grouper52
Masterpiece
I got this two seasons ago from Jason at Oregon Bonsai. Their acres of field grown trees were unfortunately pruned years ago before Randy got the place by some cheap labor that had no understanding. A look at he first photo shows the almost hopeless condition they left this thing in.
Almost hopeless. But I like a challenge, and I liked the trunk on this guy. I thought I could do something with it, but Jason just wondered why I bought it.
Second photo shows my decision after some study of the tree: I kept the smaller of the T branches, and tilted the tree a slight bit. I also used a die grinder to carve out the old shoulder of the larger T branch into a uro. Starting to show promise!
The third photo was then taken last winter when I went gung-ho overboard "baby-bending the whips and branchlets much farther out than they would ever need to be once trimmed back.
I then let it grow all this season, and just a few days ago trimmed it back to a first approximation of its future self. The remaining movement from the baby bending will endure to give the branching more interest forever, and all small, new whips each year may be subjected to this in the future if I don't just ramify and clip-and-grow this thing.
The carving will be further refined this winter, with many of the larger scars being hollowed out deep enough to connect with the large uro. The nebari will also be refined and shortened (Scarring the large roots at the soil line when I first potted it up has resulted in many small roots coming off close now.)
The trunk is 4" diameter. Enjoy.
Almost hopeless. But I like a challenge, and I liked the trunk on this guy. I thought I could do something with it, but Jason just wondered why I bought it.
Second photo shows my decision after some study of the tree: I kept the smaller of the T branches, and tilted the tree a slight bit. I also used a die grinder to carve out the old shoulder of the larger T branch into a uro. Starting to show promise!
The third photo was then taken last winter when I went gung-ho overboard "baby-bending the whips and branchlets much farther out than they would ever need to be once trimmed back.
I then let it grow all this season, and just a few days ago trimmed it back to a first approximation of its future self. The remaining movement from the baby bending will endure to give the branching more interest forever, and all small, new whips each year may be subjected to this in the future if I don't just ramify and clip-and-grow this thing.
The carving will be further refined this winter, with many of the larger scars being hollowed out deep enough to connect with the large uro. The nebari will also be refined and shortened (Scarring the large roots at the soil line when I first potted it up has resulted in many small roots coming off close now.)
The trunk is 4" diameter. Enjoy.