I found a couple crape myrtles at my family’s nursery, one of our workers cut them back to nubs late last winter. Would either of these work as Bonsai material?
I believe having a dwarf for this genus given the smaller size trunks, small leaves especially would be why dwarf as Robert mentioned is important.
What is the name of the exact species since you’re around the nursery? You will be able to tell soon enough anyway...they don’t mind summer work.
Question is, if you got them now, could you chop to that lowest branch right now?
The double trunk I’d pass on either way.
They are still dormant, would it be ok to chop that lowest branch right now? When I do decide to cut the lowest branch should I leave a nub, then cut with knob cutter later?
@Bonsai Nut I appreciate your insight, sounds like I should pass on these trees.
Because crapes have largish leaves, they work better as larger scale bonsai. These trees all look pretty small - given the general availability of crape myrtles in landscape gardening nurseries for not very much $$$. I personally wouldn't mess with one unless I could find one with a 4" trunk at the nebari at the minimum. Otherwise you will be spending a ton of time pruning and managing cut scars, and end up with a small tree regardless.
They will bud back - everywhere - and heal cut scars amazingly fast. The biggest challenge is keeping the foliage small while getting it to bloom. You can keep the foliage small by defoliation - but then it will never bloom (crapes only bloom on new growth). If you let it run so you can get blooms, you will get leggy growth with long internodes, and large leaves.