Deodar cedar from a Christmas tree, progression.

[PaulH]

This Cedrus deodora was our family Christmas tree in 2008. Bought it a OSH and it sat decked out with lights in our living room for a couple of weeks. It was about 7 feet tall.

My wife accuses me of buying it in the first place with bonsai in mind. I have no comment on this.

After Christmas I chopped, wired and potted it in March 2009.


By that fall it was starting to fill out...


Trimmed and wired it the next spring.


Here it is today after another thinning and rewire.

 

[Dav4]

Great tree, progression, AND quote....

"My wife accuses me of buying it in the first place with bonsai in mind. I have no comment on this."

...love this

 

[John Ruger]

Really nice progression! And I'd agree with your wife, it looks like you planned this one.

 

[sikadelic]

I'm stealing that idea for this Christmas. What species would be the best bonsai candidate/Christmas tree? I never really thought about what species we were buying before.

 

[PaulH]

I'm stealing that idea for this Christmas. What species would be the best bonsai candidate/Christmas tree? I never really thought about what species we were buying before.

The best bonsai candidates I've seen sold a living Christmas trees are various Cedrus, Scots pine, and coast redwood.

 

[sikadelic]

The best bonsai candidates I've seen sold a living Christmas trees are various Cedrus, Scots pine, and coast redwood.

I will most definitely reference this thread in about a month when our tree farm moves into town. I know in the past our farm only sold trees without the roots. I plan to go on the day they open to see if they can keep roots on a few so I can choose from them.

 

[coh]

My wife accuses me of buying it in the first place with bonsai in mind. I have no comment on this.

I have a lot of plants in our garden that were purchased under the same pretense...but my wife doesn't know it yet.

Every so often she'll ask something like "isn't that going to get too big for that spot?" Well, yeah...but it's not going to be there long enough (and/or it's going to get chopped). LOL.

Nice tree. I wish you actually had a photo of it in the 7' Christmas tree stage.

Chris

Edit to add - wonder what you think about that lowest branch on the right? I'm kind of thinking it could go away...maybe?

 

[Ris]

You worked this tree to its best potential and will keep getting better.

 

[PaulH]

wonder what you think about that lowest branch on the right? I'm kind of thinking it could go away...maybe?[/QUOTE]

Yeah, It bothers me too. Maybe someday. For now its helping grow the taper.

 

[GrimLore]

wonder what you think about that lowest branch on the right? I'm kind of thinking it could go away...maybe?

I think that lower branch on the right should be trained forward a bit and perhaps 1 or 2 on the left. Might just be me but I am pretty certain that would "draw you in" as if it had its arms stretched to you...

I would at least mess with the idea.

Grimmy

 

[berobinson82]

I think that lower branch on the right should be trained forward a bit and perhaps 1 or 2 on the left. Might just be me but I am pretty certain that would "draw you in" as if it had its arms stretched to you...

I would at least mess with the idea.

Grimmy

I like this idea and I'm going to piggy-back it:

The bottom left seems to move away from the front. Maybe it's the downside of 2d images. (more on that later)

If it was moved forward, it would offer a hug. It looks as if it's winding up for an overhand right currently.


Now all that being said, killer little tree you got here and creative way to pick up material!

 

[october]

I love this tree. Also, just because, for a Christmas tree, it has an out of the ordinary subtle and beautiful curve at the bottom, great branch placement and is not the typical species for a Christmas tree. I don't understand why your wife would thnk you had future plans for it.

Rob

 

[PaulH]

I appreciate the input. The lower two branches were coming forward but it didn't show up well in a 2D photo. I moves them a little more to the front and took some more photos.

The right side


The left side


The front again and with the bottom branches moved


I think that helps. I think I still need to thin the top and define branch pads a little better too.

 

[GrimLore]

Better pictured it is a wonderful specimen and I thank you for sharing it - honest.

Grimmy

 

[JudyB]

I love this tree, it looks great with the new branch positions.

 

[MACH5]

I agree with everyone. Very nice and I appreciate the work that went into this Paul! I also agree with your comment on tightening the foliage pads and I would personally keep it from becoming too full and "loosing" the tree.

I am itching to see one or two small jins somewhere along the trunk line. Perhaps where the scars are? You can always do this by grafting small jins into position. This of course is a matter of personal taste

Great job!!

 

[coh]

Yeah, It bothers me too. Maybe someday. For now its helping grow the taper.

Just because I have a hard time visualizing these things...I removed the branch in photoshop and will present the resulting image without further comment.

Chris



Edited to add original photo for direct comparison.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Nope, don't like it without...the lower right branch works great with the lower trunk moving to the right.

 

[Poink88]

I like it w/o the lower branch...esp if you can turn it a bit counter-clockwise (similar to the one posted prior - last pic at post #13).

 

[PaulH]

Just because I have a hard time visualizing these things...I removed the branch in photoshop and will present the resulting image without further comment.

Chris

View attachment 43934 View attachment 43939

Edited to add original photo for direct comparison.

Thanks! I still like that first branch, though.