Newbies - want to share your trees?

[dbonsaiw]

A batch of younger trees - beech, black pine and an array of maples. Last year was about getting started and acquiring some trees that would serve as my "guinea pigs" to get some practice and start working. As I continue to work on those and maybe get some more, these will be my first batch that I will grow longer term.

 

[DraytonSawyer]

In search of some noob advice. I didn't get a chance to repot this Chinese Elm before the buds began to unfurl, as you can see. Is it too late at this point or am I safe to repot if done today?

Edit: Midwest US, Zone 5

 

[ShadyStump]

In search of some noob advice. I didn't get a chance to repot this Chinese Elm before the buds began to unfurl, as you can see. Is it too late at this point or am I safe to repot if done today?

Edit: Midwest US, Zone 5

1st question: does it really need repotted? If it's not terribly root bound, or in awful soil, then don't worry about it.

If you do need to repot it for some reason, then you could do it now, but don't mess with the roots too much, and I wouldn't do much other work on it this season.

 

[DraytonSawyer]

Appreciate that! It came to me a year ago in substrate that's waaaay too wet for too long. I hear you though.

 

[ShadyStump]

Appreciate that! It came to me a year ago in substrate that's waaaay too wet for too long. I hear you though.

Ulmus a pretty tough genus, so you're probably safe to do whatever you need to. I just know I've killed allot of trees thinking that, and went too far. Hell, I'm still bad about it.

 

[SgtPilko]

Hey all, loving the friendly and helpful vibes in here. I'm a newbie and have been lurking and learning for a few weeks, got started in the depths of the (UK) winter though so not too much action to show on my trees so far! Can't wait for spring proper, need to decide what to do with a few of these purchases though. I think I have already got myself a reputation digging around for nebari at the local garden centre, thank god for face masks... anyway here are a few of these very early days projects! I also got a cut price Taxus (looks a bit too straight in there), Cotoneaster (wild af, but skinny trunk) and cheapo proto-sumo Ficus.

Looking forward to learning more and getting stuck into some discussions on this board. Cheers!

#1 Chinese Elm. The birthday web-sai. Gets upset if called a mallsai because a) this England b) his feet are nestled in what looks to be mostly akadama straight out the box! Could be a sneaky top dressing but no glue and pebbles here. Might save me an immediate re-pot in the coming weeks but then where next...top heavy, lack of taper, big chop wound, wire scars, what looks like a knotted trunk rather than root mass. Will be outside and properly trimmed soon, might start by attacking the dense apex and taperless upper branches, need to beef up the lower half, I don't have the cojones for a trunk chop yet.

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#2 Juniperus Chinensis - love seeing this little punky guy every morning, torn between getting stuck in to practice some skills, plant out or maybe just a repot to focus on root development first. Outgrowing the nursery pot and its fairly typical compost in there I think. Lots of meaty branches on the inside of the bends that will need tackling sooner or later. Some movement here but hidden by the dense foliage.

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#3 Cotinus "Young Lady" - random nursery buy (while frozen solid) though luckily i can spot a tiny bit of flare and movement down there below the soil line. Yet to do any work, maybe will just prune the most obvious bits this spring, not sure. Not one of the usual purple variants. Maybe better to plant out and try to get a fatter gnarly trunk down the line but I am not sure yet how fast these grow or get out of control.

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#4 Chamaecyperis Thy. Excellent Point. £2.50 1st wiring practice aka the Poundshop Peter Chan Principle. Ideal activity for a cold, dark night and despite not looking like any of his natural False Cypress brethren seems to be pretty happy. Before shot is actually his identical twin.

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Hey all thanks for the sharing! I am still a newb but learning! Quick update 1 year on for the Chinese Elm and Chinese Juniper.

The elm needed some root work a couple of weeks back but has grown well in his box. This year, haircuts, mega feed!



The juniper I took to a workshop for some basic styling and wiring practice, it was very awkward once inside the massive knot of foliage and needed a lot of cleaning. We straightened the trunk up a bit with heavy gauge wire. Will see how it progresses from here and where I take it, need to deal with odd spindly branches. I kinda miss the huge punky crunchy mass of a year ago!



There have been new acquisitions too i'll drip feed em in, here is a grafted white pine

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Some holm oak suckers I wired with 4mm wire

Repotting them will be its own issue later

 

[SgtPilko]

Larix Decidua wired in autumn and repotted this Spring. Stone Monkey pot. Just coming into leaf!

 

[19Mateo83]

This is just a piece of the collection

 

[Teacup bonsai]

View attachment 355676Turns out there was some nebari hanging out in there after all!
Im hoping the embedded wire scar heals over a little more, but will attempt for a nice shohin in a few years

Update on progress, will take off the last inch of first branch once I know it won’t die back to next nodes

 

[Fidur]

These are some of my youngest...

Desmanthus virgata


Tipuana tipu:


Cuphea hyssopifolia:


Albizia julibrissin

 

[HorseloverFat]

I may try that. I had no success with the bagpipes.

Mac

It's about learning the rhythm of the lung!!

 

[HorseloverFat]

More info on that little mame pot please!!! Is it clay? How is drainage done? Are you a potter? Do you have other work? Do you have more of those and do you sell them?

Your little JBP is cute as well but I really like that pot!

Anthony has not strolled these halls In a while.. I miss him.

It is believed/said by others that he was moving to the other side of the island.. and "internet" was "Iffy"...

@Clicio says he spoke to him recently..

But I'm always skeptical when it comes to the wellbeing of my friends.

I even gave @Perrywinkle the ol' "Blink twice if your in danger" over PM!

Well not REALLY.. but sort of!

 

[Clicio]

@Clicio says he spoke to him recently.

Well, unfortunately not recently but in 2020.
It's been two years now.
I miss him.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Well, unfortunately not recently but in 2020.
It's been two years now.
I miss him.

I forget how long I've been "curious" about his absence..

Is he tall?.... he seems tall.

Is he native to those islands.. or did "Babylon" bring his family there?

 

[LindaPat]

First try at shohin. It is grown from seed from when my Mom was making jam from the green apple appearing fruits from her quince bush, I guess chaemecyparus (sp)

 

[LindaPat]

View attachment 427146View attachment 427147View attachment 427148View attachment 427149First try at shohin. It is grown from seed from when my Mom was making jam from the green apple appearing fruits from her quince bush, I guess chaemecyparus (sp)

Chaenomeles

 

[LindaPat]

I think the first branch should be a sacrifice branch. Been trying to wire the other branches to mirror the 90 degree turns in the “trunk”.

 

[pnwnovice]

Vine Maple with an ugly wiring job.

One of many "works in progress" I have, thought it died in our snowstorm this winter but it managed to survive so I repotted it in this goodwill pot find.

 

[Lumaca]

Found some cones on cryptomeria! Exciting!