How Did I Do? 2nd Bonsai Grade

Daniel

Hi all,

My Naka's books came yesterday. After reading Bonsai Techniques 1, this is what I've done with my second bonsai. I bought it as a broom style and I've styled it as a slanted informal style (is that right?).

The first shot is the before shot.

The second shot is what I want it to look like (the rear branch is hidden)

The third shot is what it actually looks like with the rear branch.


My questions if anyone can shed some light:

1) Should I chop that rear branch? It really seems to take away from the look of the tree. What can I do with it? I read we should have *some* rear branches. Hmm..

2) What do you think the prospects are on this tree living? I've done this August 19th.. It's a juniper. Lots of cutting, lots of wiring, and LOTS of bending.

3) Some of the branches were sagging before I started my work. The broom was losing its shape. I have been keeping it indoors, is this why?



Anyway, if you don't care to read my long post (they are always long) then maybe you can just grade my cutting/wiring/style choices for me. I would love any feedback or comments.

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Daniel

This is the shot of how I want it to look. The rear-branch is hidden. Can I chop it?

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Daniel

Finally, a shot of the tree as it really is now. You can see the rear branch here which I think just totally doesnt belong. The reason it still exists is

1) I read we should have some rear branches

and

2) I read about having the tree look like a triangle from a bird's eye view. That is from the top -- down. This rear branch is crucial to that, and actually gives the tree a really strong triangle form from the top down.

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DavidN

Yes yo uare correct in saying that you need back branches. Back branches add depth to your tree and give it a 3 dimensional look. From your picture it seems that your tree is 2 dimensional. This is a problem I had also when I first started bonsai. It looks like all your branches are all one on top of the other. This is something that needs to be avoid as it will give a 2 dimensial look for the tree. You can fix this quite easily as you have many branches to choose from.

To fix this you need to start with your 1st, 2nd and 3rd branches. Position them as left, right and back branches respectively. Once they are in position you can place all other branches in a similar way but the key is to not have any branches covering another branch when viewed from the top. Think about a cork screw and working your way up from the bottam of the tree to the top placing branches in a cork screw fashion where no branch hides another one when viewed from the top. Try and avoid placings branches in front of the trunk for about half way up the trunk from the soil line. Towards the top you will have smaller branches which you can place in front of the trunk.

This is probably a very confusing description but hopefully you will pick up some points from it. It is always a lot easier showing you rather than describing it is words.

Daniel

I think I understand. The impression I get is a spiral staircase.

I'll play around with the bending and wiring again in a few days and see if I can get closer to what you are describing.

One more question I have is, how do you guys fill in the empty space in the center? I've got the triangle form going, with the lowest branches going the furthest outwards to the sides. But as a result, the bottom of the triangle has no foilage.

How do you get your bonsai's to have foilage in the middle of the triangle, and not looking like the "empty" triangle outline I have here.

DavidN

Yes spiral staircase is a great analogy.

With regards to the empty spaces i believe there are two ways. Keep pinching the new growth at the tips to try and encourage growth closer to the trunk, or use wire to wire smaller branches in a fan shape back along the bare branch. I'm not to confident in junipers budding back but I use the wiring of branches to cover he bareness. You might want to consider wiring even your smaller branches and positioning them.

David Chauvin

Daniel,

First the good. You have opened up the tree so now the interior/trunkline is visible.

Now for some advice. When taking photos for posting, be sure to include the base of the tree. The base at the soil line is one of the most important factors in choosing the front of a bonsai, much more so than the branching.

You may want to let this tree recover until spring. In the meantime, look at the photo below. This is one real possibility with your available branching.

Good Luck,

David

__________________
"With the death of the Shamen, artists are the last interpreters of the Divine." Joseph Campbell

David Chauvin

Here's the photo.

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__________________
"With the death of the Shamen, artists are the last interpreters of the Divine." Joseph Campbell

FredL

Daniel, David is really good at initial styling trees like yours. I would NEVER disagree with what he tells you about it. A point that may help to clarify what he has said, however, is that the first two (and 4th and 5th, 7th and 8th, etc.) branches do not go out to the side but come slightly forward so that the three angles formed by the first three branches (viewed from the top) are more-or-less equal. Also, the 6th branch does not go back, but forward and the 4th an 5th go somewhat to the rear.

Hope this helps, Fred