growing in the ground

ripsgreentree

OzBoy:

If I may introduce myself, I am a field grower. All materials that I intend to be larger bonsai, 2 inches in diameter and up, are field grown. In my field, root pruning begins on seedlings and continues until a tree is potted into a bonsai container. There is nothing in bonsai more important than the foundation that you build the tree upon, so that means: learn how to control and direct roots.

Different materials will react differently in the ground: J- black pine will grow for three years in my field without being disturbed, and when they are dug up, soil removed, and root pruned, they will have excellent fibrous roots with nothing bigger than a pencil. This is mainly due to soil amendments and a constant regime of candle cutting.

Tridents, Zelkova and celtis will be dug up, soil removed and root pruned every two years. The roots will be very unruly and require drastic pruning to bring them back into shape. In that two years' time the top will constantly be hedge-cut for shape. Each time that these trees are dug up they are cut back to the trunk line and allowed to rebud out. This process is continued until the roots, nebari and trunk have reached the desired thickness, taper, and height.

I have way too many trees in the field, and each gets personal attention. When a person is dealing with the structure of your roots, why would you leave them to a chance shovel cut? I have read articles by the Japanese masters who say that the value of a tree with perfect rootage is worth as much as four times that of an equal tree with bad roots. This may or may not be correct, but for me I will work for the best roots that I can create. This means that I will give every tree personal attention.

I can say this with certainty: if you plant trees out in the ground you will be pleased with the growth that you get in a single season, much less two to ten years.

When you plant trees into the ground cut often because you don't want your trees to bolt and get away from you. I have seen a celtis grow eight feet in a single season and require a two-inch cut to reduce the top of the tree. This makes for bad bonsai. After everything is said, have fun and learn from everything that you do.........ripsgreentree

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ripsgreentree

It requires an open hand to give and to recieve.

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Ozboy

Thanks Garys for the info, you are quite right, different trees are going to grow and react differently even if grown under the same conditions.

To ripsgreentree, WOW! A great amount of good info, Get to know your individual trees and how they grow is what it's all about I guess.

Thanks eveyone for your thoughts! I'ts been a great help.
ozboy.

seeker

well done rips,
I think you summed up the whole subject in one post.
joan , as you have read, ground growing is a time consuming
process, search your local nurseries for something you can pot almost immediatly, it will keep your interest going, give you something to learn and play on. experience is valuable
however it is gained, welcome to the most challenging
horticultural hobby going.!! get something in the ground
and see what happens---long term.

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LOVE AND PEACE,RICK.

In California there is nursery call Muranaka in Nipomo. They grow excellent bonsai stock in the ground. They grow material in sand because it drains quickly and it allows oxygen to get to the roots. They propogate seeds in pots and the trees that sprout the best get planted in the ground.

Some species you let bush-out or run, however, you must control the growth so you can get the structure needed. Talk to your local bonsai club for what works in your area.

The key to growing black pines in the ground is to let the top of the tree run while leaving tight branches near the bottom - prune any lateral branches above the bottom branches and leave only the runner.

If you can spread the roots before planting or plant the tree on top of a flat rock this will cause the roots to spread. Caution, depending on the tree, you only want to touch the roots if the tree is dormant.

Dig the tree up after a few years when the tree has met your objectives - only dig when the tree is dormant!

When I figure out how to post a photo, I'll show you Muranaka.

Marcus

seeker

yea marcus, we got at least one nursery over here that
grows in the ground, and sells in training trays. saves a lot of hard work, wonder if I can pursuade the wife we need a
weekend in wales! also we have a nursery where you
can `collect` your very own tree! all too easy really.
like fly fishing at a trout farm.

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LOVE AND PEACE,RICK.

GaryS

I want to qualify my previous post.

ripsgreentree is certainly right about deciduous material grown in the ground, it can get out of hand very quickly so follow his advice on that.
I don't grow any deciduous material in the ground anymore. I used to but it's too much of a pain when I can get about the same results or better in a growing box. You don't even have to bend down either.

Here in central Wisconsin we're limited as to what we can grow in the ground also. The winters are cold(-30ºFto -40ºF below zero. I grow some of the hardiest Trident maples I know of(the seed came from Northern China) and they are not Winter hardy here. I did however find a hardy Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia) for this area. I got a box of seed from the Morton's Arboretum about 15 years ago. Most weren't hardy but those that were are now about 20 feet tall. They got kind of out of hand! I use them for cuttings.

I envy all of you, from a bonsai point of view, that live in the warmer cimates like CA! However we get some spectacular colors here in the fall.

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GaryS

Craig Cowing

I don't grow any deciduous material in the ground anymore. I used to but it's too much of a pain when I can get about the same results or better in a growing box. You don't even have to bend down either.

<snip>


I'd be interested in hearing others' experience with growing boxes vs. in the ground. I've got some of both, mostly in boxes. None of them need to develop a root base or a lower trunk, because I collected them with those parts already well-developed. I'm in need of developing mid-sections of the trunks from new shoots or older branches I've trained to become the continuation of the trunk.

Craig Cowing
Zone 5b+

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I'm not finished yet, neither are my trees.

TreeBay

You can find my take on it here:

http://forum.bonsaitalk.com/showthr...=&threadid=1510

Regards,

Matt

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ripsgreentree

Craig:
You are right on if you are develiping limb structure in a growing box. The article or thread that Matt has posted prety well sums it up. With deciduous material the field is for develiping roots and trunk line, next into your favorite box or large nursery container for the develipment of your mid branch structure and crown, then into a training pot for ramification and develipment of bark, finally into your show pot and finishing. At this point the word finishing can be misleading as bonsai are truly never "finished". You can bring them to a peak of power, presence and beauty but only for a season then you will have to bring it back again,as it will not stay at the point of perfection for very long. The person who is very adept at showing there trees will time this peak for a shows date.
Back to field growing. When you are satisfied with the caliper of your trunk and the line that you have chosen and you feel that the roots are properly develiped it is time to lift the tree and procede to the next stage of develipment.

Plant a bonsai today.

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ripsgreentree

It requires an open hand to give and to recieve.