Hi,I m a few months in into bonsai and I love it, please help me decide further on this JWP, don't feel really satisfy with it, open to suggestions
- Thread starter nuchiareu
- Start date
Gabler
Masterpiece
Firstly, I should point out that there's a fantastic "resources" section to this website with helpful learning materials. Get a handle on the horticultural requirements before you do any dramatic styling, or you risk killing the tree. Or you can be like me and kill a bunch of trees before you figure it out. Most people are a mix of both.
Secondly, it seems you're trying to turn this raw material into an instant bonsai. Everyone tries that at first, myself included, but I've learned that it's important to plan ahead long term for design, rather than trying to achieve an acceptable tree instantly. Try to plan ahead in terms of choosing important structural branches, a sacrifice branch to thicken the trunk, etc., before you strangle it with wire. There are two phases to growing bonsai: development and refinement. Don't try to mix them, or you'll struggle to get the results you want.
Secondly, it seems you're trying to turn this raw material into an instant bonsai. Everyone tries that at first, myself included, but I've learned that it's important to plan ahead long term for design, rather than trying to achieve an acceptable tree instantly. Try to plan ahead in terms of choosing important structural branches, a sacrifice branch to thicken the trunk, etc., before you strangle it with wire. There are two phases to growing bonsai: development and refinement. Don't try to mix them, or you'll struggle to get the results you want.
leus
Yamadori
That tree I'd go slowly.
As an advice, use cheap nursery material to get that instant bonsai urge out of your system. Who knows, you may even end up with a nice bonsai, and in the worst case scenario, not much is lost. (I killed a bunch of trees with that initial urge of wire all things, but since I went cheap, nothing to cry much about.)
As an advice, use cheap nursery material to get that instant bonsai urge out of your system. Who knows, you may even end up with a nice bonsai, and in the worst case scenario, not much is lost. (I killed a bunch of trees with that initial urge of wire all things, but since I went cheap, nothing to cry much about.)
Japonicus
Masterpiece
I don't think you want to go cascade with this, given the detail you put into the opposite branch in that whorl,
yet the 1st left branch is cascading...
It is possible, that the thought process, was to lower the exterior portion of the branch
allowing light to get into the interior, and remove the exterior portion of the branch at a later time
condensing the branch. That is fine, to perform removal slowly in stages. A safe approach.
The wire on the main trunk is not holding anything, and will not change any angle of the trunk if you remove it.
Look at the branch you have cascading. The wire is coiled properly (~60º).
The opposite branch about 45º.
Now compare these to the trunks wire. That wire is pretty much horizontal and has no holding power
which when you think that it does...you will over work the wood trying to bend or hold the bend
but it cannot hold.
The jin up top, is dangerously placed and sharp. It is an eye poker as it is.
Look at the 4 branches in the 1st whorl. Which of the 4 has foliage most close to the trunk?
That may be your bonsai tree eventually.
Beautiful colour. I would not do anything else this year.
Next Fall I would rewire after removing a couple more branches.
Leave a stub when you do remove a branch so healing is concentrated to a smaller area.
Then as the rest dies back, you can get more flush.
Don't forget, JWP are not good at back budding, so they get more and more leggy if you remove
interior growth on a branch. Remove growth from the terminal end leaving enough foliage to feed the branch.
This means buds should be visible further back and left to grow.
If you remove from the exterior, with no other terminal end with buds further back, then chances are
the branch will die.
Edit your details and add your general location. Start by clicking on your avatar at the top of the page.
Where are you? Hopefully not above zone 7 for WP.
yet the 1st left branch is cascading...
It is possible, that the thought process, was to lower the exterior portion of the branch
allowing light to get into the interior, and remove the exterior portion of the branch at a later time
condensing the branch. That is fine, to perform removal slowly in stages. A safe approach.
The wire on the main trunk is not holding anything, and will not change any angle of the trunk if you remove it.
Look at the branch you have cascading. The wire is coiled properly (~60º).
The opposite branch about 45º.
Now compare these to the trunks wire. That wire is pretty much horizontal and has no holding power
which when you think that it does...you will over work the wood trying to bend or hold the bend
but it cannot hold.
The jin up top, is dangerously placed and sharp. It is an eye poker as it is.
Look at the 4 branches in the 1st whorl. Which of the 4 has foliage most close to the trunk?
That may be your bonsai tree eventually.
Beautiful colour. I would not do anything else this year.
Next Fall I would rewire after removing a couple more branches.
Leave a stub when you do remove a branch so healing is concentrated to a smaller area.
Then as the rest dies back, you can get more flush.
Don't forget, JWP are not good at back budding, so they get more and more leggy if you remove
interior growth on a branch. Remove growth from the terminal end leaving enough foliage to feed the branch.
This means buds should be visible further back and left to grow.
If you remove from the exterior, with no other terminal end with buds further back, then chances are
the branch will die.
Edit your details and add your general location. Start by clicking on your avatar at the top of the page.
Where are you? Hopefully not above zone 7 for WP.
Pixar
Chumono
Don't go too hard , choose you style eg ( tropical ) and select unique trees
your insights are much helpful, I m in the UK will edit my details asap
