. The tree remained healthy and grew profusely the summer of '08. There is a problematic root at the back of the tree. The reduction and future remedy of this root commenced the summer of '08. In subsequent repottings this root will be reduced even further as others form to eventually replace it.

The tree finally got it's first pot this summer. The root was not touched at this time in favour for continued growth below the soil line. As discussed in my article "Taming the Hinoki" "Kosteri" has rather coarse foliage as can be seen in the photo. The branches are pretty much where they need to be and will be refined in upcoming vegetative seasons.

Although this trunk had nice subtle movement to it, it wasn't drastic enough for my liking. Therefore, I decided to accentuate the movement in the trunk. This can be readily seen by the rebar and the funny looking beige pieces of wood on the trunk's front. No other work will be carried out this season and future work will be revisited in the spring.

Cotoneaster Horizontalis "Coral Beauty" (Duggy) Pt II

2009-07-28T12:40:00.006-03:00

This tree was pot bound and requires a new pot. The only reason it was in such a large pot was to develop roots on one side.

This pot will be her new home for now. The tree has established a fabulous root pad. I merely did a slip potting today. The internal depth of the pot is a mere 1.375"

Front, this shows the greatest movement and trunk detail. The natural slant suits this tree well in my opinion. The roots below the soil support the tree as a slanting tree should be supported.

... a different angle

... the back

As time continues I will need to edit the top of the tree and reduce the height of the crown as well. Presently the tree sits 8 inches above the soil line. I would like to see this tree around 6.5-7 inches.

French Lilac Pt I

2009-06-30T12:03:00.010-03:00

This tree was acquired the spring of '07, after being inspired by Walter's Lilacs.

Not knowing too much about the species, I didn't dare do much to it, with the exception as you know to bareroot it and get it into a pot. The base of the buttress on this tree is 3 1/2 inches. Surviving the transplant by showing prolific growth, I deemed it safe to get rid off all unwanted branches. The tree responded and through out new buds on old wood. I allowed the tree to grow unimpeded for the remainder of the season with the exception of removing unwanted buds.

The tree today circa June 2009

Because these are prilific growers and I gained allot of confidence in the last couple of years. After the initial spring flush, this tree was cut back hard. Within weeks dormant buds started to appear and what we see here is the second flush of growth.

Outside of some directional wiring whenit starts to lignify, (lilacs growe straight up) this tree will be left alone for the remainder of the season. Next spring the process will be repeated.

This tree will likely need repotting next spring as well. During top soil refreshing, evidence showed her shoes are getting rather tight.

Acer Palmetum "Bloodgood" Pt II

2009-06-30T11:28:00.007-03:00

I wasn't supposed to dig this tree up for another couple of years. I am glad I did. When this tree came home from the nursery in 2007 it was merely slip potted in the ground. It had a decent nebari and I never thought much more of it. The tree responded well and put out allot of new growth.

The tree was pruned in the fall and ready to go for another vegetative season. The following summer it was pretty much left to its own device with the exception of the odd directional prune.

For some reason this spring an uncontrollable urge possessed me to dig it up. I am not referring to and impatient urge but rather a nagging urge (something telling me insistently). So I did, and I am glad I did.

As you know when possible to do so I always bare root my trees, for good reasons, you know what you have to work with. This one as stated was slip potted into the ground, so I didn't really know what lied beneath the soil with the exception of what could readily be seen.

There were 2 problems with this tree: one there appeared to be rodent damage around the buttress last spring, I checked things out and wasn't alarmed so I basically ignored it. 2008 was not a good bonsai year for me; and two, the nebari is in three levels below the soil line with approximately 2 inches in between each level. As this is not conducive to bonsai cultivation let alone ever getting this tree in a pot, something needed to be done about it.

The damaged root was not rodent damage but somehow the root had died and rotted and the base of the tree as well. I was discouraged as this tree has a 2 1/2 base. I got the die grinder out and removed all the pith I could and carefully cleaned out the wound. I then sealed the cavity with cut paste for the time being. More will need to be done here in years to come.

I cut off a good portion of roots from this tree and reduced it to 2 levels. The roots are not around the periphery of the tree as of yet. The tree was planted out in a screen sided container to help develop the fine feeder roots.

It was a little slow out of the gate this spring, but I wasn't too worried as my other acers were slow as well. The tree seems to have responded favourably with the work carried out.

