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Most beautiful trunk line and great bark.

One thing you need to do before you do anything else. From the look of the sparse foliage and your account of failed attems to grow branches at the lower levels tells me that this tree is NOT in top condition. It is weak, and a weak tree doesn't respond well to bonsai techniques.

You need to bring back its strength and vigour characteristic of birches. I have a birch like yours, about 15 years old, and it sends out new shoots everywhere on the trunk. This would minimize the risk of die back as well.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to achieve that in the current pot. New, larger pot and a good clean-up of the roots is what it needs.

But it's too late this year (at least one bonsai book claims that repotting birch in the fall is often fatal - it's not fall yet, but already mid-summer).

Edit: you can nurture it back to becoming strong again in a small bonsai pot as well, but it takes much more skill. In a larger container with good soil and fertilizer it happens by itself.

30-Jun-2005	#7
Attila Attila Soos Join Date: Jan-2002 Location: Los Angeles, California Country: USA Posts: 2,003	Most beautiful trunk line and great bark. One thing you need to do before you do anything else. From the look of the sparse foliage and your account of failed attems to grow branches at the lower levels tells me that this tree is NOT in top condition. It is weak, and a weak tree doesn't respond well to bonsai techniques. You need to bring back its strength and vigour characteristic of birches. I have a birch like yours, about 15 years old, and it sends out new shoots everywhere on the trunk. This would minimize the risk of die back as well. Unfortunately, you will not be able to achieve that in the current pot. New, larger pot and a good clean-up of the roots is what it needs. But it's too late this year (at least one bonsai book claims that repotting birch in the fall is often fatal - it's not fall yet, but already mid-summer). Edit: you can nurture it back to becoming strong again in a small bonsai pot as well, but it takes much more skill. In a larger container with good soil and fertilizer it happens by itself.