My Quaking Aspen Project

[Canonfodder]

I found this young quaking Aspen tree at my local Lowe’s store for $10. As I am just beginning my journey into the art of bonsai, I have decided to take the advise of others in this forum and focus on how to successfully keep a tree alive. As a Colorado native, I have decided to focus my attention on the species that are common here. Though I have been advised that aspens are not very good for bonsai, I decided to still try and work with it.

First off, I focused on cleaning up the roots for the tree. To my surprise, I discovered that there was five large roots that split out like a star. This really excited me! I trimmed the smaller access roots and the ones that were pointing up from the base as I have read, making sure not to disturb the main roots. Then placing the tree in a plastic pot filled with potting soil, I set the tree in and pushed some soil into the recesses of the roots to make sure there was enough soil within. Then I poured some more potters soil in to ensure that the root system was covered from the base of the tree down.

Before I began the process, my one your old German Short-haired Pointer Blitz, decided he wanted to test out the tree for himself and left his mark on it. I hope he didn’t damage it to much.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Hopefully tree will branch below Blitzkriegs damage(-;. Some beginning to work with these but seems maybe dieback from un judicious pruning is major problem to deal with.

 

[Canonfodder]

Hopefully tree will branch below Blitzkriegs damage(-;. Some beginning to work with these but seems maybe dieback from un judicious pruning is major problem to deal with.

I honestly haven’t done any pruning to the tree accept the roots. I hope I didn’t cause to much of a problem for the tree.

 

[Colorado]

Nice! I have a couple aspen projects in the works too. I think aspen has a lot of potential as a bonsai species.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I have never heard term "access" roots. There are larger, "anchor" roots, and hairy-like "feeder" roots. We reduce the anchor roots in favor of keeping as much of the feeder roots as possible. Keep the dog away from the tree. Urine's nitrogen is damaging when in concentration. That's what causes burn spots in lawns when females have high N levels in their urine.

 

[Canonfodder]

Day two since replanting in a larger pot. The place where Blitz got a hold of it shows a little spiltting.

The soil is dry to the touch. I didn’t plant it good enough to have all the anchor roots showing above ground. I don’t plan to try repotting it this season as I would like to see some growth first.

I do see some budding, I believe that’s the correct term, on the upper branches of the aspen.

 

[LittleDingus]

Potting soil settles over time potentially exposing more root. It would be a good idea to add 1/2" or more of mulch to help prevent the soil from washing around and to keep some humidity around those roots as the tree grows out.

Most bonsai soils don't compress/settle as much as potting soil does.

 

[Canonfodder]

Looking at the anchor roots and how they go out in a star pattern, I was thinking of doing and root over rock build with it. I have a slab of red rock I picked up from around the red rocks amphitheater that I was considering using.

 

[ghues]

I have had one for going on a decade now and it’s still alive. Here is a thread you might be interested in. https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/tried-aspen.11996/
If you need any details pm me.
Cheers

 

[Mike Corazzi]

According to this, an aspen grove is ONE tree. Cloning itself into more.

How Aspens Grow

www.fs.fed.us

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"Aspen is noted for its ability to regenerate vegetatively by shoots and suckers arising along its long lateral roots. Root sprouting results in many genetically identical trees, in aggregate called a "clone". All the trees in a clone have identical characteristics and share a root structure. The members of a clone can be distinguished from those of a neighboring clone often by a variety of traits such as leaf shape and size, bark character, branching habit, resistance to disease and air pollution, sex, time of flushing, and autumn leaf color. A clone may turn color earlier or later in the fall or exhibit a different fall color variation than its neighboring aspen clones, thus providing a means to tell them apart. Aspen clones can be less than an acre and up to 100 acres in size. There can be one clone in an aspen grove or there can be many."

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Aspen pot.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Yeah. When I collected my trees for a forest I couldn't pennitrate the mat of suckers and had to settle for chopping off individuals here and there. Almost all of them survived.

 

[Canonfodder]

Would it be safe if I tried repotting this tree again? I feel I should have tried planting this in a bonsai pot rather then the pot it’s in.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Eventually. Let it grow for a season and then, next spring repot go for it.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Would it be safe if I tried repotting this tree again? I feel I should have tried planting this in a bonsai pot rather then the pot it’s in.

Not if wanting trunk to get any bigger. Or tree to continue living.