The tree was roughly wired and styled during this process. It will now rest in its new home until the spring of '11, where once again I will re-visit the root mass. Outside of selective pruining development, no other major work will be conducted on this tree.

Chamaecyparis Obtusa "Nana Gracilis"

2009-06-29T13:05:00.011-03:00

This tree was purchased as a replacement for my first Hinoki I ever owned.

Although this tree might appear large, it was dwarfed compared to the scale of the garden. This tree was selected as I said for a replacement but in essence because the foliage was so close to the trunk in comparison with other Hinokis. Because of this potential it is developing nicely for 2 years of training.

The following photo is the tree circa '07:

This is the original Hinoki that was used in the garden:

Although this tree fit the spot beautifully as everything around it was based on the scale of this tree, it developed allot of potential as seen here:

... and I decided it would be a better candidate for a bonsai versus a landscape tree.

This is the tree Hinoki was replaced with. As can bee seen relatively easily, this one is more to scale.

This pot was created by Klaudia Meyer Wostefeld of Germany. As soon as she posted the pot I knew this would become Hinoki V's final resting place. But you will have to wait until spring for that update.

In the next couple of years the crown will be reduced and the tree refined. It is being developed as a slanting tree and with the exception of thinning out the foliage, it is pretty much there. Not bad for 2 years. Did I ever mentioned I like Hinokis!!

Final Styling "Lazy"

2009-06-29T12:50:00.004-03:00

Several months have past since repotting Lazy in her final pot. She has recuperated well and is flourishing. Although I prefer to wire my Hinokis in the fall, I decided to proceed now with the final styling and readjust as necessary during the fall wiring.

This is where we left off in spring, the tree is nice and healthy.

This is the tree as of 27 June 09. The rough work for this tree is pretty much done. As you know I have a penchant for Chinese styling, Lazy is suitable for this type of styling which in my opinion is a little more fluid.

This is more or less the final front. During the next repot it will be necessary to rotate the tree counter clockwise about 15-20 degrees in order for it to sit properly in the pot. I believe this will be achievable given the root mass. Although this pot was chosen as its final resting place, the overall silhouette may prevent this. We will have to see.

In upcoming years detail wiring, positioning, pruning and pinching will place the foliage pad where needed to hide the foreshortening necessary with regards to the major branches. The crown will continue to be developed and rounded. The deadwood will also be refined and lime sulphured.

Cotoneaster Horizontalis "Coral Beauty"

2009-06-29T11:53:00.009-03:00

The following tree was part of an experiment I did in 2006. The basis of the experiment can be read here. This tree was grown in my substrate.

The bush as brought home from the nursery.

The tree was bare rooted and intialy pruned.

The tree was planted out in a pond basket to nurture a fine feeder root system (also part of the experiment) and given a final styling.

The tree circa May '07. This tree was occasionally pruned during the previous season. This is the result.

The tree gets it's first bonsai pot. The silhouette of an "apple tree" is developing. Circa June '07.

Coming out of slumber circa spring '08

Circa June '09. The tree is coming along nicely and will be refined in years to come.

In upcoming months and years I will need to refine my photography skills as I am failing to do my trees justice. I am not getting the depth of field I would like and the majority look like a cluttered mess in two dimensions.

Cotoneaster Horizontalis "Coral Beauty" (Duggy)

2009-06-29T10:52:00.016-03:00

This tree was found in the landscape when we purchased our home in '04. We are not sure what the previous owners intentions were, with the exception that they tried to "string" this tree to make it grow upright?? It's a Cotoneaster Horizontalis.

Anyway the former owners new little about trees and plants, shady varietals were planted in full sun, full sun varietals planted in the shade etc... The whole front flower bed was useless. Years of neglect made shrubs overgrown, shapeless and unattractive. So we dug the bed up, and replaced it with a dry Japanese Garden. The missus convinced me to keep the tree so, I planted him out back (full sun).

One day I was admiring the knarliness of the trunk and decided it was developing into quite a nice little tree. So without further ado, I decided to bonsai this beauty. This photo is circa '07.

Unfortunately the root system was not the greatest and this training pot was used to start this tree off into becoming someday a bonsai.

I love the movement and taper in the trunk and plan to raise this one as a shohin.

This is the intended front for the tree for the time being.

