2020 - 2025 Contest Brownheron intro and unnamed Satsuki starter

[Thomas Mitchell]

I've been lurking for a while now and this contest seemed like a good place for a first post.

I spent a good chunk of the 90's living in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan where I became enamored of bonsai and had dreams of bringing the hobby home with me. I did ship a couple crates of high-end tokoname ware when I returned to the states but a new baby, job and later a second baby followed by kid's sports, etc, etc. all conspired against any pursuit of bonsai. I did keep schlepping the pots around to our various homes trying to break as few of them as possible. Finally, this spring the now empty nest and work-from-home environment kicked off my second try at bonsai.

I still have all the books I bought back in the 90's including the ones written in Japanese that I've forgotten how to read (still speak it pretty well) but I'm super excited about the opportunities for learning like this forum and the other web-based resources. I'll be a net receiver rather than contributor for a good while but will do my part.

The photo below is one of four unnamed Satsuki cultivars I recent brought home from a small hobby nursery nearby. Looking forward to documenting it's progress over the next 5 years. Given it's current stick in a pot status, it's not going to be a winner but it's the process that matters more to me.

Thomas

Sat01.081120.01 by Thomas Mitchell, on Flickr

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Welcome Aboard @brownheron!

I see you are in my neck of the woods, so double welcome aboard!

Interesting seeing your azalea planted in a pond basket.
Is that straight sphagnum you have as media, or is that kanuma lurking underneath?

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Thomas Mitchell]

Welcome Aboard @brownheron!

I see you are in my neck of the woods, so double welcome aboard!

Interesting seeing your azalea planted in a pond basket.
Is that straight sphagnum you have as media, or is that kanuma lurking underneath?

Cheers
DSD sends

It's kanuma underneath. There was a thin layer of sphagnum on for a couple weeks post repot just to keep the humidity up. All seem to be doing well now.

I'm normally in So. Seattle but I'm in the SoCal desert for a while right now helping a family member while they recover from being sick. The 115deg temps and brown landscape have me homesick for the PNW.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

You betcha!

Good luck down there. By the time you return the unnamed Satsuki schools be greeting you with some nice new leaves.
Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Pitoon]

Welcome to the contest. Do you have a picture of what it looked like before you put it into the pond basket?

 

[Thomas Mitchell]

Welcome to the contest. Do you have a picture of what it looked like before you put it into the pond basket?

Sorry, no. But it would have been virtually identical to the photo above, only changes were a slight angle change and some extremely minor clean-up.

 

[Pitoon]

Spring is here and your azalea could be blooming (depending on your location) or starting to leaf out with this season’s flush……it’s time for updates!

I would also like to add at this time we have 3 prizes to award. Many thanks to @Forsoothe! and @Deep Sea Diver for donating. I am also donating a prize as well.

If you are no longer interested in continuing in the Azalea Contest, please let me know so we can close your thread, thanks.

 

[Thomas Mitchell]

One year update. The original photo above is now looking like it will be the back of the design.

Nothing done over the last year except managing water and fertilization/pest control. The azalea was very vigorous and grew well. My Satsuki pre-bonsai including this one weathered the abnormal PNW heat event much better than most of my other plants.

New photos below. The current thought is for a shohin windswept or semi-cascade design. I'll continue to let it grow through the fall, maybe to some light cleanup of the bad branches and wiring initial movement in a couple primary leaders. In the early spring, I'll forgo flowering and do a more meaningful styling aligned with the intended design, maybe a report (roots showing in the bottom of the basket now).

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

FRONT


REAR

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Nicely done! Very vigorous growth. It seems like you must of had a nice winter over spot too.

I’d say now is the time to take off the branches and branchlets that you absolutely do not want. Especially those on the basal area. This will shift the next years energy into those areas that you want growth in now.

Also as you do not wish to have the tree flower next year instead of removing the buds in late winter you might want to stop the tips of the growth or even shorten the branches you plan to keep to rough out the design now. This will begin sub branching/ramification.

Your tree your call

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Thomas Mitchell]

Thanks! Exactly my plan on all the basal branches and the other obvious no-gos like the downward pointing ones, etc.

I appreciate your thoughts on starting the rough design work now. It's something that I've been going back and forth about and some external validation is super helpful.

Best,

Thomas

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

You are welcome.

btw: Once things start getting into late October through winter you should be able to do some wiring to help the design along.

The wood is a bit harder in the late fall through winter as the sap flow falls. But most of your branches are still young, so it shouldn’t be much bother.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Thomas Mitchell]

Annual update time!

The original photo link seems to have broken so I've reposted the whole sequence here.

August 2020 - Right after purchasing, initial prune and put in a pond basket

Sept 2021 - Nothing done but watering and Biogold every 6 weeks during the growing season



May 2022 - Hard prune and placed into an ill-matched pot. I like the general shape but the aesthetics of the pot aren't where I want to go. It was just the only pot of this general shape I had on hand. Maybe should have continued in a training pot another year.



Sept 2022 - Recovered from the harsh treatment and is growing well. Will do some light wiring in the early fall. Still headed toward a windswept han-kengai sort of vibe. Not completely sure which side will be the front.