The 5 year contest was a perfect excuse to pick up another big box maple for $15 and give it a go (I killed 4 out of the previous 5). I planted it in a 6 gallon container in Bonsai Jack universal mix.
Even though 5 years isn't that much, I let the tree grow this season and used the time to bend the trunk as it was stick straight. Way too thick for wire (at least for my wiring skills), so I used rope and progressively tightened it. Eventually I added up 20 lbs of weight. I used the upper part of the tree for leverage to bend the trunk with the rope. I assume the tree put on a substantial amount of roots as it doesn't budge even with weights hanging on it. The trunk now has some movement.
The plan is to use the roots I grew this year to power growth after the first trunk chop next spring. First repot in 2024.
I probably need more like 10 years, but happy to join the contest. I'll upload some better pics.
Even though 5 years isn't that much, I let the tree grow this season and used the time to bend the trunk as it was stick straight. Way too thick for wire (at least for my wiring skills), so I used rope and progressively tightened it. Eventually I added up 20 lbs of weight. I used the upper part of the tree for leverage to bend the trunk with the rope. I assume the tree put on a substantial amount of roots as it doesn't budge even with weights hanging on it. The trunk now has some movement.
The plan is to use the roots I grew this year to power growth after the first trunk chop next spring. First repot in 2024.
I probably need more like 10 years, but happy to join the contest. I'll upload some better pics.