2008 was not a good year for my bonsai journey, shift work and a 60-72 hrs weeks kept me rather busy. Although my trees were not neglected, I saw to their watering and feeding needs, only necessary maintenance was carried out but photographs proved to be too time consuming with everything else that was on the go at the time. Therefore, we now move to circa '09.

The tree has prospered and is turning into a nice little shohin.

The first and second branches are in place, I need to develop the 2nd left branch which is coming along.

We can see here the 2nd left branch emerging. The crown is too full at present and will be reduced in years to come.

This tree is coming along nicely Cotoneasters grow like weeds in my climate. Come spring of '10 I will examine the root system once again and see if we cannot move him to a better pot.

I like Cotoneasters for several reasons: the main one is that this particular cultivar resembles an apple tree when it blossoms and when it bears fruit. They are definitely the talk of the neighbours which find bonsai fascinating, so do I.

Picea Pungens "Montgomery" (Blue Spruce) Pt I

2009-05-03T16:12:00.019-03:00

This tree was acquired as nursery stock. I have driven past a similar tree in someones front yard for the past 4 years. I have been tempted on several occasions to knock on their door to request permission to dig it up. I finally found one on my own. It has allot of work that needs to be done. So far this year I have been extremely fortunate with the roots on acquired trees, very little to no work required. It was potted up in a screen sided planter. I like these planters (inspired by Vance Wood) for growing out trees versus the original grow boxes.

I found that in my climate that the wood would become saturated and the substrate remain too moist, even with a fast draining almost totally inorganic mix. The design of these screen sided containers provide adequate ventilation all around and under the container. For my conditions, they are ideal not to mention the assistance in forming great roots.

The other think I like about these containers is the multiple anchor points available for not only the tree but guy wires. I have come to use more and more guy wires in shaping trees these days. Furthermore guy wires don't require replacement on growing trees like wire does.

The front

This may change with time. One needs to start somewhere. We can see a small 3 lobed branch right beside (left side) the vertical jin in the centre of the phot, that will form the future apex. It is situated about halfway between the jin and the end of the foliage on the left.

The right side

Right/back

The back

The left

Left/front

I may also develop this tree in the slanting style which would be its natural growth pattern, and as I do not have a slanting tree, I might just do that. We will have to see how it progresses over the next few years.

Alot of jins can be seen throughout the pictures, it is easier to have more than not enough. Some may remain while others will be either removed or shortened. Remember this is its first styling with many more steps involved in the future.

Chamaecyparis Obtusa "Nana Gracilis"

2009-05-03T08:15:00.017-03:00

I recently acquired this tree from nursery stock. It was chosen for a good root base and low branches. I love working with these trees although many do not. What I like about them is when good stock is found a reasonable bonsai silhouette can be established almost immediately.

This is a picture of the front of the tree after initial styling.

... the back of the tree.

I was fortunate that root work (tap root removal) was carried out on this tree some time ago. The tree has a good basal flare with some nice roots and fine feeder roots (very common in Hinokis).

I was able to pot this tree in a relatively shallow pot, because of the work done in the past. This will speed up the development process quite a bit, as I will have very little to no root work to carry out on this tree. The root base is well established around the periphery of the trunk and as time goes by the nebari on this one should be fantastic.

There is much work to do on this tree in the future. Right now the tree will rest. The apex needs to be define a little more and cleaned up. The small branch-lets will need to be wired (fall '10). I prefer wiring in the fall as the wires have a better chance to set the branches. Wires are removed towards mid to the end of summer. Although the "Nana" is a slow grower, I find that nonetheless the tree is extremely prolific in my climate. Wiring in the spring results in the wires biting before the end of the growth season. By wiring in the fall, only one wiring is required per season. I have been using more and more guy wires in tree development these days, especially when no requirement exist other than placing the branch on a new plane, moving one back or forward etc...

The lighting on this particular photo shows a strong branch growing to the left on the apex. This branch is barely noticeable in person, but there nonetheless. The apex is directly aligned with the base of the trunk and slightly forward. The foliage will be brought around and wired in position to hide this annoyance produced by the camera.

... in this lighting situation the branch is barely noticeable.

The tree was potted up an Erin pot (the only suitable one I had on hand). I kind of like the overall picture but may re-pot in an unglazed pot in the future.

