The Tree Thread

[Hartinez]

NO, you should never touch someone else’s tree; not at a show, not at a club meeting, and not in their back yard. That is a faux pax. Sorta like posting to this thread without including a photo of one of your Bonsai trees.?. You owe 2.
Shohin Corkbark Chinese Elm in a Koyo pot:
View attachment 209956

And yet kids all over are taught by helicopter parents, that they must share and let the other kid touch/play with it. Adults shouldn’t do it so why should kids be told to! (Parent of 3 rant). Great elm, trunk reminds me of an Amur I’m currently working on. 1st season in.

 

[Hartinez]

Juniperus Monosperma. 4 years after collection. Crown and pads still need to fill in considerably.

 

[Hartinez]

Same Thuja Occidentalis shown at the US National in 2008 and ten years later in 2018.

Such a nice tree. ?. Don’t know if we’ll ever see this species in as nice a form.

Collected Juniperus Monosperma, waiting on its first styling. A few weeks away. ?

 

[Craigm]

NO, you should never touch someone else’s tree; not at a show, not at a club meeting, and not in their back yard.

Oh how true Brian, that was the first Bonsai Etiquette I was ever taught. Once I invited a guy into my garden, he proceeded to touch an a Cedar which was on the verge of making a come back from near death and then he knocked it off my bench.The Tree died,I was devastated .Respect!

Loving all the great trees in this thread .

Paperbark Melaleuca

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Oh how true Brian, that was the first Bonsai Etiquette I was ever taught. Once I invited a guy into my garden, he proceeded to touch an a Cedar which was on the verge of making a come back from near death and then he knocked it off my bench.The Tree died,I was devastated .Respect!

Loving all the great trees in this thread .

Paperbark Melaleuca

Ouch. Here are 2 quick stories from years ago:
1. A club member came to my house to see the trees one day, and she started picking bark off the trunk of this very old Japanese White Pine. I actually had to say, “Hey, what are you doing, stop that! Don’t pick the bark off”. I couldn’t believe the ignorance, lack of consideration, or whatver she was missing that didn’t stop her. A grown up. She hasn’t been back.

2. I was doing a demo at a meeting in a small group about plucking the center bud out of this maple tree in the early spring. Another very old member (now dead) interrupted and started showing everyone how you really do it, on my tree. I asked him nicely several times not to touch my tree. He wasn’t steady-handed anymore, and was actually tearing off the entire shoot, and not really paying attention to bud removal at the right phase like you need to. He didn’t stop until I finally said, “knock it off old man!” Well that embarrassed him, and after the meeting he caught me carrying things out to my car on the loading dock, and he poked me in the chest with his umbrella, and said if “I ever called him any old man again he would kick my f@#$ing a$$”. My instinct was to hit him with a really fast right cross and knock him out. Somehow, instead, I pushed his umbrella out of the way and laughed and said, “No, we are done here. Go home (name).” He eventually apologized.

 

[Hartinez]

Ouch. Here are 2 quick stories from years ago:
1. A club member came to my house to see the trees one day, and she started picking bark off the trunk of this very old Japanese White Pine. I actually had to say, “Hey, what are you doing, stop that! Don’t pick the bark off”. I couldn’t believe the ignorance, lack of consideration, or whatver she was missing that didn’t stop her. A grown up. She hasn’t been back.
View attachment 210126
2. I was doing a demo at a meeting in a small group about plucking the center bud out of this maple tree in the early spring. Another very old member (now dead) interrupted and started showing everyone how you really do it, on my tree. I asked him nicely several times not to touch my tree. He wasn’t steady-handed anymore, and was actually tearing off the entire shoot, and not really paying attention to bud removal at the right phase like you need to. He didn’t stop until I finally said, “knock it off old man!” Well that embarrassed him, and after the meeting he caught me carrying things out to my car on the loading dock, and he poked me in the chest with his umbrella, and said if “I ever called him any old man again he would kick my f@#$ing a$$”. My instinct was to hit him with a really fast right cross and knock him out. Somehow, instead, I pushed his umbrella out of the way and laughed and said, “No, we are done here. Go home (name).” He eventually apologized.
View attachment 210125

That’s insane. Here in NM we call that machismo. Glad you kept a cool head. Punching an old man, could have resulted in a very bad situation. ?just started a thread on this dwarf yaupon holly.

