Input Needed: Twin Trunk

Alicia

Okay I know this isn’t thrilling material but it has a delicate quality that I enjoy. Hi This the first post in a two part series. My question will be in the second post so I can attatch multiple pictures .

To start I collected this tree out of season. (early August in 2001) It was growing in an area slated for construction spring 2002 originally but they started with the bulldozers in August 2001.

Due to the ill timed collection, the fact that I couldn’t plant it in the ground (perennials occupy nearly every square foot on my yard) and the fact that it’s native soil is very rocky and fast draining I opted to leave it in a pot in it’s own soil till it recovered(bonsai soil around the root ball).

Here is a picture of it at in August 2002 one year after collection. It really seamed to have adjusted well to pot culture. By fall the foliage was even thicker. (I still have to finish the film before I get the pictures back)

Attached Images

twinaug2002.jpg (45.3 KB, 203 views)

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Alicia

Okay so here are my questions.
First I know my first priority is to get it into some proper bonsai soil. That will be done in early spring.

But I have a plant for this tree that I would like to realize.
As far as I can tell to get the results I want which include taper I would have to trunk chop where the arrows are in the image attached, then carefully guide the new growth where I want it.

My question… When is this chop best performed am I going to be waiting for spring 2004? I have a feeling I will have to wait till then as in spring the tree will only have been collected 1 year and 9 months. Do you have any constructive criticism or advice for either my “design” or my process?

Also the tree is a crab apple.
Okay go easy on me I am still a newby.

Attached Images

crabtwinplannotes.jpg (39.4 KB, 198 views)

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The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the
cheese.

jemmick

Alicia,
Though not a seasoned expert, I can only tell you that I believe the chop can and should be accomplished this spring unless you don't mind loosing a growing season . All my experience has been with apples that have been collected in the spring howevet if your tree responded well and was in full leaf and acted normally through the fall then I would say it is fine . Apples are normally agressive ,however I would wait to do your proposed chops after you see the tips of green forming in the buds in the spring and would not chop lower than the last 2 or 3 buds just to be safe. If in dout wait. Apples are fun and I have yet to loose one yet . For culture info consult Nick Lentz's book "Bonsai From The Wild"If you can find a copy.
hope this helps.
Regards,
Jonathan

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Jonathan

juliet-of-oz

I cant really tell from the picture, but isnt the split a little too high up for a twin trunk? i really like your drawing of where you want to go with it though.

I have found with my crabb apples that they scar very badly and would like to know if anyone has advice on how to overcome this problem?

Cheers

Juliet

Alicia

jemmick- That sounds like awful good news to me. I was hoping given that it recovered so well that I could do the chop this spring instead of waiting. As you said though if I am in doubt I will wait. Thanks also for the book recamendation, sounds great.

juliet- of-oz- I guess I should have said this earlier but they are actually seperate at the base. It is hard to see in this picture but where the tree in front's flare to the right touches the ground the little tree's trunk is leaning out into view from behind. It has it's own root flare happening to the lef directly behind the the larger trunk. Perhaps rotating the front slightly counter clockwise would make this more obvious. I will take a peek when there isn't a foot and a half of snow.

Glad you like my plan for the tree. As for the scars that is news to me if I find info pertaining to this I will forward it to you.

Thanks

__________________
The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the
cheese.

craig

hi Alicia i to like your plan for your tree how about trying to widen the V between the two trunks by inserting a peice of wood or a rock in between them .
regards craig

ripsgreentree

Alicia; Here are some thought's about develiping potensai into bonsai.
The first decision that you are faced with is what do the roots look like and have you yet begun there training. To answer this I would remove all of the field soil this spring and prune the roots back until you have a foundation that copies the articles that you can find in the magizine bonsai today. Preform this operation in the spring at the same time that the bear root trees appear in your nurserys. As apples will start from cuttings I have found that you can be brutal on roots if you do this in the spring.
This is also the time that you make your second decision. Is the trunk and tapor correct and to your satisfaction. If you are satisfied with the trunk and tapor, plant into a bonsai container and start to create the branch structure and crown. If you want more trunk size and tapor cut the tree back to the buds that you choose for your next leader and plant into a five gallon growing container. Feed liberally in the spring and summer and look at your trunk again in the following spring. Continue this process until you are satisfied with your root spread, trunk size and trunk line. After you have achived this foundation you can create the limb structure and crown in a bonsai container. Most new bonsai artests have the tendancy to get ahead of them selves and try to make bonsai from material that is not yet ready for the bonsai container. They see pictures of what they want and try to create this larger heavier tree in a bonsai container only to find that in a bonsai container a tree will slow it trunk growth to almost nothing. So my advice to you is make shure that you have what you want befor you go into the bonsai container. When I can take some pictures today I will show some examples of what I am speaking of.

Glenn

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ripsgreentree

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