Euonymus (Burning bush)

2009-03-30T14:56:00.005-03:00

Burning bush circa Apr '08. This tree was acquired late fall '07, given an initial pruning and was planted in the ground until spring.

The tree is nice and healthy with lots of buds, circa Mar '09. It will be left alone this summer to grow secondary branching

Chamaecyparis Obtusa "Nana Gracilis" Pt III

2009-03-30T11:09:00.005-03:00

Although the ground layer was successful, the tree did not survive after the main root system was severed. Bonsai tuition!!!

Acer "Ginnala" Part II

2009-03-30T10:58:00.008-03:00

Unfortunately the damage cause by the winter of 06/07 was too severe. As the growth demonstrated here (August) occured late in the season, the tree did not have a chance to harden off before winter and expired the winter (07/08).

Acer Palmetum "Bloodgood" Pt I

2009-03-30T10:39:00.006-03:00

This tree was acquired the summer of '07. The top of this tree was broken off somehow during the winter of '07. As it no longer possessed any value for landscape purposes, I was able to convince the owner that the trees future lied with me and albeit the tree served no purpose for landscaping, it would become a good candidate for bonsai culture.

We had a funny winter across the country in '07. Several enthusiasts loss over-wintering trees as well as local nurseries. This tree has a trunk diameter just under 2 inches. The damage was carved out, sealed and the tree planted out in the ground to regain health and development. The above picture was taken during the summer of '08. It has recovered nicely and a decision will be made soon with regards to its continued development. The future for this tree will be in the broom/naturalistic style.

Repotting Lazy

2009-03-29T13:27:00.038-03:00

After 5 years or development it is now time to start defining this bonsai. It is spring in Nova Scotia, the tree is nice and healthy and so today Lazy will be getting her new and final pot.

The work begins...

Although a re-potting was not necessary at this time (the tree was not root bound), the roots are plenty and healthy. Therefore to take this tree to the next level it is necessary to re-pot this year.

The roots are gently combed out with a chopstick, starting from the outside and working towards the centre. Some folks choose to use a rake for this procedure, I chose not to in large part due to the finicky natures of "Hinokis". I find that rakes and combs have sharp edges and produce too much damage. Secondly because I use a relatively coarse substrate, the roots untangle easily. Most of the soil can be shaken off the root ball.

The soil finally removed from the root ball. Some of the old soil has remained but I am not worried of this, as my substrate is nearly totally inorganic. I favour this over too much intrusion into the tree's root network.

Checking out for size... perfect!

Re-potting...

... as can be seen I do not use a drainage layer. All my bonsais are potted in the same size substrate. I believe the use of a drainage layer to be nothing more than an old wives tale from yesteryear. Although beneficial in the olden days for pots without drainage holes, it is a moot point in bonsai cultivation with our fast, free draining substrate.

... setting the tree in the pot, checking for final position before securing the tree to the pot.

A thin layer of substrate is placed on top and worked into the roots with a chopstick.

... this is carried out several times to fill any voids.

... re-potting complete.

The final front... I could not get the tree exactly situated as I wanted it in the pot. The initial styling for the future design commenced in the summer of '07, where unnecessary branching was removed and the the branches wired/repositioned.

The summer of '08 as the wire had done its job, all wire was removed to provide unrestricted growth. As discussed in "Taming Hinokis..." too much work at once results in a dead tree. Hinokis should never be wired after a re-pot but left to recuperate from the intrusion for at least three months. Lazy will be permitted unimpeded growth over the summer and final styling will take place this fall. The position in the pot allows me several options, but more than likely the selected front will be the main focus and the tree situated correctly on the next re-pot.

I prefer to wire during fall for several reasons: besides the pre-discussed reasons, it permits me to style and trim after a years growth and; wiring in the fall prior to dormancy permits the wire to do its job vice biting in. The growth of Hinokis albeit slow, is still sufficient to necessitate the tree to be rewired in the summer when done during the spring. This is necessary as the branches have not taken on "set", whilst when wired in the fall the branches are set by summer and the wire can be removed without another application.

Once again if the tree requires to be wired this is carried out during the fall and if the tree is not due to be re-potted, will undergo fine tuning and foliage refinement the following spring.

