help styling this cotoneaster yamadori.

marc206 · Feb 5, 2013

Please help me in the styling of this beautiful tree. i am going for a broom style right now, but i am slowly going to stand it up so the leaves grow as if the trunk were vertical. enjoy!

oops sorry the pictures are not upright i can fix

http://horiuchibonsai.blogspot.com/

Poink88 · Feb 5, 2013

Hi. Please update you profile to show your location and zone if possible.

Very nice but challenging material you got there. Hard to give any advise because of the tight foliage...can't hardly see the branch structure.

How long have it been since it was collected?
What size bonsai are you planning to make?

If you can answer these, maybe you will get more response.

NewWorldBonsai · Feb 6, 2013

Looks like a nice trunk! Seems like some major carving or cut backs may need to be done. Could you shoot us a picture with it thinned out a little more?

Like Poink88 said it's hard to give much advice without seeing whats going on. Either way you've got a great start with that big trunk.

JudyB · Feb 7, 2013

I agree, nice trunk, but more and better pictures with angles showing branch structure will be needed to get more input.

marc206 · Feb 11, 2013

yes im working on pruning it now. Will update with new pictures tomorrow. Thanks

marc206 · Feb 22, 2013

updated pictures

Ok sorry tomorrow can a little off. here are some updated pictures.
this picture was the old bottom

this was the top.

I have it upright now and i have the side that was the old bottom, now facing the light. It has been about a month and it is now starting to show growth were there was none.

marc206 · Feb 22, 2013

Picture bomb

I wired some of the branches to get more light in spots that were dark. I used a folded up post-it note to keep the wire from hurting the branches. not much to look at now. does anyone have any ideas on were i can take this plant in the future?

fourteener · Feb 22, 2013

Find the front

You've cleaned it out nice. Now you need to figure out which side is the front. Any advice I have is more or less helpful depending on which side is the front.

marc206 · Feb 22, 2013

i really dont know what side i want the front to be yet. it just still so hidious right now i cant decide. I do have about 10+ more cotoneaster yamadoris. nothing compared to this one. My mothers house has been through a cotoneaster invasion. and i havent even finished clearing it all out for her yet. This was the biggest trunk i could find but there still could be a diamond in the rough if i keep looking.

Just by the pictures i posted do you have any suggestions

fourteener · Feb 25, 2013

#1

I like picture #1 the best. That being said I don't like the branch that crosses the front and becomes parallel to a branch already on the side it moves to. I think it gives you the best trunk situation. Bigger taller trunk headed to the right, shorter trunk to the left. That branch that crosses the trunk keeps your eye from flowing up the trunk.

My .02

marc206 · Mar 10, 2013

which branch are you speaking of? The tree is growing leaves from everywhere right now since I brough it indoors. Should I take new pictures to give you guys a reference.

fourteener · Mar 10, 2013

Post number 7, picture number one. The branch wired down on the left that actually starts in the middle of the trunk is a distraction. The eye should flow up the trunk and that branch is a big visual road block.

I would let it grow and get healthy. If there are some obvious things to trim off you can. But all these new shoots are causing root growth. If your trim too much it will just continue to weaken the tree.

drew33998 · Mar 10, 2013

I would remove the smaller branch that is parallel to the large one to the left of it . Then carve the large one some to correct reverse taper. The main trunk to the right looks well placed to me.

drew33998 · Mar 10, 2013

drew33998 said:
I would remove the smaller branch that is parallel to the large one to the left of it . Then carve the large one some to correct reverse taper. The main trunk to the right looks well placed to me.

Maybe like this. Idk I suck at virts.

october · Mar 12, 2013

I like picture 3..with an explanation. It is the only view were there is a very nice, subtle curve to the trunk line. After the thick protruding section on the left is removed, it opens up a beautiful informal upright trunk. At which point, you could let all the branches grow wild, then cut back to the ones that you need. Here are a few virts. The first one shows the pic I chose. The second, my proposed trunk line. The third is with the proper future branch placement and possible jin and shari.

If I may, I think a broom style on this tree would really lessen the quality and impact of this tree. In the end, you might just have somethign that looks like a bush. Cotoneasters, sometimes aren't the best for brooms. You have a beautiful strong, yet elegant curved trunk. Why not utilize that. Also, Since the leaves are so small, when this tree is near finished. I can picture beautiful foliage pads made up of very small leaves against a very powerful trunk.

Rob

drew33998 · Mar 12, 2013

october said:
I like picture 3..with an explanation. It is the only view were there is a very nice, subtle curve to the trunk line. After the thick protruding section on the left is removed, it opens up a beautiful informal upright trunk. At which point, you could let all the branches grow wild, then cut back to the ones that you need. Here are a few virts. The first one shows the pic I chose. The second, my proposed trunk line. The third is with the proper future branch placement and possible jin and shari.

If I may, I think a broom style on this tree would really lessen the quality and impact of this tree. In the end, you might just have somethign that looks like a bush. Cotoneasters, sometimes aren't the best for brooms. You have a beautiful strong, yet elegant curved trunk. Why not utilize that. Also, Since the leaves are so small, when this tree is near finished. I can picture beautiful foliage pads made up of very small leaves against a very powerful trunk.

Rob

And that's why you are the masterpiece. Great vision. I too like it

october · Mar 12, 2013

drew33998 said:
And that's why you are the masterpiece. Great vision. I too like it

lol..Thank you..nah.. Not a masterpiece, just a good listener when the tree is speaking. Like John Naka said. "When styling a tree, no talking. Tree is talking, you listen". The subtle, natural curve and taper characteristics on this tree is highly sought after in the bonsai world.

Rob

help styling this cotoneaster yamadori.

marc206

Mame

Poink88

Imperial Masterpiece

NewWorldBonsai

Mame

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts

marc206

Mame

marc206

Mame

marc206

Mame

fourteener

Omono

marc206

Mame

fourteener

Omono

marc206

Mame

fourteener

Omono

drew33998

Masterpiece

drew33998

Masterpiece

Attachments

october

Masterpiece

Attachments

drew33998

Masterpiece

october

Masterpiece

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