Show Off Your Bjorn Seedling Clumps

[Tidal Bonsai]

I am sure by now most of us have seen these two videos by Bjorn.

I am also sure by now many of us have tried the technique, and have a few clump projects in our gardens. I didn’t see a thread on this subject, so let’s see those seedling clumps!

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

In the late winter/early spring I covered aluminum wire with plastic tubing and put these Corticosa cork bark elm cuttings together. I decided to make two shohin size clumps inspired by Bjorn’s videos, as well as posts by @MACH5 and @Brian Van Fleet.



By August 2021 the seedlings seemed to fuse, so I removed the rubber wire, lightly cut back and wired a little movement into the seedlings.




They have developed a lot in only a season! In the spring I will do some better cutback/wiring and start training the roots.

 

[Gert]

Here are mine. The first photos in March of this year, and the last two this week. I went a little crazy with the wire. It's definitely hard to get in there and get low bends when attempting to wire in movement with that many trunks. I'll probably try to correct some of the positioning later on. It's interesting how with these one or two trunks really took off leaving the others in the dust.

 

[Shibui]

I started some a few years ago.
I think this 3 trunk trident is probably the oldest - fused the seedlings around 35 years ago.


This one is not only fused clump but also root over rock. Probably close to the same age as the previous tree.

The original group was a straight line with no depth so someone suggested adding a trunk in the back. Much better after that extra trunk was grafted in at the base.

This one is only about 20 years old. An attempt at a more delicate clump of trunks.


I grow a few more of these multi trunk tridents each year for sale. Interesting to note that they are NOT very popular. Single trunk trees sell much easier than clumps.

 

[leatherback]

Well, not a Bjorn seedling clump, but yeah, similar idea:

2018 spring I had some seedlings leftover and only space for one pot


Grew well and I only realized in fall why:

Cleanup and ready for 2019

2020 start

2021 start

 

[Stella]

Coming back to this thread. i am waiting on some maple seeds and very keen on creating one as well

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

I started some a few years ago.
I think this 3 trunk trident is probably the oldest - fused the seedlings around 35 years ago.
View attachment 408647

This one is not only fused clump but also root over rock. Probably close to the same age as the previous tree.
View attachment 408646
The original group was a straight line with no depth so someone suggested adding a trunk in the back. Much better after that extra trunk was grafted in at the base.

This one is only about 20 years old. An attempt at a more delicate clump of trunks.
View attachment 408645

I grow a few more of these multi trunk tridents each year for sale. Interesting to note that they are NOT very popular. Single trunk trees sell much easier than clumps.

I have recently been bitten by the multi-trunk bug, but yes they aren’t for everyone. Really good inspiration for us all!

 

[berzerkules]

I've considered doing alder clumps with seedlings. Up here they kind of naturally grow in clumps along rivers and other wet boggy places.

Maybe I'll make a day of scooping up some little alder come spring.

 

[Malix]

Here’s mine. Started last year with arakawa jp maple. Just wired it up. as the seedlings thickened a lot faster than I expected it was quite difficult to get any movement into some of em..

 

[GreatLakesBrad]

Are all folks just using seedlings, or cuttings as well? Curious whether @Shibui you ever run into the issue of having one or two trees in a clump SO different that it is noticeable colors or growth habit wise?

I have about 100 from the same batch that are a year old and would like to create a few. Hopefully not much variation

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

Are all folks just using seedlings, or cuttings as well? Curious whether @Shibui you ever run into the issue of having one or two trees in a clump SO different that it is noticeable colors or growth habit wise?

I have about 100 from the same batch that are a year old and would like to create a few. Hopefully not much variation

I used cuttings so they are all identical.

 

[namnhi]

@Smoke did this when Bjorn still running around naked.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

@Smoke did this when Bjorn still running around naked.

Bjorn said he made his original JM clump with @William N. Valavanis as a teenager. I think Valavanis he has been in bonsai a little longer

 

[leatherback]

Curious whether @Shibui you ever run into the issue of having one or two trees in a clump SO different that it is noticeable colors or growth habit wise?

Not him, but my clump has this issue. I have decided I do not care, but it is clear in mine these are not one plant.

 

[Shibui]

Are all folks just using seedlings, or cuttings as well? Curious whether @Shibui you ever run into the issue of having one or two trees in a clump SO different that it is noticeable colors or growth habit wise?

Most of my fusions are trident seedlings so there's very little difference but occasionally I get a small variation.
I have a forest group with 2 small trees on one end that are slightly different. In spring those 2 have totally green leaves while all the others have the usual pink new shoots. After a couple of weeks every tree has summer colors and there's no difference.
One triple trunk has a slight difference too. One trunk leafs out a week earlier than the rest. It also turns autumn color a week earlier. For the rest of the year there's no difference.

Differences are much more common in Japanese maples so if I was fusing JM I'd definitely check for similarity before fusing or use cuttings.

 

[Flowerhouse]

.... when Bjorn still running around naked.

Mmm. Now there's an image

 

[leatherback]

Mmm. Now there's an image

Sorry, not my cuppa tea. But enjoy.

 

[penumbra]

I grow a few more of these multi trunk tridents each year for sale. Interesting to note that they are NOT very popular. Single trunk trees sell much easier than clumps.

This is really difficult to understand for me.

 

[SeanS]

Here are some trident clumps I started this season. The bigger one has a tube wrapped wire holding them together. One of the trunks isn’t doing as well so I’ve grafted a shoot from the most vigorous trunk onto it. The trunks have starts to swell and take the shape of the others surrounding them. No visible fusion yet.





Here’s one started with 15 seedlings through a washer. The trunks have started to fuse. I’ll only cover the washer and base of the clump to start growing new roots once they’re properly fused.

 

[GreatLakesBrad]

In the video from Bjorn he does get some “net new” nebari from the zip-tie approach… the washer seems like a good idea. I suppose benefits and drawbacks to either of the options (rubber versus tourniquet)