Chamaecyparis Obtusa "Nana Gracilis" (Lazy) Pt II

2009-03-29T12:51:00.019-03:00

This Hinoki is beginning it's 5th growing season. It has come along way from it's humble beginnings. This tree has been part of Michael Persiano's "Superfeeding" regimen". To some this regimen is labelled as "superfeeding" but to most it is just common sense. Let me explain!

Bonsai cultivation has come along way in recent years. Fertilisation of our trees has not grown as exponentially as soil components. In the past we fed moderately. Now with the advent of almost totally inorganic substrate we need to feed our trees more aggressively in order to sustain the trees nutritional requirements.

For those that have been following my bonsai journey, they know that I have been employing Persiano's "Superfeeding" program. His program has a 2 phase approach: the developmental phase and the maintenance phase. Although Michael recommends 2 years in the developmental phase, this tree has been "superfed" for 3 years. The results are obviously seen. Now that this tree is destined to it's final pot, it will be placed under the maintenance program beginning with this growing season.

A little refresher...

This Hinoki was my third purchase in May '05. I named it Lazy because of its laid back disposition. At the time I thought it was something special. I had kept as much foliage as I could, considering they do not back bud on old wood, and tried to maximise the trees height. The results a tall and lanky tree, nothing else.

Circulating the net I was convinced the best potential for this tree resided in the movement from this view. Although not convinced at the time, it is something that I have kept in mind ever since. Late August '07, this view was selected for a final styling in the penjing style. As depicted in the first picture in this update.

During the winter of 05-06 I toyed with the idea of reducing the trees height, being fully cognisant of the trees growth patterns, that I needed to keep as much foliage as possible. In February of '06 I went to work. The trunk was wrapped in raffia, two 5mm wires acted as spines against the trunk and the trunk was once again wrapped in rafia. The tree was wired and this is the result. Height reduction was possible and the tree looked more credible than its humble beginnings. Because of the length of the branches, in order to accomplish a credible silhouette Foreshortening Techniques needed to be applied, with the final result.

This shot was taken the fall of '06. The growing season was good and the fullness of the foliage apparent. Unfortunately the result looked more like a landscape juniper than a credible bonsai. The development of this tree can be followed here

Chamaecyparis Obtusa "Nana Gracilis" Pt II

2008-06-04T08:40:00.026-03:00

As discussed in Pt I, because the ground layer was so successful, the tree was potted up in March of '07 in this training pot. The new layered roots equaled approximately 1/3 of the original root mass.

The tree prospered during the'07 growing season combined with my feeding regimen, the roots soon colonized this 9 x 9 3 inch pot and repotting had to be once again considered.

The original root mass was severed from the tree as 2/3 to 3/4 of the roots were the result of the ground layer. It was difficult to find the tourniquet in the mass of fine feeder roots, but was found nonetheless and finally removed.

This the right side of the tree.

The tree was planted out on this slab from Erin Pottery. The slab dimensions are: 15.5 x 10 x 2 inches. Because of the shallowness of the slab, a layer of Sphagnum moss has been added as a top dressing to help maintain moisture and retain the soil in place. This side was chosen for comparative purposes only.

The following picture depicts the left side:

... and finally the back or front:

The old front:

The tree photographs with quite a severe lean to the left in this position, I am not sure why, as this has always been the chosen front.

Although this picture viewed from a slightly different angle offers a better view of the intended silhouette which is similar to the back view. The disadvantage of this view although favourable for the tree, does not highlight the slab well. The slab was meant to be used in my opinion with the old front view.

As stated in my original article "Taming the Hinoki Cypress", Hinokis do not take well to a repot and wire at the same time. Therefore as the wires have not begin to bite in, the tree will be left to recover this summer. I will be monitoring closely for biting and remove the wires at first sign. Then a complete re-wiring can and will be carried out at a more favourable time, which is during fall.

Much more refinement is needed during the third phase of this project. All the branches will be re-wired and brought down into perspective now that the tree is positioned somewhat in its final resting position. More work is required in cleaning and defining the crown, not to mention a slight reposition of such. The good thing about Hinokis they remain fairly flexible.

Considering the starting material I believe the tree is coming along quite well. Hinokis take extremely well to ground layering and the method used in Pt I can be safely applied by anyone.