 

[MACH5]

I have one more to add. Please sit down for this one. Three years ago at the Mid Atlantic Bonsai Exhibit in Connecticut, there was a VERY well known and famous Japanese master that was one of the headliners that year. I decided to join his critique on the first day. As we went along the exhibit listening to him, he, without any care, touched, grabbed, pulled and twisted branches of different trees on exhibit to show us what he was talking about. And... here is the clincher. On one particular tree, a large and overgrown Japanese maple, he snapped several branches right off the tree with his bare hands to show us where to prune it back!!! To say the least we were all horrified and in a state of shock!! I will never forget it. That one is a sure keeper!


Today unwiring and cleaning a Thuja Occidentalis in preparation for an eventual restyle.

 

[Hartinez]

I have one more to add. Please sit down for this one. Three years ago at the Mid Atlantic Bonsai Exhibit in Connecticut, there was a VERY well known and famous Japanese master that was one of the headliners that year. I decided to join his critique on the first day. As we went along the exhibit listening to him, he, without any care, touched, grabbed, pulled and twisted branches of different trees on exhibit to show us what he was talking about. And... here is the clincher. On one particular tree, a large and overgrown Japanese maple, he snapped several branches right off the tree with his bare hands to show us where to prune it back!!! To say the least we were all horrified and in a state of shock!! I will never forget it. That one is a sure keeper!


Today unwiring and cleaning a Thuja Occidentalis in preparation for an eventual restyle.

Wow thanks Japanese master. Your attention to detail is unparalleled. Foot in mouth. Yikes. Vitex agnus castus. Needs time. 2nd year.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Wow thanks Japanese master. Your attention to detail is unparalleled. Foot in mouth.

Always good to remember there are crappy Bonsai in Japan too. Serg, your new additions are next level man! I haven’t bought anything new in a long time. Maybe since this Kinsai over a year ago.

 

[BobbyLane]

Couple of Yews im working on,

 

[my nellie]

In this pic. 2 itoigawa, 2 ume, 3 tridents, 1 Chinese quince, 1 oak, 1 toyo nishiki, 1 yew, 1 K. Hornbeam, 1 JBP, 1 kiddo. All works in progress.

Your Kiddo is winning by far!
The best of all!

 

[MACH5]

Always good to remember there are crappy Bonsai in Japan too. Serg, your new additions are next level man! I haven’t bought anything new in a long time. Maybe since this Kinsai over a year ago.
View attachment 210202

So nice Bri! I imagine it takes quite a bit of skill to create one of these.

I sold many of my maples in the last couple of years to be able to afford and make space for other trees that I felt would challenge me in greater ways as a bonsai practitioner and artist. Also diversity of species has become a desired goal.

@BobbyLane Nice! I am actively looking for a nice yew myself. I have come to love them!


Japanese red pine from a wild seedling collected in Japan. Summer needles are about half of the old ones and at the moment concealed within. Not too bad for a pine rookie. Waiting for fall to thin it out and wire it. Possibly next spring I may change its planting angle to enhance the trunk line movement.

 

[BE.REAL]

NO, you should never touch someone else’s tree; not at a show, not at a club meeting, and not in their back yard. That is a faux pax. Sorta like posting to this thread without including a photo of one of your Bonsai trees.?. You owe 2.
Shohin Corkbark Chinese Elm in a Koyo pot:
View attachment 209956

You are indeed correct. Im just embarrassed after seeing many on the Nut. im also lazy when it comes to attaching files, but I will. Good on ya for calling me out, it is always in back of mind and its one of the ways to improve on my skills. Funny you said that too, cause I recently was talking with sibling, who said how many trees do you have. When I didn't know the number and still will grab one if trunk is interesting. Im sure others have done this, but I am moving into a new phase of better development on less trees, as I got overwhelmed and behind. So I will go through some pics and open the flood gates, haha. FYI all are prebonsai...so don't think im an ego maniac who just went an bought a $2000 "finished" tree and calls it their own work. im more on the opposite side, where you can break my balls for some of the things I do, its a bit of criticism with a touch of sarcasm, I did live in Southie for a few years, and ball breakin' is a constant in Boston or all of N.E really. thanks again.
Also, I know about not touching, give me a little credit, haha, I was just curious if non-bonsai people go and do touchy feelie on a tree I would probably wet myself being near it, haha. TMI

 

[cockroach]

^^ An average looking tree. Lol.
I like the power the red pine tree has.

My little toy

 

[BE.REAL]

Let the Joking Begin!!! and maybe some advice HAHA

left: most likely a landscape tree given to me by a friend. Scot Pine, It looked even more like a broom style(sadly), but have trimmed a few branches, need time to decide what to do with it. Repotting shortly, maybe a little more pruning then let inspiration come to me in time.

