Delve into a newbies garden! 😎

[Clorgan]

Looks like a nice bit of material @Clorgan ! I love the ribbed trunk lines.

Your doodle is nice, yet still quite a bit busy. I’m facing a similar situation, even more complex perhaps, with a Mt Hemlock clump/raft that will be posted soon.

One idea is to simplify the junctions to twos, ex the triple plus trifurcation on the low horizontal branch to the left in your draft.… branches growing downward, also perhaps vary the lengths of the Jin/stubs, if not eliminate some. The thought would be to create a more elegant trunk flow and taper, highlighting the character of the trunk. Then build new growth to complement the base design.

Definitely interested in how things go on this potentilla

cheers
DSD sends

Thanks for this, great advice!! Given me a lot to think about. You're definitely right - a lot going on. Long term I'd like to do something about the straight left trunk. Think work on the stumps would really help, maybe a nice uro on one.

But yeah the sketch was more short term thoughts, i.e spring time chop!

 

[Clorgan]

Looks like a nice bit of material @Clorgan ! I love the ribbed trunk lines.

Your doodle is nice, yet still quite a bit busy. I’m facing a similar situation, even more complex perhaps, with a Mt Hemlock clump/raft that will be posted soon.

One idea is to simplify the junctions to twos, ex the triple plus trifurcation on the low horizontal branch to the left in your draft.… branches growing downward, also perhaps vary the lengths of the Jin/stubs, if not eliminate some. The thought would be to create a more elegant trunk flow and taper, highlighting the character of the trunk. Then build new growth to complement the base design.

Definitely interested in how things go on this potentilla

cheers
DSD sends

I'll look forward to seeing the hemlock by the way!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Coming up on two separate threads…
cheers
DSD sends

 

[leatherback]

That poti needs a strong hand. These grow very fast (But thicken much slower!) and once the branches are 2-3 years old, bending is like bending dry pasta.. Removing straight sections now, will get you less of an issue later on. Because they grow fast, it is important to get a good structure of primary and secondary branches setup in the first years allowing easier trimming in subsequent years.

 

[Clorgan]

That poti needs a strong hand. These grow very fast (But thicken much slower!) and once the branches are 2-3 years old, bending is like bending dry pasta.. Removing straight sections now, will get you less of an issue later on. Because they grow fast, it is important to get a good structure of primary and secondary branches setup in the first years allowing easier trimming in subsequent years.

That summed it up perfectly, thank you! Serious chop it is then and lesson learned

 

[Clorgan]

OK so I did a bit of work on the potentilla today... Hopefully haven't done too much. Got rid of a few stubs and branches and removed a lot of wire. I think most of the branches will need to be shortened significantly in spring to get better direction/movement in them. Going to need some more stump reduction/carving, which I don't know much about to be honest. Also need to treat the deadwood.

Any thoughts appreciated on going forward, hoping some of our potentilla experts @leatherback @Paulpash might chip in... Sorry not the best photos! Hands were dropping off by this point

 

[leatherback]

OK so I did a bit of work on the potentilla today... Hopefully haven't done too much. Got rid of a few stubs and branches and removed a lot of wire. I think most of the branches will need to be shortened significantly in spring to get better direction/movement in them. Going to need some more stump reduction/carving, which I don't know much about to be honest. Also need to treat the deadwood.

Any thoughts appreciated on going forward, hoping some of our potentilla experts @leatherback @Paulpash might chip in... Sorry not the best photos! Hands were dropping off by this point

Love where this is going.

The deadwood needs to be regularly treated with yin fluid. It rots VERY easily. Or, consider wood hardener / superglue to harden it.

In spring, wire the young green sprouts as they grow, but be carefull as they are fragile!

 

[Clorgan]

Love where this is going.

The deadwood needs to be regularly treated with yin fluid. It rots VERY easily. Or, consider wood hardener / superglue to harden it.

In spring, wire the young green sprouts as they grow, but be carefull as they are fragile!

Thanks very much - nice to hear that from someone such as yourself

Yes - definitely some rot, must get onto treating. Might look into the wood hardener.

Thanks for the advice on the shoots! In the first photo, those two left branches - cut right back in spring? Or just get some stronger wire on them? They're really not very bendy! There's several of them actually

 

[leatherback]

cut right back in spring? Or just get some stronger wire on them?

Hard to tell without seeing the whole tree, or knowing what you consider the front..

The branches snap easily, I avoid wiring thicker branches where possible (But, more and more, I feel this way about wiring bigger branches in general!)

 

[Clorgan]

Hard to tell without seeing the whole tree, or knowing what you consider the front..

The branches snap easily, I avoid wiring thicker branches where possible (But, more and more, I feel this way about wiring bigger branches in general!)

Undecided on front but leanining towards pic 1 view rather than pic 2, not sure on exact rotation yet. Think the long straight trunk looks less obnoxious and the left trunk leader comes towards the viewer in pic 1.

Think I'll cut them, hopefully some new shoots will show up in useful places!

 

[Clorgan]

Another potentilla! This one has been in the ground nearly 2 years. Started having a little clean up - not looking bad!

 

[Paulpash]

Good advice from @leatherback. I can recommend this for wood hardener (see pic). It now needs to be allowed to extend, wired, branches set and dewired, prune back, repeat. Do this twice next year. In Winter, prune to remove faults. Time to start ramping up the branch development. Get it growing strongly, they will develop fast.

 

[Clorgan]

Excited about this Winter Jasmine that arrived today! Gorgeous little flowers. Got some serious thinking to do on that trunk line!

 

[Agriff]

New tree day - cracking little weigela

Did you get this from a local nursery or a bonsai-specific retailer? It's amazing

 

[Clorgan]

Did you get this from a local nursery or a bonsai-specific retailer? It's amazing

Bonsai specific, Shoka Bonsai. Thanks - it's a fun little one!

 

[Clorgan]

This Spiraea has been through it!

So the right trunk (first pic) is dead. To be honest might have done me a favour, not sure the twin trunk design was working

Loads of dead roots, something went very wrong with this one over the last year. But anyway, went ahead with a ballsy last ditch try sort the roots out properly (kind of) this time mission!
Not sure why I put it in this small of a pot last year, and didn't sort the root situation out then but there you go, live and learn.

The roots were ridiculously tangled and wrapped around each other. I weirdly liked that last year Cut off all the dead and some crossing/high ones.

Ended up with not a huge amount left, what do you reckon @Hartinez enough there?

I should have boarded it, but didn't - was weary of having already saveged the poor thing it's gone in the raised bed anyway

 

[leatherback]

I should have boarded it, but didn't

A board is not a one-stop solution. It required mallable roots to make a difference.

 

[Clorgan]

A board is not a one-stop solution. It required mallable roots to make a difference.

They were more bendy than they look - could have done it (was able to flatten them by hand to get a good spread, but would have been tricky. Especially since there's not a lot of trunk to screw into.

 

[Clorgan]

Some rocks I acquired, been wanting to have a go at a root over rock for a while. I have some hornbeam saplings I could try with, or some Chinese elm cuttings. Not sure if the small one is too small, but I like the shape

 

[Clorgan]

Some apples from seed (shop bought eating apples) I started last year. Impressed they're still going!