Kidnaped Cotoneaster

2008-01-23T14:54:00.000-04:00

The tree that was the most endearing to me had to be this little beauty that was affectionately called by may partner "Apple"

Cotoneaster "Coral Beauty" circa May '05

The tree was acquired from nursery stock in May '05 and initially styled. The tree was pretty much left unhindered for the remaining of the growing season with the exception of the odd pruning.
This tree had tremendous potential and was styled as a miniature apple tree.

In bloom circa June '06, tree height from the soil line 4 inches.

This little beauty was stolen in Oct '06, and yes it had it's berries on it, and resembled a miniature apple tree.

The sad part was that the tree is probably dead today, as I believe it was stolen by teenagers who did not have a clue what they had, let alone what to do with it.

This page is nonetheless posted in its memory.

Acer "Ginnala" Pt I

2008-01-21T21:08:00.002-04:00

Another tree acquired in May of '05. This trees foliage was reduced by about 75%. Very much in its infancy, it needs to be refined, much much further.

In Sept '05 the tree has responded well to bonsai culture, as it has filled out nicely. A nice basal flare with good nebari is noticeable.

This photo was taken in Jun '06. The tree was pruned back after it's first flush. The trunk and nebari are really coming along.

The '06/07 winter was not favourable to me, nor to many Canadians, Many lost several trees, for unknown reasons. This maple was one of 5 trees that suffered during the winter. (BTW all trees did recover their ordeal, but with severe damage.)

Nothing was happening with this maple, so I decided to chop it, in the hope of awakening dormant buds. I had nothing to loose. For the longest while nothing was happening. I kept my watering to a minimum and low and behold one day a bud appeared, this was late in the season. This photo was taken in Sep. With the relatively mild fall we had the tree was never placed into the cold frame until well into November. Hopefully the tree had time to harden off. The trunk continued to show signs of maturity and the nebari is coming along quite nicely. Maybe there is a silver lining here as this tree will undoubtedly be developed as a mame/shohin. I just hope this winter is morev favourable to her.

Chamaecyparis Obtusa "Nana Gracilis" (Hinoki III) Pt I

2008-01-21T12:36:00.002-04:00

This Hinoki the third in a series was acquired because of the straight trunk in May '05. It was potted out in a large bulb pan and received its original styling. Notice the area that is encircled. This area just below the basal flare runs for approximately 1 1/2 inches below the soil line. This problem will need to be addressed if I am ever going to get this tree in a suitable container.

This photo was taken in Sep '05. The tree has filled out nicely and we can see a formal upright in the making.

In March of '06 the foliage (fans) were flattened and thinned out, and the tree rewired. Because of the slender trunk, this tree will never be able to support a large foliage mass, well at least not for the time being.
It was also time to deal with the problematic trynk below the basal flare. A tourniquet was applied above the old root system, windows were cut along the circumference of the trunk (6 or 7 I believe), rooting hormone was applied and the tree was ground layered. The tree was potted in my normal mix to just over the previous roots, then the top to just below the basal flare was filled with straight screened turface ((1/32 - 1/16" particles)(Japanese sand). The tree progressed nicely during the growing season.

This photograph was taken in July '06, as it can be seen, the tree has never missed a beat. The second photo is of a possible future.

Over the summer it became apparent that the top need to come off. This reduced the overall height of the tree approximately 3 inches as can be seen in the 2nd photo. The overall reduction and rounding of the crown proved beneficial.
It was evident beginning in July that the ground layer was doing its job as several fine feeder roots were seen on the surface.

Because the ground layer was so successful, the tree was potted up in March of '07 in this training pot. The new layered roots equaled approximitly 1/3 of the original roots. Based on what was discovered I decided that it would be safe to reduce the original root mass by half. I did this for 2 reasons: one I didn't think the tree could survive solely on its new roots because of the foliage it had to support; and two I wanted the new roots to gain in strength and continue to proliferate, while the tree is still being supported in part by its former root mass.
The gamble IMO paid off as can be seen in the accompanying photo which was taken in July '07. This coming ('08) mid to late March (weather dependent) the roots will be revisited again and a decision will be made whether to place the tree on its new roots or a further reduction of the old root mass.

Chamaecyparis Obtusa ""Nana Gracilis" (Lazy) Pt I

2008-01-21T09:19:00.004-04:00

This Hinoki was my third purchase in May '05. I named it Lazy because of its laid back disposition. At the time I thought it was something special. I had kept as much foliage as I could, considering they do not back bud on old wood, and tried to maximize the trees height. The results a tall and lanky tree, nothing else.

