Displaying dead bonsai

[maroun.c]

Got couple dead trees with sentimental value so decided not to throw away. I'm having them gaz treated to kill any pests in them then sprayed with sealer to preserve wood. Considering placing in a nice pot and displaying inside home.
Would you have them in normal soil or is it possible to just pour epoxy or maybe cement to stabilize them in pot ?
Any one did anything similar? Any ideas ?
Thanks

 

[Potawatomi13]

If kept dry should be no problem with bugs at all. Same for substrate; if dry will be no rot so why not use it. Cement, etc in nice pot will mess up using for anything later on if desired.

 

[Fidur]

I'm thinking of something like this (not a dead bonsai of mine, but a dead tree I found and liked....). I guess I will add some moss, but I want the roots to be exposed

 

[Carol 83]

Got couple dead trees

Mine go on the burn pile. No reason to have a constant reminder of my failure.

 

[ShadyStump]

Mine go on the burn pile. No reason to have a constant reminder of my failure.

I like some reminders of my failures.
It makes the successes so much more satisfying.

 

[19Mateo83]

unless it’s some bad ass twisted piece of juniper or something that I can put as a landscape decoration that won’t rot it goes in the burn pit

 

[PaulH]

Mine also go on the burn pile. I don't need sad reminders.

 

[ShadyStump]

Got couple dead trees with sentimental value so decided not to throw away. I'm having them gaz treated to kill any pests in them then sprayed with sealer to preserve wood. Considering placing in a nice pot and displaying inside home.
Would you have them in normal soil or is it possible to just pour epoxy or maybe cement to stabilize them in pot ?
Any one did anything similar? Any ideas ?
Thanks

I think you could wire them in a pot and just use gravel or rocks to fill it. Something that looks good.

If you want to do cement, you could just pour cement in a form and put the tree in it. No need for a separate pot.
Maybe a project similar to this.

test

test

www.bonsainut.com

 

[rockm]

Like those have said, it has to be a REALLY good piece of deadwood, otherwise it just looks kinda silly.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

If it is a really nice trunk you could do a tanuki and give it a second life as a bonsai.

 

[Yosemite Goat]

If anyone has a nice looking, but dead formal upright, I would consider buying a few for a project with my kids!

 

[Tieball]

A few years ago. I had a rather large diameter deciduous tree, I’d call it semi-formal, Elm, about 3” (76mm) diameter trunk with quite a few branches dead. About 18“ (457mm) tall. I burned three quarters of it around the curve of the trunk to black and dark brown up. It looked mighty fine. I put it in a sandy soil and covered the soil with moss. Moss crept up part of the tree. It looked very natural like I’d see in an old forest. A old lightning strike. The tree told a story to me….more story than a tree with leaves.

 

[Lorax7]

I have a shito-sized boxwood that died. I removed all the original leaves and then “re-animated” it with clear craft glue and preserved reindeer moss from the craft store. (Call me Dr. Frankstein). It had originally been over potted a bit, so I put it in a pot more appropriate for display, wired it in, etc. I just used regular bonsai soil. I didn’t do anything special to preserve the wood. It’s not going to rot any time soon since it’s being kept dry. Preservation-wise, there’s not really anything different about keeping a dead bonsai in this way vs. keeping a dried flower arrangement in the house.

 

[BrightsideB]

You can dry it out in the oven on low. I cut large branches off a sugar maple and make large perches for my parrots that way. As long as the wood is dry it can’t grow fungus or bacteria. You can then add wax or lacquer etc.

 

[Njyamadori]

I like some reminders of my failures.
It makes the successes so much more satisfying.

Almost like fishing ! Makes the one special catch way much more satisfying!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

It’s a great idea and can be done to good effect, given the right thought and time.

Here’s an Eastern Cedar that had given up the ghost. I strip sanded, the team lime sulfured…. and the Curator mounted, using its own pot that had accidentally broken during a winter storm. This tree was the opening display for the World War II Bonsai exhibit at Pacific Bonsai Museum last year.



So go for it!

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Bricker918]

It’s a great idea and can be done to good effect, given the right thought and time.

Here’s an Eastern Cedar that had given up the ghost. I strip sanded, the team lime sulfured…. and the Curator mounted, using its own pot that had accidentally broken during a winter storm. This tree was the opening display for the World War II Bonsai exhibit at Pacific Bonsai Museum last year.

View attachment 420944

So go for it!

cheers
DSD sends

This is rad as hell. Really liking the broken pot with the spilled akadama!

 

[Lorax7]

It’s a great idea and can be done to good effect, given the right thought and time.

Here’s an Eastern Cedar that had given up the ghost. I strip sanded, the team lime sulfured…. and the Curator mounted, using its own pot that had accidentally broken during a winter storm. This tree was the opening display for the World War II Bonsai exhibit at Pacific Bonsai Museum last year.

View attachment 420944

So go for it!

cheers
DSD sends

This is an example of when bonsai goes beyond craft and is art. It engages the viewer in communication with the artist through the work.

 

[Carol 83]

It’s a great idea and can be done to good effect, given the right thought and time.

Here’s an Eastern Cedar that had given up the ghost. I strip sanded, the team lime sulfured…. and the Curator mounted, using its own pot that had accidentally broken during a winter storm. This tree was the opening display for the World War II Bonsai exhibit at Pacific Bonsai Museum last year.

View attachment 420944

So go for it!

cheers
DSD sends

That is is a very moving display, wow.

 

[Tieball]

It’s a great idea and can be done to good effect, given the right thought and time.

Here’s an Eastern Cedar that had given up the ghost. I strip sanded, the team lime sulfured…. and the Curator mounted, using its own pot that had accidentally broken during a winter storm. This tree was the opening display for the World War II Bonsai exhibit at Pacific Bonsai Museum last year.

View attachment 420944

So go for it!

cheers
DSD sends

Fabulous art. A telling story from the overall presentation to the detail of the tree and carried through right down to the shadow cast. This bonsai art has a life story. Mighty fine!