Gray Cotoneaster

Victrinia_Ensor

This is the newest member of the bonsai herd, a Gray Cotoneaster. Pronounced "caton-e-aster" I am told. Which was amusing... because I had always thought of it as "cotton-easter". Learn something new everyday around here!

I gave it a good trim as it was as leggy as a 2 year old colt. I think it must have a very straight kind of growing habit, by it's structure. So I imagine it will be a lot of clip and grow as I go, and a lil wire to throw off all those straight lines. But within it I found a pleasing place to call the front (though it was the back when I started..lol - Always be prepared to change your mind!). And I was very happy to unearth this fun lil base which just adds nicely to the whole feminine flavor. I think in time it'll make a right nice shonin. I would rather reduce it a bit more, but I wasn't sure exactly how it would respond to a heavy pruning... so I let it go as enough with how it looks now. It was reduced by more than a third of it's initial height/spread.

Didn't measure it, but I figure it to be about 14 inches tall with a 3/4 inch base.

It may not be the most inspired crown, but I like it's very interesting base and nebari. And of course... it's all just a place to start.

I would surely appreciate comments from anyone with cotoneaster experiance/information.


Kindest Regards,

Victrinia

Attached Images

	cotoneasterbase.jpg (46.7 KB, 37 views)
	cotoneasterbase2.jpg (49.3 KB, 38 views)
	cotoneaster.jpg (71.5 KB, 83 views)

__________________
Ms. Vic

Le belle cose prendono tempo...

www.elandangardens.com

Advertisement

Bonsaifreak

Nice starter material Ms. Vic!

You got a lot of wiring waiting for you!

Jorge

__________________
"Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more."
Mark Twain

Bruce Winter

Only in the us is it coton- eee- aster, a clumsy word if there ever was one. Otherwise you were correct. CoTONE-aster. Maybe you learned it from a Brit?
I think the plant has potential Ms V.

wabashene

Victrina,

Pick a trunk line and chop the you know what out of it in spring. Then grow chop, grow chop for a couple of years.

See here for 2 examples.

forum.bonsaitalk.com/showthread.php?t=16352

and here for another

forum.bonsaitalk.com/showthread.php?t=17481&highlight=rootbound+cotoneaster

It is more than feasible to produce something like a "cotoneaster as oak" tree out of them but these have wonderful shohin potential in as little as 3-4 years of work.

Let all the low down shoots grow to thicken up the trunk base after you chop.

TimR

__________________
If I knew the way, I would take you there.