trouble picking a front.....JBP

bonsaiguru

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As I am getting close for the Fall work, I'm trying to pick a front. Picking a front is my weakest area (which I'm improving little by little). Once the front is picked I have no problem getting great results, but it is the foundation of picking a front that I lack in....any suggestions would be greatly appreciated....
 

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rockm

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the "front" of a tree is largely dependent on the roots--Start there--which side presents the best nebari? By that I mean, which view has the most realistic, dramatic or compelling emergence of roots? Can't really see from the photos and the nebari is also obscured by soil...clearing it away a bit to look at the roots' emergence can go a long way...
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Rockm makes a good point; and it's hard to tell from these photos. BUT...looking them over, and assuming the base is radial and without problems; photo 2 looks good. Good taper from the trunk to the new apex section, and branches in good positions to obscure the chop nicely. Although that front would probably mean removing the lowest 2 branches on the right...
 
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Hey Guru,

That looks like a Mikawa BP from Muranaka Bonsai. I would develop the tree first before worrying about the front. I put the trees in the ground to get the fastest results. The other trees, I put in either root maker pots or smart parts and I spray the trees for needle cast and spider mites. I let the top of the tree grow out to heal scar and by the time I'm finished the tree is at least double the size.

Check out pictures 3 & 5 of the first post on this thread:

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5985&referrerid=960

The taller trees started out like the one you have and only now I'm starting to worry about the front.

Good luck

JC
 

bonsaiguru

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Thanks all for your help....

Thanks to all for your input!

JC, you are right it is from Muranaka Bonsai, George carries one of the best pre-bonsai stocks in CA. I just wish I was close enough to visit his nursery, I can only imagine what other stock he has!

I was thinking about photo 2 as well, I might leave the lower branch just to strength the trunk and/or the next top branch, but it will be remove eventually.
 

bonsaiguru

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JC....you got some great starters..

JC,

you got some great material there, I got a few that started as seeding and they are growing quickly with the superfeeding program I got from Michael persiano.
 

edprocoat

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I like 2 as the front, I would try to move the bottom right branches back a little to open it up some but it looks great from that side. By the way, what are the little brown ceramic looking things around the tree?

ed
 
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Smoke

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As I am getting close for the Fall work, I'm trying to pick a front. Picking a front is my weakest area (which I'm improving little by little). Once the front is picked I have no problem getting great results, but it is the foundation of picking a front that I lack in....any suggestions would be greatly appreciated....

The greatist attributes of any bonsai are chosen before the money ever exchanges hands...

you can quote me on that.



Wondering where the front is after buying leads one to ask the question.."what were my motives for buying it in the first place"....

al
 

jk_lewis

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Personally, I think it is a bit early to be devoting much thought to what front it might have some day. This seems to be very nice material, but that day is a while off yet.
 

Brian Underwood

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I agree with Smoke and the others. These are things that are thought of before handing over your hard earned money. That being said, the tree has potential.

I never bother doing virts, but just felt like it tonight. The front is the lower red arrow, the new apex is the top red arrow, and the green lines are where your branches should be after wiring. The lower right branch should be removed, leaving a small jin (for tourniquet anchoring or aesthetics), which can be removed if desired later on. Have fun! -=B=-
 

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Vance Wood

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Here is kind of a rule of thumb. Though it may be a bit early to be choosing a front in some peoples eyes there are a few things you need to keep in mind. The Nebari, or the basal root flare is important in the illusion of age, so that must be considered and or developed. Second is the shape and or caliper of the trunk. Trunks are more difficult to deal with. The trunk and nebare are the foundations of any bonsai. It is therefore very important to consider the shape and taper of the trunk early in development because it is the most difficult to change if not impossible. This tree has what looks like a reasonably substantial trunk and probably will not tolerate some sort of aggressive alteration. Keeping this in mind you must choose the front based on the best trunk profile. Branches can be encouraged, pruned and if necessary grafted but a trunk takes years to develop and one with a decent bark probably should not be messed around with.
 
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