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Has anyone ever worked with a winter creeper vine as bonsai? I have access to some massive ones… 5-8 inches in diameter. They have attractive foliage, tones of small feeder roots, neat berries, pleasing bark… yet I can’t find anything on them as bonsai. Anyone have any experience with them.

My new deck with a Bonsai display area is almost complete. Looking forward to finally getting my trees set up so people can actually view them. 😁

If you have a healthy well rooted tree, and have been using a good mix, and doing a light repot (just taking some of the old mix off the sides and bottom of the rootball and getting a little new mix in the pot) I’ve done this in the fall once the tree is dormant, here in TN, with few issues...

As a general rule, most oak species are way tougher to collect than many other deciduous species. As others have said, you have to get lots of fine feeder roots, which can be deep. And then this way to big for bonsai root system has to be reduced over a number of future re-pottings. If you have...

Looking back at the pics. I believe you are right... none of the muscled look on hornbeams, and the bark doesn’t have that blue-gray color of a hornbeam. Looks like a beech to me also.

any updates!

Any updates?

No updates?

Agree, my intention is to put it in a good size training pot. Something a little nicer looking than the plastic tub it is in now.

My inspiration for this tree...

I collected this American hornbeam 4 years ago as a slender stump. I‘ve just let it grow freely since then. I just did the first trimming and wiring to kind of set the bones of the tree. I’m pretty pleased with the options I had and how it turned out. These trees grow fast and it should fill in...

I think these will all make it, nice color!

I‘ve read a number of posts on how is best to collect deciduous trees. So I just thought I’d share my methods, what works for me. I’ve done bonsai for over 40 years and have collected 100’s of trees, mostly deciduous in the East Tennessee area. I don’t consider myself an expert, but I kinda know...

Your tree doesn’t look in that bad a shape to me. Nice color and decent growth... good luck going forward.

How did your tree do this year...

Here is a species that I don’t see used that often... the Bittersweet Vine and my humble example with the neat fall berries.

Hey, I started at 13... all my trees died while in my parents care while I was away at college. Graduated, got married, bought a house in my mid 20’s... and the interest came back. I’ve had bonsai trees ever since, 50+ Trees now. Currently 63 yrs. Young... guess I’ll stick with the hobby for a...

I have collected very neat clumps of mountain laurel several times. When collected with tons of undisturbed roots and put in a large grow box they initially did well. However, as soon as any root reduction was done to get them anywhere near to being in a bonsai pot they all died. I have tried...

Yes... it is usually better to dig deciduous trees in the early spring.

The dead parts of a grape vine will rot fairly quickly, you definitely need to apply a wood preservative to any parts you want to keep long term. Good luck.

How did these collected trees do this year? Updates please!

Any balanced fertilizer is going to be ok, the thing to remember about fertilizers is... it is better to under fertilize, than to over fertilize. Just read all the instructions, and follow the guidelines. A little will go a long ways. I use the liquid kinds that have the mixer you can attach to...

Hi, I think I can help with your tree, hornbeams are one of my favorite species and I’ve collected many. They are easy to work with. I’ll show you some pics of a tree that was very similar to yours that I collected 5 years ago. I can tell from your roots that this tree was growing on a slight...

The chop is healing over nicely.

I found this picture which was two years after collection. I usually let newly collected trees just grow the first two years with nothing else done to them. There were three new leaders that had grown about 5 feet. I selected the lowest one and removed the top two. The remaining leader was then...