Instant Bonsai?

[M. Frary]

Is there such an animal? Can it be done?
This is a picture of what I believe may be close. It's a shimpaku that I picked up last spring. $13.00 for the tree. Had the pot,wire and soil. So maybe $20.00 total.
The tree was root bound in a 4" pot and looked like a lolly pop or pompom on a stick. No before pictures but take my word on it. An hour later and this what I came up with. No showstopper by any stretch of the imagination. But not bad.
All rootwork,wiring and pruning done in that hour. It didn't even act like anything was done to it. It recovered and is healthy and fine under a foot of snow right now.
I do this to procumbens too.
Are there other members that do this when bored or whatever. I bet there is.
Show us some.
Raising the bar on the big box store challenge in the spring if we have one. Are you ready?

 

[Smoke]

I fool around alot.
These most recently.

 

[M. Frary]

That's more than fooling around Al. Thanks for that though. It puts my instant bonsai back to just above mallsai status but proves my point all the same. Things can be done with a piece of material in one sitting and be a bonsai right away. Or close to it.
Very nice.
I see from the picture that your dog is partial to pink also!

 

[Bunjeh]

Funny you said that,..

Yesterday I went to Bonsai Northwest in Seattle and bought little Juniperis Procumbens for $8.00 and a $6.00 pot. Took it home, cleaned it up and wired it. 30 minute Bonsai.

 

[Adair M]

Here's mine:

 

[Adair M]

Sorry about my pics being sideways.

Mike, other than the trunk size difference, how is my tree styled differently than yours?

Hint: look at the foliage...

 

[Eric Group]

Juniper can make an "instant bonsai" image. They don't need years of pruning to create ramification, if you are doing a smaller tree they don't even need a huge trunk...

 

[Bunjeh]

Instant Pre-Bonsai

So as you have probably figured out I have only been that this for a short time. I have a lot of material, some hopefull yamadori, some yardmadori, and a lot of pre-bonsai. Looking at what you gentlemen have managed to produce has made me want adjust mine to "instant pre-bonsai" status. Bravo.

 

[M. Frary]

Sorry about my pics being sideways.

Mike, other than the trunk size difference, how is my tree styled differently than yours?

Hint: look at the foliage...

Ahhh! The less is more strategy. We'll placed. Finer wiring. Finer wire.
What size wire is the smallest you use? Copper or aluminum. I have no small wire for the little details.

 

[Adair M]

Er, no. Although those things you mentioned are true

Look at your main branches, and see where your foliage is. Mostly hanging below the branch. Now look at mine. It's either even with the wood of the branch or above it.

I made sure there was no growth pointing down. That all got stripped off. Growth hanging down will be weak, get shaded and do poorly.

The way to style shimpaku (mine is Kishu) is to make sure all green is above the brown.

Another way to think of it. Pretend you are holding a large ball like a soccer ball in your hand Palm up. See how your finger tips curl up? That's the way to style shimpaku. The green part is the last joint of your finger. Above the level of the supporting branch.

Just we don't want "hanging needles" on a pine, we don't want hanging foliage on a juniper.

When the snow melts, see if you can make that happen on your shimpaku. I think you'll be surprized at how much better it will look immediately, and even more pleased with the way it will develop and grow in the future.

 

[Adair M]

Oh... It was wired with copper. I don't think I used anything smaller than 16 gauge. I hardly ever do.

 

[edprocoat]

I fool around alot.
These most recently.

Does your wife know about this, man whore ?



ed

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

How's this for big box instant bonsai?

 

[Adair M]

Brian,

Can you describe your technique for unboxing, including peanut containment and spousal approval? Us newbies need improvement in those areas. You seem to the Master!

 

[barrosinc]

Brian,

Can you describe your technique for unboxing, including peanut containment and spousal approval? Us newbies need improvement in those areas. You seem to the Master!

yes! how is it done?

 

[Vance Wood]

Here are some photos of the tree straightened out.

 

[Bunjeh]

Acer Circunatum

Like any addiction, it is good to have a support group. Fortunately for me, I have a very supportive group of friends who also happen to own land. Yesterday, while visiting the building site of a bud of mine down near Chehalis, he let me snoop around his property for material. I found some black locust tha I am going to try, but I also found this Acer Circunatum (Vine Maple). In the three photos you will see the progression from truck to bucket to pot. Still not sure where to go with this as it is over 26"tall. Thoughts?

 

[Giga]

How's this for big box instant bonsai?

Can I'haz one?

 

[RKatzin]

Bunjeh, the Vine maple is one of my favorite trees, a close relative of Japanese Maple, Acer Palmatum. They are a small tree, long and spindely in the trunk. The name fits them precisely. Even when planted in the ground they put on girth very slowly. You need to find some large stock to begin with or they stay pretty much as the are when you pot them. In my area (SW Oregon) I have located and tagged some good size trees, 2-4" trunks. I hope to dig a dozen or so this season.

The Black Locust is a brat tree. Very uncooperative. My yard is full of them and they pop up everywhere. Of course, I had to have a go at it. The growth is arrow straight and stems are brittle. The leaves are huge compound formation and branches dieback to the trunk when you prune. Not to mention the huge thorns, Ouch! They sting, too!

I do have one that I just love. It is a Contorted Black Locust and it is very different. The trunk twists and turns and so do the branches. The leaves contort also so instead of shooting straight out from the limbs they hang down in a very nice weeping form

I know you like pics, thats my JRT, BB, for size.

 

[M. Frary]

Brian,

Can you describe your technique for unboxing, including peanut containment and spousal approval? Us newbies need improvement in those areas. You seem to the Master!

The peanut containment. They seem to be attracted to me. Drive me nuts.