Chamaecyparis obtusa twin trunk style

[Bonsai Mike]

I haven't yet had the chance to study the Hinoki I got from the nursery recently, but I sat down with it this morning after reading on twin trunk style. This plant jumped out to me because it was very vigorous and both trunks are already somewhat interesting and still very much workable. Mom trunk is 1" and daughter is 3/4" and the canopy is 19" at the yellow line I made.

I got another one of these in spring and this nursery I found literally has an infinite supply of ones these size and was charging $35.

I have never used photo editing, but wanted to try it and share my ideas. I am going to do some basic thinning to let light inside and wiring is debatable. Not trying to remove a ton of foliage, just dead already and some light prohibitive moves since inner foliage is like gold on these.

This spring I am going to it into some good soil in an oversized training pot I have, let it establish and let the super vigerous extension on the main trunk keep growing.

Based on this timeline, I am debating on shortening the daughter trunk now or 3 months after I repot. My super crude mockup shows what I am thinking with the daughter chop coming first and then down the road shortening the mother and building the apex there.

The goal here is to achieve some further diameter difference between the mother and daughter trunks. Once wired, I want the mother trunk to look like its growing above the daughter and keep the canopy one image.

I am going to start cleaning up tonight, find the nebari and resist the urge to go too much further from there, but wiring and establishing a top on the daughter are tempting.

What do you nutters think?

 

[Pachycaul]

Mike, agree with your idea of creating more difference in trunk cirumferences. Right now it's more of a twin trunk feeling. Once you find the flare and nebari you should get a better idea as to how to proceed. -another Mike

 

[Bonsai Mike]

Started slowly working at the surface with my chopstick. It looks like I will need to remove quite a few browned out upper roots, as in a layer of them. Is this ok to do or should I do this at the same time as repotting?

 

[defra]

Started slowly working at the surface with my chopstick. It looks like I will need to remove quite a few browned out upper roots, as in a layer of them. Is this ok to do or should I do this at the same time as repotting?

I went rough on my hinoki in spring with repot and had some die back
Try to work the roots in steps like half bare rooting or such

Heres a great link with all the things you want to know about this species:

http://bonsaiwonders-art.blogspot.nl/2008/01/taming-hinoki-cypress.html?m=1

 

[Vance Wood]

Just remember: When you cut something off it is gone forever.

 

[just.wing.it]

Just remember: When you cut something off it is gone forever.

Bruce Jenner knows better than anyone.

 

[Bonsai Mike]

I spent literally 2 hours just removing dead from this and my big spruce today. I can actually see the trunk line now. Still not close to seeing the nebari on this guy though.

 

[Pachycaul]

Mike, don't know how committed you are to 'parent and child' presentation for this tree, but @ $35 for that size, I'd be tempted to look for one that already has the trunks you're looking for. I'm one of those minimal intervention types that takes what the tree gives me and looks at it as a gift that will save the tree from my clumsy ministrations. Of course, budget constraints may apply...

 

[Vance Wood]

Sometimes you have to commit yourself to going where you are not comfortable in order to learn something and grow. Sometimes a tree is of such a quality that you have to do this or get help to do it, but it is not fair to let a good tree languish in mediocrity just because you are worried you will ruin the tree not understanding by not doing something is ruineous in itself.

 

[Bonsai Mike]

I have one styled as a formal upright that I made this year so I wanted to try something different. Not sure why but this one called out to me. The larger trunk has an 18" extension just shooting out of the top. Its wild. I might not have a huge contrast in trunk diameter but I am thinking they will still mingle well and that may improve over time.
I can see a single canopy unified between the two trunks in my head for sure.

 

[sorce]

When in doubt....
Leave as much foliage and roots as possible...

And get to work!

Nice.

Sorce

 

[Bonsai Mike]

Haven't messed with this tree yet, And I think I will be repotting first. I have one other hinoki of about the same size. Would these benefit from being placed in Anderson flats or are those more useful for deciduous trees?

 

[defra]

Haven't messed with this tree yet, And I think I will be repotting first. I have one other hinoki of about the same size. Would these benefit from being placed in Anderson flats or are those more useful for deciduous trees?

I think To train nebari id say anderson flat and to grow a compact rootsystem a collander or pondbasket will do

 

[sorce]

I'd ask @Vance Wood ....

https://bonsainut.com/threads/dancing-lady-hinoki-cypress.24292/

Reckon he knows a bit after 25 years!

And you ain't far from our great Lakes miacrogasm!

Yes micro macro cosm orgasmland !
Cuz it tries to Deedle us.

Vance owns the Chastity belt, keeps us from getting fu@ked!

Sorce

 

[Vance Wood]

I have one styled as a formal upright that I made this year so I wanted to try something different. Not sure why but this one called out to me. The larger trunk has an 18" extension just shooting out of the top. Its wild. I might not have a huge contrast in trunk diameter but I am thinking they will still mingle well and that may improve over time.
I can see a single canopy unified between the two trunks in my head for sure.

Photos are worth a lot of words if not a thousand. In this case when you are discussing an image of a tree it is always useful if we all can see it. Sometimes it is really useful to see what somone has termed "called out to me" level of a tree. It tells us a lot about your artistic future in seeing things others may not see. Bonsai is about people too.

 

[Bonsai Mike]

Photos are worth a lot of words if not a thousand. In this case when you are discussing an image of a tree it is always useful if we all can see it. Sometimes it is really useful to see what somone has termed "called out to me" level of a tree. It tells us a lot about your artistic future in seeing things others may not see. Bonsai is about people too.

The twin trunk specimen has the pics in the original post. Attatched here is the single trunk.
Not a huge trunk I know but still bendable and already has an appealing gentle curve at this angle.

I am aiming for healthy roots before I work the top. I had originally purchased a 14x10x4 mica pot thinking this would be sufficient as the nursery pot is 15 inches across. However, the inner diameter is only 12x8. So I was looking at ordering some anderson flats. My thought was that I could leave more roots and encourage horizontal growth.

Thanks so much for the input!

 

[Bonsai Mike]

I wanted to post a quick update on these two. Both were re planted into Anderson flats early spring, and I got most of the wiring done on the single trunk hinoki yesterday. Not totally satisfied with my planting angle as most of the foliage is in the opposite side of the slant, but it Gave me the best trunk line. The twin trunk is being saved for a workshop. Pics below

 

[Vance Wood]

I wanted to post a quick update on these two. Both were re planted into Anderson flats early spring, and I got most of the wiring done on the single trunk hinoki yesterday. Not totally satisfied with my planting angle as most of the foliage is in the opposite side of the slant, but it Gave me the best trunk line. The twin trunk is being saved for a workshop. Pics below

Nice trees, both of them.

 

[Bonsai Mike]

Happy almost spring everyone. I wanted to update my hinoki project. I took this tree to a fall workshop last year and gave it a pot today. The wire from the fall hasn’t yet bit, but I am watching for it to soon. Once I take that off, I am going to let the tree rest, but I am looking forward to wriring this thing top to bottom in the fall. I also have some deadwood work to look forward to.

I was really, really happy with the root development from a season in an Anderson flat. When I got this thing it’s roots were a huge mess in a big old can. It pretty much slip potted over to its new pot.