Actually, this tree is nowhere near ready for a pot yet. It’s got great potential, but putting it in a bonsai pot at this stage of the game is going to restrict it’s growth. The Anderson flat is a better choice.
There is a major, major issue: the Y structure up in the apex. You simply can’t have two heavy branches that high in the tree. It causes you to lose the whole perspective of a miniature tree. The is a “suspension of disbelief” that occurs when we look at bonsai. But having such a structure, right in the viewer’s face, it forces him to see the “real” size of the branches, and he no longer feels like he’s looking at an old tree they the wrong end of a telescope.
So, what can we do? Remove one or the other is an option. Or, we can radically bend one of the arms of the Y down.
I think the latter is a more viable option. I think using some stainless steel screws and wire, a jack, and I think it’s possible to bend that trunk down so that he arm of the Y that’s facing us becomes a branch, rather than an apex.
I did something similiar with this tree:
Before bend, but jack is in place:
Close up:
After:
A couple months later:
Even a few months later, I re applied the jack and bent it some more. (Sorry, no picture).
It’s been a couple years. The guy wire is still there. It’s still pretty tight, so it’s still working. It’s not hurting anything, the wire is attached to stainless steel screws, so nothing is cutting in. I’ll leave the guy in place another year.
There is a major, major issue: the Y structure up in the apex. You simply can’t have two heavy branches that high in the tree. It causes you to lose the whole perspective of a miniature tree. The is a “suspension of disbelief” that occurs when we look at bonsai. But having such a structure, right in the viewer’s face, it forces him to see the “real” size of the branches, and he no longer feels like he’s looking at an old tree they the wrong end of a telescope.
So, what can we do? Remove one or the other is an option. Or, we can radically bend one of the arms of the Y down.
I think the latter is a more viable option. I think using some stainless steel screws and wire, a jack, and I think it’s possible to bend that trunk down so that he arm of the Y that’s facing us becomes a branch, rather than an apex.
I did something similiar with this tree:
Before bend, but jack is in place:
Close up:
After:
A couple months later:
Even a few months later, I re applied the jack and bent it some more. (Sorry, no picture).
It’s been a couple years. The guy wire is still there. It’s still pretty tight, so it’s still working. It’s not hurting anything, the wire is attached to stainless steel screws, so nothing is cutting in. I’ll leave the guy in place another year.
