Looking ahead to winter

Bone-sigh

High everyone,
I have some red bud tree seedlings that are maybe 2 or 3 years old. I would like to turn these into mame or shohin bonsai.

Any one have any knowledge and or experience with training these trees? My major concern is root pruning. I know enough to wait until it is dormant and not yet flowering...but how much of the roots can be safely removed? Can I treat it like a trident maple or crape myrtle as far as root pruning is concerned? Thanks for any help you can give.

Regards,
Ryan

P.s.-here is a link to see what this kind of tree looks like http://images.google.com/images?svn...ff=1&q=red+bud+

__________________
"If God meant for us to run around naked, we would have been born that way!"

----a Quote from my uncle's fridge

Advertisement

Bone-sigh

Just bumping it up since no-one has replied yet...

__________________
"If God meant for us to run around naked, we would have been born that way!"

----a Quote from my uncle's fridge

Vonsgardens

Ah, love them in the yard- do the leaves regularly reduce? Otherwise they are almost the size of saucers. Umm, how about a trident? John

Bone-sigh

Yeah I know the leaves are HUGE. I have seen them as bonsai before...but only in photos and I don't have a clue as to how big the leaves were. So, I have no idea how well they reduce. But I would imagine they reduce somewhat. I am not really interested in how it looks in the growing season as much as I am it's winter look. Mind you, we here in Florida have close to zero trees that show any change in season. So the redbud with its deciduous nature (even here in FL) and winter flowers, is a gem.

__________________
"If God meant for us to run around naked, we would have been born that way!"

----a Quote from my uncle's fridge

Deacon Jim

Ryan,
I have one red bud experience. Hope this helps a little.

My neighbor, knowing my love of trees, asked if I wanted to dig a red bud they were going to chop down. I went and looked in the fall (Zone 5). The sapling was about 5 feet tall growing under another tree. Actually there were several red bud saplings but this one was the healthiest. I have one other large red bud in my garden and had another empty under-story space that would be great for this little sapling so I told them I would dig it in the spring.

The next spring I checked the tree frequently until I saw the buds starting to swell. The tree was amongst so many other roots that I literally bare rooted and root pruned it right there in the field just to get it out.

I threw the poor thing into my wheel barrow, brought it home, hosed it off clean, and then planted it with little hope. Amazingly it budded out and survived that first year. It didn't flourish but it survived. This year, its second year since the brutal transplant, it took off. The tree is healthy and well on its way.

I have thought about digging another one and trying to make a large bonsai just for the incredible spring flowering color. I think leaf size and internode's length would make it very tough for a smaller bonsai.

Anyway........The red bud survived my savage root pruning and bare root transplant. Of course it was coming out of a zone 5 winter dormancy and I was able to check it every few days until the perfect bud swelling collection time.

Good Luck,
Deacon

Bone-sigh

Thanks Deacon,
It sounds like you pruned off a lot of roots. Did you take the tap-root off? I read some where that they don't like to live without there tap-root.

The rule I follow with pruning my crape myrtles is that as long as there are a few feeder roots the tree will be just fine after the root prune...no matter how much is cut off. Would you say that this is the same for the red bud?

Thanks for your help!
Ryan

__________________
"If God meant for us to run around naked, we would have been born that way!"

----a Quote from my uncle's fridge

Deacon Jim

Ryan,

Feeder Roots: I guess the answer is: Yes. (I hate saying Yes/No, that's like a comittment) So this is what I did, or my caveat, for zone 5 at bud swell:

I couldn't dig this tree in the normal way since I would have gotten into the roots of the big tree this sapling was growing under. ....Uh, thanks for the sapling, neighbor. Sorry about that big beautiful tree......

Anyway....from the base I followed each root till I found feeder roots (i.e., fibrous, fleshy). I cut the big root at that point, saving the feeders. The rest of the root was cut off no matter what came afterward. There could have been two more feet in the ground. I cut it as soon as I found feeders.

Tap Root: I either didn't find a 'tap' root or I cut it off. I only saved the radial roots that had some good feeders (and cut those back hard). By 'tap' I assume you mean a root that goes straight down. I am familiar with Osage Orange and Birch's having a nasty 'tap' root. I've had to dig out the stumps. I don't like tap roots much. If it had a 'tap,' it's gone and the tree is healthy.

Red Buds get terrific looking bark and such great spring color. Good luck on the experiment.

Deacon