P. Afra styling

Forrestford

Shohin
Messages
377
Reaction score
708
Location
Western CT
USDA Zone
6b
OK, new thread. I got a nice sized P.afra the base is about a 7” around. first thing I thought of was Jim Smith. I wanna turn this into a Jim smith style tree an informal upright tree with layers of pads. I need help picking a front and a new apex. I just repotted it in a 14” container. Any tips? It could make a cool broom style but... Jim Smith... what do you think? is it worth cutting it back?

I’m thinking this guy as the new leader. Should I chop all the rest?


084eefbe-ecb2-4a27-b1db-b72d37092733-jpeg.242413
 

just.wing.it

Deadwood Head
Messages
12,141
Reaction score
17,546
Location
Just South of the Mason Dixon
USDA Zone
6B
Wow!....
Did that come from Meehan's?
Nice starter material for Spekboom.

I have a much smaller one, had it since 2015.
Was just a rooted cutting, nothing like what you have here.

What I know is, they like to dry out a bit between waterings and when healthy they can take a very hard pruning, no problem.

Also, while pruning that beast, you'll get several large cuttings that that will easily root for you, and you could have a whole forrest of them.
 

Forrestford

Shohin
Messages
377
Reaction score
708
Location
Western CT
USDA Zone
6b
Wow!....
Did that come from Meehan's?
Thanks man. Im not sure, Ive never been up there, I would like to sometime soon. I got it in Richmond at Strange's nursery i'm not sure where they get their supply from, But it was pretty cheap so i'm a happy man.
Yeah, I have others that I got from cuttings last year but nothing big, I want this guy to grow grow grow but in a different direction...Long term project for sure
 

just.wing.it

Deadwood Head
Messages
12,141
Reaction score
17,546
Location
Just South of the Mason Dixon
USDA Zone
6B
Yours has some size to it already, opposed to most of what you'd find around here....
If you want a trunk with some movement, I'd eliminate one of the two at the first major junction there.....probably take it down to a single leader.
If you want to thicken the base still....let it grow.

They'll never grow for us as fast and big as they do in Africa.
 

Forrestford

Shohin
Messages
377
Reaction score
708
Location
Western CT
USDA Zone
6b
They'll never grow for us as fast and big as they do in Africa.
I know right. Ive seen a post with some Aussies taking huge cuttings from their front yard, it amazes me.
Do you think let it grow wild like it is or to selective prune to a leader and then let it grow wild? I'm leaning toward the later get the leggy stuff out of the way and then don't touch for a while. Got some prime months for growth coming up! I'm pretty new to bonsai this is my second year, and i have never been so excited for long sunny days.
 

MrWunderful

Omono
Messages
1,457
Reaction score
1,952
Location
SF Bay area
USDA Zone
10b
Portys are succulents not deciduous trees, so big trunk chops heal more like a scab than bark rolling over. So growing leaders to develop taper can be done, but can leave large scars in a tree that size.

Quoting my post from the other thread:
Its going to be a lot of work and time to make that an informal upright. I would keep it as a broom and clean up the structure first.

Leave the leggy growth on the branches you dont remove until you get back budding. Once you get a decent amount of back budding, cut the leggy stuff back.

Start maint. Pruning back to two nodes to develop ramification. I fertilize heavy with miracle grow every week as well as slow release on the soil. I also water mine quite a bit. I have an informal upright porty that I have been slowly cutting back I got a few months ago, if you would like to see it
 

Forrestford

Shohin
Messages
377
Reaction score
708
Location
Western CT
USDA Zone
6b
Portys are succulents not deciduous trees, so big trunk chops heal more like a scab than bark rolling over. So growing leaders to develop taper can be done, but can leave large scars in a tree that size.

Quoting my post from the other thread:
Its going to be a lot of work and time to make that an informal upright. I would keep it as a broom and clean up the structure first.

Leave the leggy growth on the branches you dont remove until you get back budding. Once you get a decent amount of back budding, cut the leggy stuff back.

Start maint. Pruning back to two nodes to develop ramification. I fertilize heavy with miracle grow every week as well as slow release on the soil. I also water mine quite a bit. I have an informal upright porty that I have been slowly cutting back I got a few months ago, if you would like to see it
Sry I didnt respond on the other post.
I actually like old scars or hollowed out areas, gives character imo. So i'm ok with those cut backs to create taper. James-J-Smith-With-Bonsai.jpgcheck out that nasty scar!
Yeah I would love to see your port! maybe it will make me change my mind about the style im headed in...
 

Forrestford

Shohin
Messages
377
Reaction score
708
Location
Western CT
USDA Zone
6b
Update on my Port.
May11
9527170F-BB53-4C2C-B2F8-A86F0FE68824.jpeg
May23
F4F812A2-4443-435A-A2A3-CE078F494F48.jpeg304B7B92-FE25-4CEE-9DA6-5834C350D224.jpeg63EF8665-9CB3-4348-BC17-934F4884783C.jpeg
July 21
2D362E7C-E1EC-46CE-AE67-3B982B9AED98.jpegA1FB9F31-ABE7-479C-949B-CE4D7544297E.jpeg
Today Aug 06
256569

Years and years from completed but I think off to a good start. I really need to thicken up the lowest branch. I’m gonna leave the top wild for a while before I eventually cut and pick a new leader. I trimmed the lower branches once to give them some direction I’ll will prob do it once more before bringing it in for the season. Anyways, the scars are pretty gnarly and makes it look pretty spooky. Open to any tips, cheers.
 

