How do you know that a tree is ready to start

[the miniaturizer]

I've been following and reading about bonsai off and on for about a year but haven't started on any of my own yet. I finally have a couple of trees that might be ready for me to start working on. One is a crabapple I bought last fall on clearance and planted. The other is a peach that I just picked up on clearance today.

After I planted it I just left the crabapple alone except for watering for the last year, but I cleared some of the dirt away from the base and took a look at it after work tonight. The nebari looks much better than it did a year ago and the base of the trunk is thickening.

Do you think these trees are ready to be moved into pots in the spring and I could start working on them?

The first two pics are the crabapple, the second two are the peach. They probably aren't "good" stock to start with but I'm on a budget, and these were $6 each.

 

[stacy allen muse]

????????????

 

[edprocoat]

How do you know that a tree is ready to start ?


Check the spark plugs and make sure there is plenty of gas in the tank, depress teh accelerator and turn the key and it should start right up.

ed

 

[Brian Underwood]

There are a few questions you need to ask yourself. The first being "How big of a tree do I want to make?" Once you decide you want a specific size tree, you then need to strive for a proper trunk thickness to height ratio, which an easy guideline to use is 1:6. Then it will be root structure, growing branches, wiring, and maintenance.

With those two trees you have, the crabapple MIGHT be ready if you want a shohin size tree (under 8"). If so, it can be chopped to the top branch in the photo in spring, and let the new "leader" (top branch) grow for a year or so. Properly apply wire and put a couple curves in the new leader once the chop is done. That's your starting point for now.

In the meantime, I suggest saving up a hundred bucks, and buying a nice piece of material to really practice on. Trident maples make good learning trees as they are tough and tolerate mistakes as well as being fast growers. I strongly suggest finding a local club to attend, and signing up for a few classes to really get the basics of wiring down.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Poink88]

You can also start learning how to collect trees. Late winter and early spring is the prime time for collecting and most of the time the trees are free

I get most of my leads via Craigslist or via construction sites and landscapers at work.

Check some of my posted threads to see what I've been getting, note that I just started collecting early this year!

Good luck!

 

[Ris]

First you must learn about your tree, its growth rate, soil drainage, full sun or shade etc...
The only way to know if work should be carried out on a tree is from looking at its foilage, stronge growth means good root systems. learn from praticing on plants also whats main idea to go forward in this hobby is being creative with ideas and really focusing on how trees look in nature.

Good luck,
Rishi.

 

[milehigh_7]

Handy tool

Here is a handy tool to give you a ball park estimate of what your caliper should be for optimal height of the tree:

http://www.mellobonsai.com/care/Bonsai-calculator.aspx

 

[the miniaturizer]

Thanks for the input everyone. I think I'm going to chop the crabapple and start working on it. I assume I should do that at the end of winter, correct? And I should dig it up and put it in a pot then also?

 

[Poink88]

Thanks for the input everyone. I think I'm going to chop the crabapple and start working on it. I assume I should do that at the end of winter, correct? And I should dig it up and put it in a pot then also?

Plants/trees develop much faster in the ground than in the pot. Knowing this...proceed depending on what your goal is.

 

[berobinson82]

Thanks for the input everyone. I think I'm going to chop the crabapple and start working on it. I assume I should do that at the end of winter, correct? And I should dig it up and put it in a pot then also?

I believe your best bet is to dig it in late winter or early spring when the buds are swelling. If you get a bad frost after you dig, you may want to consider protecting it from freezing the roots. Welcome to the hobby. Welcome to the site. Have fun.