nagasaki crabapple - malus progression

barrosinc · Jul 5, 2016

This was sold to me as a Nagasaki crabapple.

I don't really know what to do with it.
I have seen Jeremy's threads and the look awesome cut to the first or second bud as a shohin.
What do you think? does it have enough movement to leave it as is? Or should I thicken it a bit?

This went through my vacation drought so it had a bit of a regression.

Barrosinc - bonsai 2016 - malus - 0001.jpg

barrosinc · Jul 5, 2016

well it is not a progression right now... but will be.

Stickroot · Jul 5, 2016

barrosinc said:
This was sold to me as a Nagasaki crabapple.

I don't really know what to do with it.
I have seen Jeremy's threads and the look awesome cut to the first or second bud as a shohin.
What do you think? does it have enough movement to leave it as is? Or should I thicken it a bit?

This went through my vacation drought so it had a bit of a regression.

View attachment 110178

I think this is the piece that I would most likely work with.
Nice tree!

yeah this one.
Sorry for the crappy image.

JudyB · Jul 6, 2016

I don't think I'd chop the tree honestly. It has nice taper already all the way up. Unless you want a shorter tree... I like this tree as is.

thumblessprimate1 · Jul 6, 2016

Very nice movement and taper as Judy has said. It's nice what you got there.

Giga · Jul 6, 2016

I like it the way it is - maybe some longer branches and you have a nice little tree

rockm · Jul 6, 2016

I would definitely NOT chop the trunk. You have nice taper now and a pretty nice finished trunk to work with. Chopping it at the level suggested would simply produce the same trunk you have now. If you feel the need to chop it, chop it at the first bud on the trunk, work on building an apex from there. That might produce a pretty powerful mame tree, but not any better than simply using what you have. It would just be different.

If this were mine, I'd work on growing out branches and ramification. Shorten all the branches by half. I'd shorten the apex branching by two thirds. Grow out new buds to three or four leaves, chop them back to one. Do this for a few growing seasons.

you haven't shown the roots, which are a big part of the tree also.

erb.75 · Jul 6, 2016

i love the tree as is...a slanting style will look REALLY good when the fruit is hanging off of it. I need to find me one of those!

nice little tree!

sorce · Jul 6, 2016

I think you can chalk this up on your top 5 list.

Just never ever ever go on vacation again!

Sorce

CuriousLayman · Jul 6, 2016

To my (admittedly beginner) eye, that tree has a nice trunk line. Much better than my crabapple that I bit the bullet on and chopped.

0soyoung · Jul 6, 2016

I think you are at the point of deciding what you want. I think you have a feminine trunk with nice 'slinky' movement - the lowest branches need to be much heavier and that should be your focus. On the other hand, it is tempting to chop this to the bottom pair (lower than @Stickroot wants, though that is also a good choice, IMHO) and focus on making a muscular little mame/shohin similar to something one might find on @jeremy_norbury's benches.

But bonsai is about the adventure, so I think you should keep the trunk as is, focus on branch development and see what you can achieve. Should it leave you dissatisfied, you can then chop it and see what else you can make of it!

Keep having fun!

barrosinc · Jul 6, 2016

Thanks guys! I think I won't chop it right now... the top thin branch will go and I will leave the thicker shorter piece at the apex.

barrosinc-bonsai-2016-malus-0004-jpg.110181

That is the forward leaning view.

I think I will keep it and repot it into a shallower (1/2 the depth) larger (2x the width) box this weekend and look at the nebari, which seems ok from this view.
I am going to cut off flower buds and the thick upwards pointing second left branch this weekend too.

erb.75 · Jul 6, 2016

i like the other view way better...although the newest view does have a nice wiggle...it could just be me though, i'm anti-vertical trunks

i like them going to the side 100x more

rockm · Jul 6, 2016

barrosinc said:
Thanks guys! I think I won't chop it right now... the top thin branch will go and I will leave the thicker shorter piece at the apex.

That is the forward leaning view.

I think I will keep it and repot it into a shallower (1/2 the depth) larger (2x the width) box this weekend and look at the nebari, which seems ok from this view.
I am going to cut off flower buds and the thick upwards pointing second left branch this weekend too.

I would only shorten the longer apex shoot, not eliminate it. you want a rounder crown on this, not a spike like a pine.

LanceMac10 · May 25, 2017

Any updates, @barrosinc ?

barrosinc · May 25, 2017

its winter, so wait till spring!

Waltron · May 25, 2017

Nice one, what color apples does that make? green leafer I see. I have a similar shaped crab apple that my friend recently gave me,

barrosinc · May 25, 2017

No idea, I cut the flowers off last year after blooming. I need ramification at this point.

barrosinc · May 25, 2017

Waltron said:
Nice one, what color apples does that make? green leafer I see. I have a similar shaped crab apple that my friend recently gave me,

mine seems to only have green leaves.

Soldano666 · May 25, 2017

My malus Indian summer after a fresh trim

Such a fun and fast tree to work with.. I have some harvest gold airlayers growing out and making more this summer!!! Both pink and white flower varieties. I love crabs

nagasaki crabapple - malus progression

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