Plum growing as a clump

[bonsai-max]

Hi there, finally the plum is here with the apple tree that I have posted in this discussion:

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/apple-tree-needs-styling-idea.61129/#post-1058724

I made a little confusion about the two tree in the other post, this plant was dead for an heatwave and rebuilded as a clump.
This morning I spent some time cleaning from the moss that was everywhere, removing the wire and badgrass, and finished giving some iron sulphate to help the plant a little bit ( yellow leaf) and to kill the remaining moss.
My friend said that the plant was repotted about 3 years ago, the soil drain still very good.
That was the plant before:



And that's now:


View attachment 20230727_144535.mp4

Any suggestion is more than welcome because I have no experience with deciduous plants
Thank you

 

[bonsai-max]

The plant has some kind of fungus...
No bugs under the leafs


.

 

[bonsai-max]

So during the last weeks I made 2 treatment 1 against fungus and one against bugs and the plants looks ok, no more progression of the disease and some new leafs.
But the question now is, what are the next steps ?
This will be a clump of course but I have no idea about how manage it ....

 

[bonsai-max]

No ideas or suggestion ?

 

[Drohnen]

My suggestion: Some kind of fairy tale style.
Is this just because I want one myself? Yes probably. Here's some that came up on google images.

The above pictures have that wide, chaotic multi trunk kind of like your plum.

Curious to see what you make of your tree!

 

[bonsai-max]

The second picture looks like my tree. Problem here is that I have no idea about how starting and develop a plant like this...

 

[bonsai-max]

Hi there, here is the plant without leafs, I am thinking to put in a bigger pot and let grow for a couple of years, any suggestions ?

 

[pandacular]

I have no suggestions, but I like this tree! I read through the other thread, and was a little sad that the apple stole all the spotlight from this guy.

I think growing it out makes sense, especially if you focus on differentiating the caliper of the various trunks. Decide which ones will be the main, secondaries, tertiaries, and try to get them sized appropriately for scale.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Looks like you are already advancing the design.

Here’s a couple fruit bonsai we work with to give you a few ideas. Note each tree’s foliage will resemble an asymmetric triangle one grown out.

By the bye, please use lime sulfur or equivalent on the deadwood to preserve it

This style would require a bit of carving and many years.


Another variation



A couple more likely designs… both would take less time to achieve then those above.


… last and most likely…



Hope this helps

cheers
DSD sends

 

[bonsai-max]

Hope this helps

Nice trees and a lot of ideas, thank you so much, also the pot are really nice, for this one and the apple tree I will take a round pot.
I think that I will follow the same patterns of the apple tree, a little bigger pot and growing season, but I am curious if I can take out more trunk from the soil plum during the repot, I would love it.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

It was potted 3 years ago, so yes.

best
DSD sends

 

[vancehanna]

Hi there, here is the plant without leafs, I am thinking to put in a bigger pot and let grow for a couple of years, any suggestions ?


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The heavy nebari and shoots coming up provide a plethora of opportunity for a multi trunk version! well done!

 

[bonsai-max]

Time to start thinking about a repot, now the pot is 30x12 cm, I would put in a larger pot for a growing season. What do you think ? Eventually suggestion about the size ?
Also the apple tree is moving....

 

[bonsai-max]

Find this one, a good step before a oval one.
Final will be a blue, oval, not so tall ceramic pot......

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Nice! Likely fine.

I often prefer round containers for growing out, if only to give the roots equal room to grow all around. This helps develop the nebari. That said, likely the roots will be worked again on the repot?

At this point, if not already done so, one might consider laying and fastening the roots out on a board, Ebhira style

cheers
DSD sends

 

[bonsai-max]

Nice! Likely fine.

I often prefer round containers for growing out, if only to give the roots equal room to grow all around. This helps develop the nebari. That said, likely the roots will be worked again on the repot?

At this point, if not already done so, one might consider laying and fastening the roots out on a board, Ebhira style

cheers
DSD sends

I understand, but find a round pot with this height and measures is very hard at least here. The clump is slightly rectangular so at the end I think I will choose a oval pot.
This is my first clump and in general one of my first decideous, hopefully I will do a good job. The roots should be in a proper position, as the previous owner told me.
Ebhira style ?

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Awesome.

Roots need to be worked each repotting when in development and honed when in refinement.

The Ebihara technique and its variations are common ways to work roots to obtain an excellent nebari. Plum hobbyists don’t take it all the way to the ‘melting nebari’ stage as done in maples, yet it is a proven way to sort out the roots. Here’s a larger tree.

For a clump folks often do the same basic technique, making a radial perimeter, but also paying attention to each tree‘s roots to assure their roots aren’t blocked off by other trees.

Good luck!
DSD sends

 

[bonsai-max]

Ok, thank you very much, I will see how is the situation. This plum is an old solitaire of about 30 years old the was almost dead cause a heatwave.

 

[rustygarden]

I wish my plum was as big . You get the idea .

 

[bonsai-max]

Finally I made the repot,there was no problem. The nebari roots was combed to make a nicer foot and covered with sphagnum because still not hard. I cut very little roots only the big with almost no capillaries.
Time to grow free for a couple of year, more picture soon