Right, Was a collected this past april from a construction site, they took out 4 of these Taxus bushes, and only had room and time for 1, as it is, I think it was uprooted a few days prior. I brought home, soaked in large bath for night, then carefully washed off the thick mud, trimmed large roots in order to fit into this container with 75% pumice and rest 8822. maybe some organic thrown in. I am thinking of cutting if not ALL the branchs back at least most. not sure on backbudding on branches with no needles, have seen it, but not on this many branches. I like Taxus' and look forward to carving this some day in the not so future.

O.k. this is just 2 large ones that I look forward to working with for next 10years or so, and I walked out and snapped a photo of, so let the ballbreaking with side of advice begin.

 

[BE.REAL]

these are a few Shimpaku's im gonna bury in this raised bed/container and see how they do. Its 8 feet long and have mostly pumice and 8822 in it I have drilled a crap ton of 1.5inch drain holes and added the reflective/insulated/bubblewrap on inside walls only(originally was gonna be a cutting bed thought it might help with humidity. I am getting a few more and plant some in ground near by and begin my experiment of grow bed vs. ground growth. I have some Sargent junipers as well that I am gonna G.G. Still debating on if its true that Shimp's and Sargent's are to be considered the same...I treat them separate and will plant as such too...thoughts?
also these shimps were all bought at N.E. Bonsai Gardens, fortunately it is 30 min away, Bonus.
Shimpaku and Junipers in general are a fav of mine, I am working on ground grow a field worth, so in 10-15 years I might have something I can create like my Master Kimura...gotta dream right!

 

[BE.REAL]

A Yew I recently got... mostly cause of the beat up trunk, already has deadwood working. I like to see, follow and hopefully create with this and others, the "ugly" to "beautiful" transition!
Will take me time to decide a development plan, still impressed with those that see it quick, some I do, others are tough, but time and practice will help me make proper Bonsai from not so
proper specimen's

.

 

[BE.REAL]

Korean Hornbeam, I got this past march and repotted in this pot/container I made(another side shoot hobby Bonsai got me into, making pots and Suiseki). If you look close you can see the name tag and price wrapped around the trunk. Silly me thinks Im gonna keep the tag on until the trunk breaks it open/off(in 20 yrs, as I know these are super slow). $19.99 and someday it will be priceless to me, if not already. Thinking of putting in ground next spring, thoughts? im nervous about our NE winters for a sapling, although I would protect it.

 

[parhamr]

Imagine the before pic was a (three times more) large, rounded poofball.


This itoigowa shinpaku was grown from a 2003 cutting by Alan Taft. Yesterday I attended a workshop by Ryan Neil at the Bonsai Society of Portland’s 2018 NW Rendezvous.

I cleaned out unnecessary foliage, Ryan pruned off the unnecessary large branches and applied two lengths of 4-gauge wire, I applied more secondary and tertiary wire, and then Ryan set the rest of the branch positions.

I still need to do detail wiring.



This tree can be repotted in 2020.

 

[BE.REAL]

Imagine the before pic was a (three times more) large, rounded poofball.
View attachment 210351

This itoigowa shinpaku was grown from a 2003 cutting by Alan Taft. Yesterday I attended a workshop by Ryan Neil at the Bonsai Society of Portland’s 2018 NW Rendezvous.

I cleaned out unnecessary foliage, Ryan pruned off the unnecessary large branches and applied two lengths of 4-gauge wire, I applied more secondary and tertiary wire, and then Ryan set the rest of the branch positions.

I still need to do detail wiring.

View attachment 210352

This tree can be repotted in 2020.

Grown in a pot for that time since 2003? Pics like this, were what made realize that Bonsai is pruning back rather than growing up to a finished tree. I know that doesn't make sense, but I have heard from non bonsai people that think we select the branches early on and in time, years, those same branches have just happened to grow with the proper taper, bends, and balancing with regard to the trunk and other branches. Obviously, its soo much more. I have a few San jose junipers that have this similar multi- trunk development. Im at a loss on where to go with them. In this pic, it seems like it has 3 main trunks, but would love to watch the progress as you decide future branching/placement. I can say that is one of my biggest struggles, esp. with juni's, as they can go in all directions and im still hesitant on chopping branches....I see it in my trees...I need to work on getting that initial Structure, and develop it in steps, rather than trying to see the end result from a bush/hedge I collected. im babbling, haha.