Ginkgo repotted, for now

[Hbhaska]

This ginkgo has a nice root base swelling and some movement. Starting to bud and so repotted in a wooden training pot. Will wait for it to grow out this year and perhaps consider lopping the top off in the winter to develop into ‘flame’ shape. To be honest, I never liked the flame shape and I wonder if folks here have created anything different. Thank you

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I don’t mind the flame shape with ginkgoes, because it’s kind of what they do with time. I think the big differences between bonsai and natural is that first, the trunks definitely fatten and show more character in pots. It’s tough to argue against that, other than I really like the natural bark striations that I don’t see in pots.

The other difference is that the internodes get shorter in a pot, and the ramification then becomes denser; relative to a ginkgo growing in the wild. The branching structure is similar if you study the two.

I had a couple others that I was growing in a “not flame shape”, like yours, but really they just looked like young ginkgoes you see lining the streets, with long sparse awkward branches...it wasn’t as appealing. A club member has an old S-shaped ginkgo that looks as unnatural as a cat in a swimming pool. If I was forced to take it, it would be chopped to 6” tall and started over.

So, looking at yours, what other options are you entertaining? It seems you can go long and lanky, or chunky and flame...haven’t seen much else.

 

[Hbhaska]

I don’t mind the flame shape with ginkgoes, because it’s kind of what they do with time. I think the big differences between bonsai and natural is that first, the trunks definitely fatten and show more character in pots. It’s tough to argue against that, other than I really like the natural bark striations that I don’t see in pots.

The other difference is that the internodes get shorter in a pot, and the ramification then becomes denser; relative to a ginkgo growing in the wild. The branching structure is similar if you study the two.
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I had a couple others that I was growing in a “not flame shape”, like yours, but really they just looked like young ginkgoes you see lining the streets, with long sparse awkward branches...it wasn’t as appealing. A club member has an old S-shaped ginkgo that looks as unnatural as a cat in a swimming pool. If I was forced to take it, it would be chopped to 6” tall and started over.

So, looking at yours, what other options are you entertaining? It seems you can go long and lanky, or chunky and flame...haven’t seen much else.

Thanks Brian. I really like the flame style tree you posted. The problem is most ‘flame’ shaped trees I see as online examples are not that. They either have lots of branches coming straight up like suckers or unnatural clump style. May be it’s my eye but they don’t look like miniature trees. But I understand ginkgo is a difficult specimen to bonsai. I will end up doing a trunk chop at some point in the future.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Thanks Brian. I really like the flame style tree you posted. The problem is most ‘flame’ shaped trees I see as online examples are not that. They either have lots of branches coming straight up like suckers or unnatural clump style. May be it’s my eye but they don’t look like miniature trees. But I understand ginkgo is a difficult specimen to bonsai. I will end up doing a trunk chop at some point in the future.

Agreed, I’m not crazy about the ones you’re describing either. They need to show some trunk, rather than be just a stump stooling up from the ground. Ginkgo is not difficult to grow as a bonsai, but they do tend to grow a bit differently than elms and maples. I would agree with you on the trunk chop, and raise the stakes...stick it in the ground for a few years when you chop it and that trunk will fatten up pretty quick.

 

[Hbhaska]

Spring 2021 update: full of foliage now. Will let it grow and do a trunk chop in the fall/winter after all the foliage is gone. Good thing is that there are some suckers already growing down the trunk close to the soil.