Giant Bonsai!

Paul T

Hi everyone.
I'm a novice bonsai enthusiast, but I'm doing a major landscape overhaul of my yard.

I just bought a 7' Blue Atlas Cedar for my front yard, but I want to keep it relativley small (say 15 feet or so).

I know this species is sometimes used for bonsai, so I was wondering if I could apply the same techniques but on a larger scale. Has anyone had any experience with this?

Thanks very much, there sure is a lot of wisdom in this forum!

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Attila

Paul,

of course you can. I have black pines, monterrey cypresses, a japanese maple and a cryptomeria in my garden, trained to be about 6 feet tall. They grow in the ground. If you intend to keep them in "movable condition", you have to dig them out every 3 years or so, in order to keep a compact rootball (about 2 feet diameter). I do that since I will take them with me when I move to a bigger house.


Regards,
Attila

Jay

Paul I'm a little confused, you have a 7 foot tall tree that you plan on putting in the ground. It will or willnot be coming out of the ground and into a pot? If it is going to go into a pot you would go through differing routines than if you are planning on keeping it always a landscape tree. If all you are planning on doing is planting it, and keeping it from outgrowing the area..... plant it, leave it alone for a year or two to get established, then prune it!

Jay

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Bart Thomas(deceased)

Paul:

If you're thinking of a bonsai-styled larger tree, such as you see in japanese parks, go for it. It's called a Niwa-gi (Thanks, Andy R!)

Paul T

Niwa-Gi. Thanks Bart, I will look that up!
I should clarify that I want to permanently plant it.

Atila, I'd love to get a look at your garden for inspiration. Got any pics posted?

Attila

Paul,

I planted about 10 trees the past spring, two groups of monterrey cypresses, three groups of blanck pines and some other stand-alone specimens. I treat them as garden-size bonsais. They are approx. 4 - 5 feet tall. I did a little bit of rock arrangement with them as well.

Since it's been only a year, I am kind of reluctant to post projects that have barely started. I'd prefer to show them a little bit later down the road. Please forgive me for that.

Regards,
Attila

FredL

Paul, many years ago I lived in the area of Los Angeles known as West LA. There were a number of families of Japanese origin living in that area, for the most part in rather small and modest homes. Many of them had the most amazing front yards, however, with trees and shrubs developed in exactly the way you are discussing. They were quite remarkable. I haven't been back there in many years and wonder what has become of them. That area of LA is heavily Hispanic today.

Fred

ozzerbon

G'day Paul,

I'm paying a visit to a small professional Bonsai garden studio/collection up north in Alkmaar, Netherlands this coming Saturday, and it so happens that around the corner of the place that I shall be visiting is a private garden where they have one of these Niwa-gi styled trees, strung up with stainless steel cables, if I remember correctly.

Shall take my camera and try to do some pics for you to see, think that the tree is a Pine or perhaps a Cedar, vaguely remember seeing pics of these park trees in a bonsai book and so shall go thru mine today and if I locate it shall scan it thru.

For such large Niwa-gi one thing must be taken on board, they need winter protection as do other smaller trees, and usually are wrapped from head to foot, well at least in Japan, where I believe they actually have tree specialists that go about wrapping these precious trees.

Success....Nigel

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