Twin trunk Quaking Aspen

[Bonsaidoorguy]

Collected this one about 5years ago. It's a little tall, but I like the markings on the slender trunks. Cutting back pretty hard is a necessity just to keep it at this height.

 

[Tieball]

Are you generally planning to keep the tree taller?

 

[Bonsaidoorguy]

Are you generally planning to keep the tree taller?

I really like the slender trunks, maybe I pull the canopy in a little tighter, or try for a literati look?

 

[Tieball]

I really like the slender trunks, maybe I pull the canopy in a little tighter, or try for a literati look?

I’d just pull the canopy in tighter. If my tree I would avoid a literati style. The tallness of your tree has unique characteristics. The canopy just needs to tighten up. I don’t have Aspen trees around me. Does an Aspen back bud readily when branches are pruned?

I would not lose those lowest branches on both trees. I think you can bring those in tighter to the tree trunk. Something like the attached and make the branches a fabulous feature. Maybe after some pruning you might even get a lower branch to work with.

Lots of good potential for your tree. Mighty fine!

 

[Tieball]

I always admire the Aspens in Colorado, especially when the trees are in color bloom in the autumn months around middle October. I hope your tree turns colorful.

 

[bonsaichile]

Be aware that these trees drop branches for no reason. That makes it challenging to plan and mantain a design

 

[pandacular]

If this were my tree, I'd consider adjusting the angle a bit to make the larger of the trunks a bit more upright, as well as considering bringing the small trunks canopy down further, and perhaps emphasize the lean away from the dominant trunk.

 

[Bonsaidoorguy]

Waking up nicely from winter. Pruned a few branches but I think that I do want to tighten it up a little.

 

[Tieball]

I’m looking forward to reading about, and seeing photos, of your progress. If my tree, I’d concentrate fully on tightening up, bulking up, the canopy. My memory of Aspens is that the trees are more open, lighter, in appearance so not to bulked-up. I wouldn’t worry to much about other aspects as the new fullness may contain a new front view….example: A new tightened canopy may trigger an image of the thickest trunk positioned more forward with the full canopy of the thinner trunk tucked slightly behind in the new front view. I’d see it as a clockwise rotation. The thinner trunk may have a lighter, more open, canopy and look better as a background to the thicker trunk…the thinner trunk would still be visible though. This would reduce the V-appearance dominant at the base.

Here’s a crude attempt at my clockwise rotation.

 

[Colorado]

Nice one! I love aspens. I have one aspen bonsai myself. Just my 2 cents, i think you may need to cut back all the branches really hard to get some taper/ramification in the branches close to the trunk. Your tree looks really vigorous so I would think that it would respond well, even if you cut off all the foliage. That’s never a guarantee though!

 

[Tieball]

Nice one! I love aspens. I have one aspen bonsai myself. Just my 2 cents, i think you may need to cut back all the branches really hard to get some taper/ramification in the branches close to the trunk. Your tree looks really vigorous so I would think that it would respond well, even if you cut off all the foliage. That’s never a guarantee though!

I don’t know the answer so just asking…so just in case I ever find an Aspen…..Does Aspen back bud a lot on the trunk and branches?

 

[Colorado]

I don’t know the answer so just asking…so just in case I ever find an Aspen…..Does Aspen back bud a lot on the trunk and branches?

No, I wouldn’t say “a lot” of backbudding. I’d say it’s fairly average for a deciduous species, but it’s not like a Chinese elm, for example, where you get tons of of backbudding without even really trying.

Take that with a grain of salt, though. I only have one aspen after all. Been working on mine for about 4 years.

 

[Bonsaidoorguy]

So this spring I moved right in the middle of repotting season and didn't get to do all that I wanted to get to. But the grow box that this was in fell apart so I had to do something, I bit the bullet and repotted after it had already pushed it's new growth. I even went ahead and did root work. The growth immediately stopped and I started to get worried that I might loose it, but in the last few weeks it's put out a fresh flush of growth so I'm relieved. She's tall and slender and her bark is starting to turn white. May not be everyone's cup of tea but I like it.

 

[rodeolthr]

Not that it matters, but your tree doesn't appear to be Quaking Aspen (populus tremuloides), but instead, it appears to be Silver Poplar (populus alba).

 

[Empty Mountain]

Not that it matters, but your tree doesn't appear to be Quaking Aspen (populus tremuloides), but instead, it appears to be Silver Poplar (populus alba).

That's what I was thinking, my tremuloides has more "heart" shaped leaves.

 

[ponderingsage]

Yeah, good catch!

 

[Bonsaidoorguy]

Not that it matters, but your tree doesn't appear to be Quaking Aspen (populus tremuloides), but instead, it appears to be Silver Poplar (populus alba).

This had recently been brought to my attention and I have to admit that I just didn't know. I collected the tree about eight years ago and have been assuming it was an Aspen but looking at it now it's obvious that it's not.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Please be aware of insidious invasive weed in the pot. Fake Irish moss which after going to seed spreads EVERYWHERE and is extremely hard to eradicate.

 

[Betula1]

This had recently been brought to my attention and I have to admit that I just didn't know. I collected the tree about eight years ago and have been assuming it was an Aspen but looking at it now it's obvious that it's not.

If its any consolation Silver Poplar (populus alba) is probably more drought resistant than Aspen so maybe more able to survive the confinement in a small bonsai pot?!