Getting there slowly.
Between the fast grow rate and up potting each year it should develop pretty fast. Need to cut those monster thorns off.Good so far! Seems these grow so fast it might not be as slow as you think! What happened to the thorns?
Grimmy
Little more work.
Yes most everyone does the domed flat top like you see in the wild. Once the branch structure is done on the top I could clip and grow the top into a dome style. May be a possibility. I could keep my other flat top flat like I want it and maybe dome this one and chew off the lower branches. Mite look pretty interesting and a bit different from my other one. My other one has the branch structure already and would be simple to dome it. Time will tell.A lot of progress in a short time!
I'm struggling a little bit with your design for a few reasons. First, flat-topped African trees don't generally have lower branches - because one of the main reasons why they grow the way they do is the lower branches get eaten away by animals. Second, they don't typically grow straight up, then straight out - they broom outward from the upper half of the trunk. Finally, they are almost never truly "flat". They almost always have a slightly rounded canopy. I've included a few examples of what I am talking about:
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Ok Mr @Bonsai Nut. Pulled the outer edge of the top to start curving it down and will clip and grow it into a dome shape. Wildlife ate the lower leaves and limbs off.A lot of progress in a short time!
I'm struggling a little bit with your design for a few reasons. First, flat-topped African trees don't generally have lower branches - because one of the main reasons why they grow the way they do is the lower branches get eaten away by animals. Second, they don't typically grow straight up, then straight out - they broom outward from the upper half of the trunk. Finally, they are almost never truly "flat". They almost always have a slightly rounded canopy. I've included a few examples of what I am talking about:
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How do these respond to bonsai techniques? Your threads have really tempted me to pick myself up one.
Do they tolerate root pruning and do they backbud? They root well from cuttings?
Wildlife
I'm glad @Bonsai Nut posted those pictures.Thank's. I just recently cut the top back. Wish I hadn't now. The biggest problem in making the tree look like the real ones is nature some how keeps the ends of the branches growing out and the tree as a whole goes up. On my other tree if there is not wire on the ends of the branches it will grow up pretty fast. Like a 45 degree turn up. That would mean lots and lots of wiring to keep it from going up. Would be a lot of work and needs to have wire on the ends pretty much all the time. Would look pretty cool though. For sure needs wider canopy without the lower branches. Shame I just cut the top back some. Was out growing the lower. I think keeping wire on, it in about 3 years it could look pretty good. Way to small to start with to get a big trunk most likely.I love your fence!
You see that little tuft in the middle pic Bnut posted?
The one directly above the trunk.
Actually that whole pic is what I'd shoot for....
Slightly rounded...
With that subtle higher variation...
With that low branch gone, seems to need a wider canopy...and dare I say....a thicker trunk?
Nah....Giraffes.!
Sorce