sevan
Mame
I collected this American Hornbeam last Spring and am trying to decide which direction I want to take it and was curious what others think about it. The main two ideas I have at the moment are:
1) Chop at the red line, grow out a new leader with a goal of a finished tree around 8".
2) Chop at the green line, the trunk is "finished", so start developing branching with a finished tree around 15".
Are there better ideas that I'm overlooking? Option 1 seems like it might be the better looking tree, but option 2 would give me the opportunity to start practicing branch development skills while I have other trees that I can practice trunk development on. It would also leave me the option to change my mind in a few years. At this point I'm more interested in what I can learn than what I end up with, which has me leaning towards option 2.
I did my best to sketch what the two options might look like, but I have no editing skill and and only beginner bonsai skill.
1) Chop at the red line, grow out a new leader with a goal of a finished tree around 8".
2) Chop at the green line, the trunk is "finished", so start developing branching with a finished tree around 15".
Are there better ideas that I'm overlooking? Option 1 seems like it might be the better looking tree, but option 2 would give me the opportunity to start practicing branch development skills while I have other trees that I can practice trunk development on. It would also leave me the option to change my mind in a few years. At this point I'm more interested in what I can learn than what I end up with, which has me leaning towards option 2.
I did my best to sketch what the two options might look like, but I have no editing skill and and only beginner bonsai skill.