MrWunderful

Omono
Messages
1,457
Reaction score
1,952
Location
SF Bay area
USDA Zone
10b
I would have a hard time not chopping that entire upper trunk off. At least to the first branch on the right :D

It is spooky looking!
 

Colorado

Masterpiece
Messages
3,104
Reaction score
8,228
Location
Golden, Colorado
USDA Zone
5b
It’s sacrifice growth. Look at all those “solar panels” up top!!! P. Afra thickens relatively quickly with that amount of foliage

This has the potential to be a really nice tree!!!😎
 

Forrestford

Shohin
Messages
377
Reaction score
708
Location
Western CT
USDA Zone
6b
The more I look at it i'm thinking of cutting off the sacrifice growth and letting the second branch become the leader.
It’s sacrifice growth. Look at all those “solar panels” up top!!! P. Afra thickens relatively quickly with that amount of foliage

This has the potential to be a really nice tree!!!😎
Full sun 10 hours a day and lots of Fert. Thanks hopefully someday...
 

Forrestford

Shohin
Messages
377
Reaction score
708
Location
Western CT
USDA Zone
6b
End of summer prune. So at First I wanted the top to be the apex and branch off from there. However the first branch is a lot smaller then the second. I’m leaning towards chopping the current apex and lettting the second branch become the apex. What do you think? I’m not going to do it until next year when it can go outside, so I have some time
265960
265961
Went to take a picture and found this death creature hanging out on the spooky afra265962
 

Calnicky

Mame
Messages
126
Reaction score
414
Location
Pacific Northwest
USDA Zone
8b
End of summer prune. So at First I wanted the top to be the apex and branch off from there. However the first branch is a lot smaller then the second. I’m leaning towards chopping the current apex and lettting the second branch become the apex. What do you think? I’m not going to do it until next year when it can go outside, so I have some time
View attachment 265960
View attachment 265961
Went to take a picture and found this death creature hanging out on the spooky afraView attachment 265962
He's (she's) just getting a drink of water. Spiders are always thirsty!
 

Forrestford

Shohin
Messages
377
Reaction score
708
Location
Western CT
USDA Zone
6b
I can’t believe someone didn’t stop you from chopping this up.
I think your initial tree was amazing and I would’ve tried to work with that.
I can’t even believe what I have seen here.
Being a Jim Smith fan myself I think it was pretty close to his style in the first photo.
Oh no no no. It was a mess this is when I got it
F856B15B-A1DB-4995-A3F4-EE4723C5C3E2.jpeg
Nothing worked on it imo. I’m not sure what happened to the photos in my initial post.
I’m aiming for a more formal upright style. I posted a picture for reference... if you think that’s my tree no ma’am. I wish, but it’s inspiration.
 

AZbonsai

Masterpiece
Messages
2,486
Reaction score
5,329
Location
AZ
USDA Zone
9
Oh no no no. It was a mess this is when I got it
View attachment 265979
Nothing worked on it imo. I’m not sure what happened to the photos in my initial post.
I’m aiming for a more formal upright style. I posted a picture for reference... if you think that’s my tree no ma’am. I wish, but it’s inspiration.
Glad you clarified I was very confused! That happens with me when I try to post more than 1 pic at a time. It only posts the last one.
 

amcoffeegirl

Masterpiece
Messages
2,770
Reaction score
4,794
Location
IOWA
USDA Zone
5b
Oh no no no. It was a mess this is when I got it
View attachment 265979
Nothing worked on it imo. I’m not sure what happened to the photos in my initial post.
I’m aiming for a more formal upright style. I posted a picture for reference... if you think that’s my tree no ma’am. I wish, but it’s inspiration.
When I first loaded the post the only photo was this one.
01B32796-95AA-4993-8BAD-DC27299632AA.jpeg

That’s what I thought you were working on.

I did edit my post after I saw your material.
I hope you can show one like this in the future. It’s beautiful.
 

pweifan

Shohin
Messages
456
Reaction score
378
Location
Cleveland, OH
USDA Zone
6a
End of summer prune. So at First I wanted the top to be the apex and branch off from there. However the first branch is a lot smaller then the second. I’m leaning towards chopping the current apex and lettting the second branch become the apex. What do you think? I’m not going to do it until next year when it can go outside, so I have some time
View attachment 265960
View attachment 265961
Went to take a picture and found this death creature hanging out on the spooky afraView attachment 265962

How's this tree doing now?
 

Forrestford

Shohin
Messages
377
Reaction score
708
Location
Western CT
USDA Zone
6b
It’s healthy. Grew lots this summer pruned it several times. I chopped the top back and luckily it back budded nicely. I wanted a more formal tree but, now heres what I’m thinking...
3A41C4B4-E05B-441E-9ABD-9A5C5C6BCBF4.jpeg
3FE945DE-573E-45D8-9FFC-333B3E01FC9A.jpeg
4AC3F471-DCDB-48E9-B281-36AF608D40E0.png
proposed front ^

69752956-A790-4B24-A608-51C593BAF8DD.jpeg
Maybe start training the branches now and repot in the spring.
 

Mycin

Mame
Messages
241
Reaction score
306
Location
Chicago
USDA Zone
5b
It looked like you had the trunk for a nice Jim Smith informal upright back in August 19, I would have left some height. I will say, I don't think I've ever seen a sumo afra bonsai so kudos for innovating.
 
Top Bottom