artao
Sapling
Hello all. Apologies about the length.
After thinking about it and reading and reading and almost doing it for MANY many years (even acquired some med. bonsai scissors some time back), I decided to finally try my hand at bonsai, and determined that I would go full yamadori. I read up on local species suitable for bonsai, and was quite surprised at how much variety is available here in the wild -- including the beautiful silver maple right in my front yard :O ........ I have done a fair amount of gardening in the past, so am familiar with plant care.
I live in south-west Wisconsin, quite near the Wisconsin River, in the so-called Driftless Zone. i.e. - an area that the last glaciers skipped, leaving behind the original old hills and what comes with 'em.
As such, there is AN ABUNDANCE of juniperus communis, juniperus horizontalis, juniperus virginianis, and staghorn sumac (some people virtually consider the sumac to be weeds, 'cuz of pollen allergens. And they make TONS of pollen, sometimes in massive yellow clouds). Not to mention the birches and poplars. Plus a ton of sphegnum mosses. And prickly pear cactii.
So yesterday I collected a juniperus viginianis (red cedar), at the local brush-stone-concrete-metal dump near the railroad tracks, which had had the top broken off by a LARGE vehicle of some sort, probably a front loader, leaving it rough and cracked at the break point. The break is pretty dry but still a bit flexible, not torn but has a small split, and faded grey-red in color. There were a couple other broken branches and scars, but rather minor. The root ball is nice and healthy. I had to cut off a tap root that was running horizontally and had dug up to almost 2 feet.
It was found in a very sandy with some clay soil that could be clumped into fragile balls. The soil fell away from the root ball quite easily, and left behind some nice nodules of mycorrhiza (I think). I still have it in that medium, with nothing else, in an unglazed clay pot. I collected it in a burlap bag wrapped in a couple plastic grocery bags, and well watered.
The break is about 8 3/4" high. The base diameter is about 3/4", and at the break it is about 5/16". Its canopy diameter is about 14 3/4" by 15 1/2" oval. The leaves are still juvenile, but some are just starting to scale.
Is there any way to tell how old it might be given this information? I think the naturally broken tip is part of the character of this plant, jin perhaps, and thus won't cut it off to see the rings. My guestimate is that it's maybe 4 to 10 yrs old.
I trimmed off dead and dying leaves and kind of de-cluttered the branches. I'm not 100% on the form I'm seeing it take, but am feeling a slanting windswept look would suit this guy. Perhaps with a rock in some exposed roots. [Current Pic Below]
At this point I just need to let it recover, correct? The pot it's in gives the roots plenty of space to grow but is not too large. I wonder about its soil tho. Like I said, it's in the soil I found it in, which is pretty compact sand with a bit of clay. I figure that that can't really be, you know, BAD for it, considering it's been living in it its whole life .. LOL
Anyhow. At what point can I begin shaping the branches? I messed with the overall shape a little bit today using some fine kite string just kind of looped around the branches and trunk, but couldn't quite get the string to hold the shapes I'm seeing there. So I guess I'll need to wire them then.
Should I change it into a bonsai soil mix? How long should it recover before I start with the shaping of the branches? I'm even considering burying the roots with a rock for maybe 3 to 5 inches to get them to grow over it, then later uncovering that section. Am I going too far there for my first bonsai? I mean ... I'm kinda feeling like the tree is feeling it too.
I mean, I came upon this little guy and took a picture of it, then kept wandering around. Also taking pictures of other potential juniper or birch possibilities. As I continued walking around, I just couldn't stop thinking of this little broken one, so eventually decided there's a reason for that and went back and dug it up and brought it home.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
I'm already hooked, and intend to go back out and pick up a few more trees: A staghorn sumac or three for multi-display, a juniperus horizontalis (creeping juniper), and perhaps a juniperus communsis (common juniper). And perhaps some sphegnum moss.
