Idea's for a crazy looking Bonsai please?

[fourteener]

In the end I think you have a clash of styles. funky roots require a funky top. A broom style tree on top of those roots won't work very well. I'm thinking the foliage needs to be a little twisted and tortured myself.

 

[Potawatomi13]

I'm having a real problem with all of these comments to cut off the big roots. There's a great nebari to develop here. Doesn't ANYBODY see that? That's one of the highly desirable things we want I believe. This could also develop into an exposed root tree easily. It reminds me of a walking octopus. Changing the trees angle to the soil by leaning it to the LEFT or planting the left side a bit lower in the soil will put the main trunk more centrally above ALL of the roots instead of off to one side. I agree the stump bump needs a concave cutter taken to it. The upper tree will develop and catch up fairly quickly as it seems to be growing pretty quickly. Until you said it was evergreen I was guessing it might be a birch from the leaf shape. Hmmmmm, can't be any help there.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Yes planting deeper is the way to go. I suggest about a foot or more should pretty much get rid of all your problems.

Right! Bury the tree. Brilliant idea.

 

[Stan Kengai]

What's with the necro-posting?

 

[onlyrey]

Drive through tree?

 

[Geo]

I would really like to see an update.

 

[Potawatomi13]

I would really like to see an update.

Seconded.

 

[Nwaite]

Yaaaa I would also like to see an update!

 

[Nwaite]

Yaaaa I would also like to see an update!

 

[M. Frary]

about a foot or more

At least.

 

[treebeard55]

A couple of thoughts, for your consideration, John.

Fourteener is right that every bonsai needs a design that is consistent throughout. I'm not saying you can't get an internally consistent design with what you have in the picture, but to do it you need several years, at least, of growing on. The visual weight of the trunk and branches needs to match that of the present roots.

Second, unless, you're going for a neagari (exposed root style,) floating roots such as you have in the picture rarely work: they make the tree look unstable.

 

[cockroach]

A cascade/semi cascade with an awesome deadwood feature above the rim of the pot and a gnarly tree below.

 

[AaronThomas]

I love the roots.... But what do I know

 

[Underdog]

I too love the roots. I'm a noob but ... I'd just work on carving the chop out to look like an old branch broke off. Try to get more up top going. I like it.

 

[michaelj]

Drive through tree?

I have one of those.

 

[Smoke]

I have one of those.

Drive thru.... not driven over

 

[michaelj]

Yup. But not a car you'd fit into....