Flowering Quince Tree - Form?

[WWB-Walter]

Flowering Quince was rescued about 30 yrs ago as a 'young growth' - basically 'dead twigs with dry roots'.
Seems to get nicer every year.
Allowed a Second Trunk to develop. Two Spring pics - 2020
Interested in comments on 'Style - Form' ???

 

[quietobserver]

Looks nice! When was the last time you reported it, I.e. how are the roots? That would drive how I would treat it when it’s done flowering this year. Nice quince though. Gorgeous flowers

 

[WWB-Walter]

Roots? No problem - always refreshing as necessary - remember over 30 yrs of care.
Style and Form Comments?
Thanks, WWB

 

[Quince]

Have you considered working it into a smaller pot? A deep but narrow square might compliment the tall quirky trunk. If it was mine, I would also try to do something about the streight section of trunk under the first branch.

 

[WWB-Walter]

Thanks for looking at it -- the trunk is pretty 'brittle' so to speak -- not too pliable. I may leave it as 'quirky'.
BTW - it was in a smaller, rectangular and same color bonsai container but difficult to keep soil moisture at the right level in normal outside summer setting.
Thanks, WWB

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

For 30 years in a pot I am surprised that it has fairly coarse branching with no fine twigs. The first pot must have been really small, and severely limited growth.

This tree has clearly "settled" into its current design. Other than letting it grow out, then cut back to just 2 additional nodes, as a routine treatment, I have no style change suggestions.

The plant in the pot, I think it is a Sagnia species, here we call it "Irish Moss", should be eliminated. It is a very competitive weed species, and will rob water and nutrients from your flowering quince. Sagnia is a flowering plant, not really a moss, and is very difficult to eliminate once it gets a toehold into your landscape. You should try real moss, or a less aggressive plant as a companion plant if you want a companion plant.

 

[WWB-Walter]

Thank You - your comments are much appreciated.
A few answers (in order)

1. Yes - original was a very small bonsai container - kept taking it out, cutting roots and repotting.
   Branching was continually'pinched and trimmed' to stay with a few strong branches to create a tree crown.
   This variety would normally grow into a shrub with many, many main branches.
2. As to Form - I'll try to stay with the two main stem design - old and younger angled in parallel
   It's never settled - it stays outside in changing seasons and is being repotted two or three times a year to have soils suitable for dry and wet seasons.
   I need to learn more about soil mixtures to stay through the seasons.
3. Each time I repot, I remove all the 'Irish Moss' - absolutely agree it's nuisance characteristic - due to living on the 'Wet Coast' - it shows up on all the bonsai pots.
   Just replanting it and a number of other trees to carry on through the summer.

Thanks again, WWB - check out 'Repurposing Resources' at
> http://wwb.ca/connect/inspiring-places/wwbs-yard-create-beauty-from-ashes/

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Thank You - your comments are much appreciated.
A few answers (in order)

1. Yes - original was a very small bonsai container - kept taking it out, cutting roots and repotting.
   Branching was continually'pinched and trimmed' to stay with a few strong branches to create a tree crown.
   This variety would normally grow into a shrub with many, many main branches.
2. As to Form - I'll try to stay with the two main stem design - old and younger angled in parallel
   It's never settled - it stays outside in changing seasons and is being repotted two or three times a year to have soils suitable for dry and wet seasons.
   I need to learn more about soil mixtures to stay through the seasons.
3. Each time I repot, I remove all the 'Irish Moss' - absolutely agree it's nuisance characteristic - due to living on the 'Wet Coast' - it shows up on all the bonsai pots.
   Just replanting it and a number of other trees to carry on through the summer.

Thanks again, WWB - check out 'Repurposing Resources' at
> http://wwb.ca/connect/inspiring-places/wwbs-yard-create-beauty-from-ashes/

Item number 2 caught my eye. You really repot several times a year? I'm surprised at this, but obviously you have your technique down as the tree is now 30 years old. I would have thought it would have simply expired from having its roots disturbed that often. I try not to repot any of my trees more than once every 3 to 5 years. Rapidly growing trees I will repot every 2 years.
There are a number of threads on this site about potting media components. Use the site search engine and read a few of them. You should be able to come up with a mix that would allow you to let the flowering quince go 2 or 3 years without repotting. You did not put a location in your profile. If there are local bonsai clubs, attend a meeting or two, or just email or call a couple members and find out what they use as potting media for their bonsai. It will give you an idea of what materials are available locally. I can not imagine owning more than a couple trees if I were forced to repot twice a year or more often. I am surprised your trees tolerate that much root disturbance. You must have "the touch".

Below are links to 2 articles on potting media.

Inorganic Soil Reference Sheet

Here is the first resource developed from the thread "Introductory Soil Physics". It is a reference sheet defining common inorganic soil types used in bonsai. It expands on the selection discussed in the thread. It is not a recommendation of...

www.bonsainut.com

Introductory Soil Physics

Here is the second resource developed from the thread "Introductory Soil Physics". It is a document explaining how the important physical properties in soil and substrates combine to control the amount of air and water in the pore space of soils...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[sorce]

Must have been a busy May.

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[WWB-Walter]

Thanks for pointing me to 'Soil Science and Physics' - sounds a bit complicated to apply in my everyday life - bonsais are not my main focus, just a hobby.
After the repotting (following spring blooming), I keep 'pinching' new growth shoots on branches to keep them very short - I keep doing this throughout the summer so that the tree stays very compact. I'm attaching a current pic (24th of July 2020).
Also doing the same pinching to my Oak Bonsais - keeping them tight (see pics)
Comments are very helpful and welcome. WWB

 

[HamburgerTrain]

this is what I see, just a rough edit, but you see where I'm going.

 

[WWB-Walter]

Thank You for taking time to look at the Flowering Quince and offering your perspective on 'creating your Form' for this little tree.
As you can appreciate, Beauty and Form are in the eye of the beholder.
I actually like the secondary trunk that has been allowed to develop over several years now. The tree tries to 'shoot' new buds to develop its preferred character of being a shrub. I remove (clip) these little shoots from the exposed roots and will stick to the secondary trunk along with the main trunk.
Thanks again - let's see if some others can 'chime in'.
WWB