:: Pics ::
--- As I Found It ---
--- Freshly Brought Home ---
--- After A Trim ---
After thinking about it and reading and reading and almost doing it for MANY many years (even acquired some med. bonsai scissors some time back), I decided to finally try my hand at bonsai, and determined that I would go full yamadori. I read up on local species suitable for bonsai, and was quite surprised at how much variety is available here in the wild -- including the beautiful silver maple right in my front yard :O ........ I have done a fair amount of gardening in the past, so am familiar with plant care.
I live in south-west Wisconsin, quite near the Wisconsin River, in the so-called Driftless Zone. i.e. - an area that the last glaciers skipped, leaving behind the original old hills and what comes with 'em.
As such, there is AN ABUNDANCE of juniperus communis, juniperus horizontalis, juniperus virginianis, and staghorn sumac (some people virtually consider the sumac to be weeds, 'cuz of pollen allergens. And they make TONS of pollen, sometimes in massive yellow clouds). Not to mention the birches and poplars. Plus a ton of sphegnum mosses. And prickly pear cactii.
So yesterday I collected a juniperus viginianis (red cedar), at the local brush-stone-concrete-metal dump near the railroad tracks, which had had the top broken off by a LARGE vehicle of some sort, probably a front loader, leaving it rough and cracked at the break point. The break is pretty dry but still a bit flexible, not torn but has a small split, and faded grey-red in color. There were a couple other broken branches and scars, but rather minor. The root ball is nice and healthy. I had to cut off a tap root that was running horizontally and had dug up to almost 2 feet.
It was found in a very sandy with some clay soil that could be clumped into fragile balls. The soil fell away from the root ball quite easily, and left behind some nice nodules of mycorrhiza (I think). I still have it in that medium, with nothing else, in an unglazed clay pot. I collected it in a burlap bag wrapped in a couple plastic grocery bags, and well watered.
The break is about 8 3/4" high. The base diameter is about 3/4", and at the break it is about 5/16". Its canopy diameter is about 14 3/4" by 15 1/2" oval. The leaves are still juvenile, but some are just starting to scale.
Is there any way to tell how old it might be given this information? I think the naturally broken tip is part of the character of this plant, jin perhaps, and thus won't cut it off to see the rings. My guestimate is that it's maybe 4 to 10 yrs old.
I trimmed off dead and dying leaves and kind of de-cluttered the branches. I'm not 100% on the form I'm seeing it take, but am feeling a slanting windswept look would suit this guy. Perhaps with a rock in some exposed roots. [Current Pic Below]
At this point I just need to let it recover, correct? The pot it's in gives the roots plenty of space to grow but is not too large. I wonder about its soil tho. Like I said, it's in the soil I found it in, which is pretty compact sand with a bit of clay. I figure that that can't really be, you know, BAD for it, considering it's been living in it its whole life .. LOL
Anyhow. At what point can I begin shaping the branches? I messed with the overall shape a little bit today using some fine kite string just kind of looped around the branches and trunk, but couldn't quite get the string to hold the shapes I'm seeing there. So I guess I'll need to wire them then.
Should I change it into a bonsai soil mix? How long should it recover before I start with the shaping of the branches? I'm even considering burying the roots with a rock for maybe 3 to 5 inches to get them to grow over it, then later uncovering that section. Am I going too far there for my first bonsai? I mean ... I'm kinda feeling like the tree is feeling it too.
I mean, I came upon this little guy and took a picture of it, then kept wandering around. Also taking pictures of other potential juniper or birch possibilities. As I continued walking around, I just couldn't stop thinking of this little broken one, so eventually decided there's a reason for that and went back and dug it up and brought it home.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
I'm already hooked, and intend to go back out and pick up a few more trees: A staghorn sumac or three for multi-display, a juniperus horizontalis (creeping juniper), and perhaps a juniperus communsis (common juniper). And perhaps some sphegnum moss.
:: Pics ::
--- As I Found It ---
--- Freshly Brought Home ---
--- After A Trim ---