And so it begins again..

fredman

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Spring is winking. My bonsai energies are at boiling point again. The last two years I had another focus, so just 'maintained' them. Mid winter I started tapping the fingers..waiting. With the time arriving, I started replanting last week. Weather is perfect too. Everything needs to get out and into new soil, and pots. Man I almost forgot how much I love this feeling.
I plan to put the whole collection in here...as I go.
I'll get to bonsai pots later. For now I need to get them healthy and happy. Here's the first of them.
Some of the ground grown azaleas. Been in the ground 4 years. I feel they didn't grow as they could've (lots of factors), but they are at least starters now. They still need some more cutting back.
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Roses and Azaleas
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fredman

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Fujimori satsuki. Shitty photo. It's looks much better. Lots of movement in them. It's two brothers that's been planted together about 6 years ago. They are properly entangled and will fuse in future. Growthwise...no way but up for them. Planning a well shaped dome going forward.
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Shibui

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Spring appears to have arrived early over here. Chinese elms and Trident maples are already budding so I am pushing to keep ahead of all the trees.
 

Woocash

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Spring appears to have arrived early over here. Chinese elms and Trident maples are already budding so I am pushing to keep ahead of all the trees.
Yes for some reason Autumn appears a bit early here too. Some of the trees are already beginning to dull down and, particularly spindles are turning slightly red as their fruits ripen. Think the plants know something we don’t?
 

fredman

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Nice stuff @fredman !
I love those Terracotta trainers from Italy!
Me to man. Just got a huge shock today. I need another 10 of the big flat ones, and the store don't have anymore...I cleaned them out. Not getting stock out of Italy either...because of this damn plague.
Don't know what i'm going to do...i'm tired of using flat plastic containers.
Wonder if @sorce will donate a few rejects for a good cause 🤪
 
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fredman

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Last of the azaleas
Man I love this one...Fujimori. it's going to be bomb when it's all grown up someday. It was initially whipped and grown as a slanting, but i've been pulling it up over the last year or so. Stands about two feet high. Nice nebari starting to. IMG_20200806_182025.jpgGot the bones...just needs some filling in now.
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RyanSA

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Very nice trees @fredman. I started my bonsai journey two years ago. Refuse to pay for any material, wanted to create my own - started my own little nursery. Started some trees from seed, but most from cuttings. Some of my sticks in the ground are starting to sprout. I have about 15 air layers that will also start soon. I am excited. Last year I invested, this year I can harvest and will be my first year to actually work on some.
I have plans to graft some, repot some. I have collected some nice deadwood, made a few pots & training pots. Set up 3 hotbeds to help germinate quicker. The time is ALMOST here!
 

SeanS

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My Chinese elm has woken up and was repotted 2,5 weeks ago, but my maples are still sleeping. They’ll need repotting In the next few weeks, but I’m ready and waiting too!
 

fredman

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Very nice trees @fredman. I started my bonsai journey two years ago. Refuse to pay for any material, wanted to create my own - started my own little nursery. Started some trees from seed, but most from cuttings. Some of my sticks in the ground are starting to sprout. I have about 15 air layers that will also start soon. I am excited. Last year I invested, this year I can harvest and will be my first year to actually work on some.
I have plans to graft some, repot some. I have collected some nice deadwood, made a few pots & training pots. Set up 3 hotbeds to help germinate quicker. The time is ALMOST here!
I like the way you think buddy. It's about the love for trees. Bonsai is a journey...small steps will stand you in good stead.
I also started with mostly seeds and cuttings. Never bought a tree older than a year. Looking back, I won't do it any different.
 

fredman

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My Chinese elm has woken up and was repotted 2,5 weeks ago, but my maples are still sleeping. They’ll need repotting In the next few weeks, but I’m ready and waiting too!
Same here mate. Azaleas are finished planted. Next is the elm...it's winking at me. Maples are still fast asleep.
Haven't made my soil yet...waiting on the biochar :confused:
 

fredman

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Exiting..today I got the chance to use my newly made soil...got high hopes from it this season.
But first I planted the Acer katsura in the ground. Gave it some ericacious soil to grow in. The poor thing has some serious growing to do...i'll do the carving later...way later.
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Next I did the Pohutukawa. It was very pot bound, and I had to remove a lot of roots.
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The middle and canopy will be worked on going forward now. Looks better in the new pot I think.
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Then the Chinese elm. Again removed a lot of roots. Look at that sexy and colourful soil 🤪
IMG_20200810_150257.jpgThe nebari isn't what it should be really....not bad. It's starting to flare. The trunk at the bottom is annoying flat on the side view. Hopefully it'll thicken up as it develops. I gave it the bigger pot so it can grow some while it develops.
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fredman

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Was Wisteria day today..still have two left for tomorrow.
I've been growing them all wrong up to now...they want more water and i'm not going to let them grow long vines anymore. This year i'm using potting soil with bonsai mix added to retain more moisture.
Went a bit wild on the roots, but they can take it
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Dug this out the garden. Been growing for about 5 years. Man it had a healthy root system...thick and growing down. I had to saw everything from right under the trunk away. Had such a huge fight with it...I forgot to take a pic.
Needs some work, but they're all about the flowers anyway.
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BobbyLane

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i sold my sango kaku, what happened with yours? you were concerned about long nodes, did you manage the hard cut back?
 
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