For better or worse, I've selected my first plants

[JohnW63]

As I walked the nursery, I realized I need to look at more bonsai, to have examples in my head of what is possible, to know what something could turn into, before I pick something to grow. Ignoring that best advice I could give myself, I picked two $6 specimens.

A small crape Myrtle that I think it's shape would lend it's self to this form:

Due to poor potting, it has some thicker roots exposed which made me think of putting in on a rock or on a mound to use the roots as a feature, rather than bury them and then remove them latter when it is ready to put in a bonsai pot.

A dwarf barberry that even in a 1 gallon pot looked like a mature tree in the making. It might end up something like this:

I'm probably getting ahead of myself, but I guess you have to start somewhere and.... the more you read in forums and scan the internet for info, the MORE you want to get your hands dirty.

Now, I just need to get the trunks to thicken out and get the basic shapes in place.

I have read some differing advice in places. What is the most effective way to get the plant to bulk up ? Stick it in the ground or in a big pot ? I understand that I could have purchased a big tree, air layered up the trunk and next year lop of the top part I want and grow from there, but I didn't have the heart or confidence to go that route.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Can we see what you bought??

 

[JohnW63]

Yeah. As soon as I take some pictures.

I wasn't sure is this was a " It didn't happen, unless there are pictures " forum, yet.

 

[JohnW63]

Is it traditional to post " As I found them at the nursery " pictures or trimmed as best I can versions ?

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Is it traditional to post " As I found them at the nursery " pictures or trimmed as best I can versions ?

Oh no, untrimmed pictures are more than welcome.

 

[JohnW63]

Pictures:

The barberry first...



I'm thinking of removing all the stuff to the right of the main trunk, in the shade. I don't want a multi-trunk tree. So, why pick one that is ? Because the bark looked old in this rather small bush.


Now the Crape Myrtle...



Mostly I selected this one because the trunk goes off to one side and the foliage counter balances it by going the other way. The roots look interesting, as well, but I would not be surprised to hear from the rest of you that it's a horrible mess.

What is the best way to deal with the growth that I don't want coming out of the soil on the Barberry ? Clean the soil away and cut back as far down as I can ? How do you keep it from sending up "suckers" all the time ?

Deciding what to cut and what to leave on the Myrtle might take some more thought. I'm guessing that what I need to do is choose ONE of the branches to be the continuation of the trunk and keep cutting other shoots back to force it all to thicken up.

Should I leave these both in one gallon nursery pots, or move them up to the next size ? When do I introduce a more well draining bonsai like soil ?

 

[GrimLore]

My climate is far different then yours but I am guessing most here will suggest the hardest step first. That would be to learn how to keep them alive and winter them before doing anything to them. It sounds like a pain but I for example have spent a 3-5 years learning how to simply keep them alive before I do anything. Down the road as I spend more on suitable stock it will allow me to kill less of it Also I can see those being nice plants down the road and good one's to start with.

Grimmy

 

[JohnW63]

May I assume you mean simply keeping them alive in nursery pots without shaping or pruning at all ? I was going to cut out the parts I didn't want on the Barberry, to get it closer the the shape I of the finished tree, such as get it down to ONE trunk. To get them both to grow, I was thinking of moving them up a size in pots to give the roots more room and thereby allow the trunk to grow. Are you suggesting I hold off on any of that ?

 

[Redwood Ryan]

May I assume you mean simply keeping them alive in nursery pots without shaping or pruning at all ? I was going to cut out the parts I didn't want on the Barberry, to get it closer the the shape I of the finished tree, such as get it down to ONE trunk. To get them both to grow, I was thinking of moving them up a size in pots to give the roots more room and thereby allow the trunk to grow. Are you suggesting I hold off on any of that ?

IMO I'd just let them grow without any pruning. You want as much growth as possible to help thicken the trunks.

 

[berobinson82]

friend, believe me, i get it.

it's time to reconsider with what starting material you plan to devote your attention to. these need to grow for years.

don't give up the spark, just reconsider how early in the bonsai process you want to join.

 

[Eric Group]

They could both benefit from a couple years in the ground to mature IMO.

I love Crepe Myrtles! Looks like you got a good one with nice compact growth, smaller leaves, decent movement and beautiful smooth bark. Needs a bigger trunk, more mature roots...

 

[edprocoat]

I like the Barberry, it has a nice small trunk, thick looking in proportion to the height of it. Barberry grow like weeds, they backbud very well too. You have to work at keeping the new growth cut back as it will grow long shoots out which will need trimmed every other week to keep them from getting leggy.

Crape myrtles take many years to develop a decent trunk. They will also die back to the ground if they freeze and pop back from an established root system, but you will have a pencil trunk at that point.

Good luck with them, and have fun.

ed

 

[JohnW63]

We have Crape Myrtles in landscapes all over this area, so I'd guess we don't have hard enough or long enough freezes to harm them much.

 

[Eric Group]

We have Crape Myrtles in landscapes all over this area, so I'd guess we don't have hard enough or long enough freezes to harm them much.

They are pretty cold hardy, unless you get winter temps that basically hard freeze the ground,you will probably be ok. They can have some die back on branch tips over the winter, sometimes you might even lose a full branch or something which can make styling a bit of a challenge... Also if allowed to flower, the flowers leave "berries" at the branch tips which basically look like dead foliage after the flowers fall off... Another branch tip that will need removing eventually to keep the tree looking neat. Good spring maintenance is important.
I don't know what your winters are like, but I suspect you will be fine with minimal protection...you might just want to mulch over the pot if you do t have it in the ground.

 

[JohnW63]

As a more advanced " Plan B ", and after reading some replies to my threads, I might work up the courage to get something larger and trunk chop it , to have something at another stage of growth to work with.

Anyone ever bonsai a Palo Verde ? Or a Desert Willow ? Both are sturdy, low water needing trees that are planted in this area.