justBonsai
Omono
I acquired some hinoki cypress 2 years ago right when I was getting into bonsai. I figure out a path for the tree so it remained largely untouched since.
After purchasing the tree I did a major pruning to begin building ramification and removed a fourth trunk. Because of my poor and mistimed repotting the tree was unhealthy for nearly a year--after a proper repotting and lots of tlc the tree came into great health and was growing extremely strong.
After purchase and first major pruning:
Fourth trunk removed and tree declining in health:
Slowly improving:
Health much better:
Due to lack of lower branch with close foliage I decided to try my hand at approach grafting. I don't have the graft photos but the branches in this photo were the ones grafted to the trunk:
Out of 4 or 5 grafts half were beginning to take but looked terrible with bulging. Ultimately I decided abandon developing the lower half of the tree and cut off all the grafts and low branching. The image I'm going for is an literati clump style.
I wish I took an immediate before picture but you can imagine it simply as a bushier version of the early pictures. I probably removed over 50% of the foliage but the tree is very health with a nice root system so I'm too worried.
It's hard to capture depth but there is a lot of subtle trunk movement:
Back side:
Side:
It does look a bit cluttered but that's because my phone camera can't differentiate between the foliage too well. While thinning more would improve the image I still need to let the tree grow out to thicken and build branching. The plan is to repot to a shallower container in spring (the current one has rocks as a filler for half the pot so the current root system isn't that deep. I'll let the tree grow strong and work on ramification in the next several years.
When I have an actual backdrop my photos should improve. Overall I like where the tree is going and should become significantly more refined in successive years.
After purchasing the tree I did a major pruning to begin building ramification and removed a fourth trunk. Because of my poor and mistimed repotting the tree was unhealthy for nearly a year--after a proper repotting and lots of tlc the tree came into great health and was growing extremely strong.
After purchase and first major pruning:
Fourth trunk removed and tree declining in health:
Slowly improving:
Health much better:
Due to lack of lower branch with close foliage I decided to try my hand at approach grafting. I don't have the graft photos but the branches in this photo were the ones grafted to the trunk:
Out of 4 or 5 grafts half were beginning to take but looked terrible with bulging. Ultimately I decided abandon developing the lower half of the tree and cut off all the grafts and low branching. The image I'm going for is an literati clump style.
I wish I took an immediate before picture but you can imagine it simply as a bushier version of the early pictures. I probably removed over 50% of the foliage but the tree is very health with a nice root system so I'm too worried.
It's hard to capture depth but there is a lot of subtle trunk movement:
Back side:
Side:
It does look a bit cluttered but that's because my phone camera can't differentiate between the foliage too well. While thinning more would improve the image I still need to let the tree grow out to thicken and build branching. The plan is to repot to a shallower container in spring (the current one has rocks as a filler for half the pot so the current root system isn't that deep. I'll let the tree grow strong and work on ramification in the next several years.
When I have an actual backdrop my photos should improve. Overall I like where the tree is going and should become significantly more refined in successive years.
