Slant European Hornbeam

[Tidal Bonsai]

I purchased this tree the beginning of last season from a club member. It didn’t have a lot going for it, and was planted upright in a plastic nursery can. I mostly purchased it for the low bend and nice muscled trunk!

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

I took a look under the hood when I slip potted it into an Anderson flat. I realized that the tree was purposely grown as a slant (plastic was lodged in the bottom of the rootball on an angle). so I changed the angle and left alone. @MACH5 seemed to take a liking to the tree when he was at my place for a BYOT workshop, and we set some things up. He sketched a drawing of the tree (which I still have and appreciate ), and we set the primary branches. He saw a great design in a humble piece of stock!

I carved a hollow afterwards on my own.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

This season I repotted it into an Erin crackle pot and set some branches with help of the drawing, and contact with Sergio on the phone due to the quarrentene.

I noticed tonight that the leaves were just about to pop on this tree, so I set up a scene. The accent is a wood fired Will Talbot pot containing a wild flower bulb and dwarf mondo grass.

A little brightness during this dull time.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

10 days later, Spring has sprung!

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

Another year, another step closer to @MACH5 sketch!

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

After some tweaks it’s ready for the growing season!

 

[Johnnyd]

Looks great! Is that copper wire?

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

Looks great! Is that copper wire?

Yes. I really wanted a good hold, and a lot of detail this time around.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

I changed the angle of the tree to be more upright, moved the apex to the right, and extended the carving. The growth was much more balanced this season, but I still performed partial defoliation to keep the interior buds healthy. After a few pieced of wire today its ready for a new set of leaves! Very happy with this trees progress!

Late May 2022


Late May 2021

 

[Johnnyd]

I changed the angle of the tree to be more upright, moved the apex to the right, and extended the carving. The growth was much more balanced this season, but I still performed partial defoliation to keep the interior buds healthy. After a few pieced of wire today its ready for a new set of leaves! Very happy with this trees progress!

Late May 2022
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Late May 2021

I changed the angle of the tree to be more upright, moved the apex to the right, and extended the carving. The growth was much more balanced this season, but I still performed partial defoliation to keep the interior buds healthy. After a few pieced of wire today its ready for a new set of leaves! Very happy with this trees progress!

Late May 2022
View attachment 439673View attachment 439675

Late May 2021
View attachment 439672View attachment 439674

The angel change nailed it! Great photos!

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

After defoliation, refinement pruning, and a little wire.

 

[Colorado]

After defoliation, refinement pruning, and a little wire.
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Looks good. Just out of curiosity, why depart from the Mach sketch? I loved that design! The current one is nice too.

 

[Hartinez]

Looks good. Just out of curiosity, why depart from the Mach sketch? I loved that design! The current one is nice too.

I wondered the same, but I also have to say Sal, your current iteration is looking excellent, and I personally like that you are deviating a bit. Mach is probably my favorite bonsai artist ATM, but I’m always in favor of carving ones own path as well, if the material speaks to them.

 

[namnhi]

Same feeling as Colorado and Hartinez. It looks weird to me to have the tree leaning to the left but the apex veer to the right.

 

[Hartinez]

Same feeling as Colorado and Hartinez. It looks weird to me to have the tree leaning to the left but the apex veer to the right.

Actually, what I said is that I quite like it.

 

[Eckhoffw]

I’m loving what you’ve done done with this tree. The new angle feels good to me. Looks to be on a sweet path. Nice work.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

Looks good. Just out of curiosity, why depart from the Mach sketch? I loved that design! The current one is nice too.

I was actually spending time with @MACH5 looking at this tree when we both liked this new angle better. There was nothing wrong with the other direction, but since this is a kifu size tree, we tried to pull as much character out if the tree as possible.

It may look funny to some, but by having the trunk go left and the main branch/apex go right, it adds more "tension" to the design as Ryan Niel says.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

I am very happy with how this tree is coming along, but the pot is starting to not go with the more upright/wild nature of the tree. It will be potted in something more natural in the spring.

2023


2019

 

[czaczaja]

It has come a long way. You wired it really well to achieve that windswept look.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

Bonsai is wiring, wiring is bonsai