barberry bonsai?

[jriddell88]

Anyone every work with barberry ? I aquire pre bonsai all the time from local friends that own green houses and landscape companies, anytime something interesting pops up they let me have first dibs on digging it up. I picked this thing up 2 years ago . I have just been letting it grow and grow trying to get something to work with these things bud all over the place even on the old thick bark on the trunk. The long branch to the left died this year I figured I'd leave it and try to carve it up. Things going to be a bear to work with, all the Damn thorns. Beautiful little flowers early in the spring followed by bright red foliage. The trunk is completely hollow and about 5 inches wide. I'll post a picture of a shohin type barberry I'll be working on next season as well.

 

[sorce]

That's a fatty!

I have 2. Both quite sumoish and mame.

One is in the 3 year time capsule.

If I can tell which, I may post the other!

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

Had 3. Tough shrubs. But not tough enough for last winter.

 

[jriddell88]

Yea the trunk was the only reason I grabbed it chopped everything to try to get some lower growth going. I will do a style and some wiring on some new growth before it becomes too woody. May have potential for something one day.

 

[sorce]

Here's my inspiration.
http://bonsainut.com/index.php?threads/evolution-beberis-shohin-2008-2015.19510/

@dirk hoorelbeke
Hey Dirk,
Would you mind dropping us a couple pruning-wiring pointers on this thread!?

Been meaning to ask you. I really do admire that tree!

Thank You!

before it becomes too woody

I wired mine pretty green, you can't wait too long. I have just been doing a little wiring, and guy wiring, to get some initial direction. After that, come spring it will be mostly clip and grow.

I broke, or rather, something broke a branch I had wired, ripped about half it off and it healed. Kept on going!

Mine are still in nursery cans with green pellets and I have been fish ferting them every week. Kept soaked. Always. I gotta lighten up for winter.

Sorce

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

They are vigorous for sure. Mine is a first formation, now we are taking a step back to let the first branches gain some thickness, so the secondary branches are not the same thickness ass the main branches. If you have a bigger tree it would be wise to let the first branches go nuts for a while (without secondary's) to get them thick in a fast rate. They are rather late to lose there leaves. You can cut the needles to make it more easy to wire. I don't do it, i pluck the needles out of my hand afterward... I prune them in winter. In summer it's just a fuzzy ball. The fun thing is they root easy so you can put them in a small space fast. I've wired it the first time, i've used pull wires the second time. Now i'm waiting a few months to look what happened after a year of free growth in a bigger space...
Hope i helped some.
ask for more when needed.