Circulating the net I was convinced the best potential for this tree resided in the movement from this view. Although not convinced at the time, it is something that I have kept in mind ever since. Late August '07, this view was selected for a final styling in the penjing style.

During the winter of 05-06 I toyed with the idea of reducing the trees height, being fully cognizant of the trees growth patterns, that I needed to keep as much foliage as possible. In February of '06 I went to work. The trunk was wrapped in rafia, two 5mm wires acted as spines against the trunk and the trunk was once again wrapped in rafia. The tree was wired and this is the result. Height reduction was possible and the tree looked more credible than its humble beginnings,
Because of the length of the branches, in order to accomplish a credible silhouette Foreshortening Techniques needed to be applied, with the final result.

This shot was taken the fall of '06. The growing season was good and the fullness of the foliage apparent. Unfortunately the result looked more like a landscape juniper than a credible bonsai.

Although we dread winter as it seems because our trees are dormant we are sitting twiddling our thumbs, this is the time to reflect on the upcoming growing season.
The tree was potted up towards the end of March '07. The root structure of this tree favours a slanting style and, I decided not to fight it. A suitable rock I had available was placed on the left. This rock had a depression that fit nicely against the trunk and I believe help with the visual weight.

These renditions is where I originally seen the trees future. The canopy needs to fill out as well as more refined wiring and foreshortening. Work needs to commence on the deadwood.

The long branch (large branch) was the original trunk. As time went by this branch would no longer be suitable in the trees future. Although the foliage was desirable, it unbalanced the tree, making the top and right hand side to heavy. This branch was removed late summer '07. The growth was good and outside of repositioning branches and studying the tree, it was pretty much left alone.

Remember the back shot that was discussed earlier? Well I spent the summer contemplating the tree from my deck at numerous angles and height. In order to add credence to this tree, it needed further reduction. The foliage was just too heavy. This silhouette (the original right side of the tree) was used as a template for future styling. The large branch (original trunk top) was removed. The remaining branches were repositioned and wired and the crown was lowered. The intent is to style this tree as a penjing (which I have a penchant for). Photographs were not taken at the time, but will be taken come spring, at which time we can follow its progress with Part II.

Juniperus Chinensis "Blaauw" Pt II

2008-01-21T01:00:00.001-04:00

... the tree was left to recover and continued to grow and back bud well for the remainder of the '06 season. It was placed on a Superfeeding regimen, that continued well into the fall. It came through the winter unscathed. The photographs below demonstrate its growth and vigour circa June '07

On the recommendation of several learnt enthusiast the tree was placed in its first bonsai pot. The rationale behind such recommendations was: the trunk did not need any further growth; in case root work was required it was deemed more suitable to do it now than later, at the cost of a branch, should a removed root feed a vital branch.

As expected when the tree was removed from its grow box, the root spread was as remembered, and no root work was required. The roots (numerous fine feeders) could not support anchoring the tree in to the pot. It was necessary to use 2 stainless steel screws into the trunk to anchor the tree.

The trees Superfeeding regimen was continued for this year as well (2007) and was left to grow unattended. The tree was wired in September, receiving it's initial styling. Work has commenced on the jins.

Juniperus Chinensis "Blaauw" Pt I

2008-01-19T20:38:00.002-04:00

I acquired this tree from a local nursery at a ridiculously low price, in May 2006. I believe the reason for such a low price was the fact that this particular tree grew lopsided and could not be sold as a landscape tree.

The lopsided growth is evident in this picture. The tree was a little over 3 feet tall, had a 2 foot spread and the trunk diameter just shy of 3 inches. The tree was planted out in a grow box. The tree had a beautiful radial spread of fine feeder roots.

As can be seen from this photograph a clear trunk line is defined. The tree offers several options. I studied it for several days trying to envision its future.

After careful study of the tree started to remove all faulty branching and continued with the elimination of all branches that I knew would not be part of the trees future, keeping large stubs for future jin a shari considerations. Below is the final result of the initial styling, many branches were left longer to support life and may be later removed.

The tree was left to recover from the ordeal and in subsequent weeks new growth and back budding started to appear. This new growth was allowed to grow unhindered to ensure maximum energy in the tree.