10 year old Western Redbud trunk chop??

4-Nov-2007	#1
jondenver bonsaiTALK Journeyman Join Date: Jul-2007 Country: Iraq Posts: 38	10 year old Western Redbud trunk chop?? Hello Just wondering if anyone has any experience with western redbud as a bonsai. I obtained this tree 9 years ago at arbour day and have grown it full out with no real pruining and it is now in a 25 gallon container which it has been in for 5 years. Although I have been a practicing certified arbourist for a long time I am relatively new to bonsai and was thinking this year That I might do a radical trunk chop at 16 inches (4-5 inch trunk @ 1 inch above soil level) during budswell in Feb. and at the same time barerooting and cutting back the brick of rootmass by at least 60% and potting down to a rectaingular training pot. My questions: 1) Does this species backbud into very old wood? 2) Would a trunk chop and root chop at the same time be the wrong decision? I have searched extensively and it does not seem like this species is very popular for bonsai due to the large leaf and short lifespan however due to space its either this or plant it out in the ground on my rented property which I would rather not do. Any advise would be much apreciated.

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6-Nov-2007

bonsaikc

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Quote:

Originally Posted by jondenver

Hello

Just wondering if anyone has any experience with western redbud as a bonsai. I obtained this tree 9 years ago at arbour day and have grown it full out with no real pruining and it is now in a 25 gallon container which it has been in for 5 years. Although I have been a practicing certified arbourist for a long time I am relatively new to bonsai and was thinking this year That I might do a radical trunk chop at 16 inches (4-5 inch trunk @ 1 inch above soil level) during budswell in Feb. and at the same time barerooting and cutting back the brick of rootmass by at least 60% and potting down to a rectaingular training pot.

My questions:

1) Does this species backbud into very old wood?

2) Would a trunk chop and root chop at the same time be the wrong decision?

I have searched extensively and it does not seem like this species is very popular for bonsai due to the large leaf and short lifespan however due to space its either this or plant it out in the ground on my rented property which I would rather not do. Any advise would be much apreciated.

Feel free to go ahead and try. The Eastern redbud does seem to bud back exceedingly well on old wood, as I have observed many times on the trees in my yard. If you have searched extensively, then you know the difficulties involved with these trees as bonsai.

I suggest, though, that you not spend a great deal of time searching for those tall, straight, timber redbud forests!

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6-Nov-2007

Forest Reef

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Join Date: Jun-2004

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Quote:

Originally Posted by jondenver

... was thinking this year That I might do a radical trunk chop at 16 inches (4-5 inch trunk @ 1 inch above soil level) during budswell in Feb....

I'd reconsider the chop at 16inches - unless you're looking for a 48" or thereabouts tall finished bonsai.... 16inches seems a bit high. 8inches would be about 1/3 of finished height if you go for the classical "1 to 6 ratio" (e.g., 4inch base * 6 = 24inch finished height, eventually**). Chopping down to 8inch allows you room to re-grow a tapered trunk. You'll do this a couple of times, each time a bit higher, to get good taper. It's also an opportunity to get some movement in the trunk.

You already know some of the issues on redbud for bonsai...sorry, I have no experience with redbuds & a combo trunk chop / root prune. Just-pre-bud-break is the right timing for major work (chop).

** Be advised the "classical 1 to 6 ratio" is a GUIDELINE. It's not a rule written in stone. However, such guidelines are helpful to beginners.

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9-Nov-2007	#4
jondenver bonsaiTALK Journeyman Join Date: Jul-2007 Country: Iraq Posts: 38	Thanx for the replies, I know its not good bonsai stock but I got it before I found bonsai. Since we all learn from others I will perform major work in Feb. and by Mar I will repost on my success or failure, I will laso take photos of before and after. The two undesirables are short lifespan and large leaf size, but man you gotta love those spring flowers.

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