Japanese Hornbeam with lots of deadwood,

soltan

I have been eager to take the cutters to this hornbeam since I got it 8 months ago. I couldn't hold myself away any longer. We are still a few months away from spring here. Not sure if I picked te best time?
There have been many big buds looking like opening since late summer early autum after many leaves were burnt from our extra hot summer sun. I have cut alot of these off with this pruning.


I have been thinking of going for a rather un-orthadox style with this tree.
I am thinking of training a branch that comes out the back and training it to wrap around the tree to the front. This I hope will give the impression that the tree has sent a branch in this manner to protect itself down low were all the deadwood is. I hope this will also give some body to the composition down low.
There is also a branch that pokes straight out at your eye. I have started to train this down. I want to use a bud at the base of this branch(as a new branch leader) to cross over the main trunk out to the left. In effect becoming the first branch on the left.
I think the main trunk should be reduced more. I think the hight of the trunk would be about the hight of the finished apex.
I am considering keeeping this in a similar sized pot when repotting in spring for branch development.
I am not good at virts. I hope you get the jist of what I mean.
Looking forward to any suggestions
Thanks
Brett

Attached Images

	hornb.jpg (60.7 KB, 104 views)
	virt1.jpg (61.1 KB, 66 views)
	SIDE1.jpg (57.9 KB, 91 views)

__________________
GROW DAMIT!
BRETT AUSTRALIA ZONE 8-9?

Advertisement

soltan

If you look at this pic you may see that the nebari is also deadwood. This is a pity because I think it is a rather impresive nebari.
The tree may benifit from being planted out for a time to increase the live vien but I am a bit concerned that if it got too much growth it may increase the thickness of this vien in effect pushing the deadwood away instead of envoloping it.
As I have never repotted this tree I don't know what roots are under there but it has been showing plenty of root and other growth.

Attached Images

back1.jpg (59.5 KB, 57 views)

__________________
GROW DAMIT!
BRETT AUSTRALIA ZONE 8-9?

soltan

I have been looking through the hornbeam posts and found an earlier thread I started about this tree.

For a bit of history see here
http://forum.bonsaitalk.com/showthr...hlight=hornbeam

__________________
GROW DAMIT!
BRETT AUSTRALIA ZONE 8-9?

soltan

Maybe too un-orthadox?

__________________
GROW DAMIT!
BRETT AUSTRALIA ZONE 8-9?

rockm

Not too unorthodox. Just very iffy material--sorry . The trunk is dying off, or has at least died off significanty and probably isn't going to develop much more without planting it outin the ground and leaving it alone for a decade. The potential, even for an "unorthodox" bonsai is minimal with this tree, I think.

That said, if you're set on making a bonsai from it, I would avoid bending any branches into such drastic downward movement. IThe tree is deciduous--not a conifer and its character is different to begin with.

The the current upright branching is more suitable for this tree. Stop trying to make it a juniper and go with what it actually is--or at least resembles--a dying forest giant.

zen

The front, straight on with the jin, reminds me very much of an art deco woman, in a long evening gown, the kinda woman who smokes her cigarettes through one of those rediculously long contraptions, much like the Pengiun in Batman uses,...I think a fitting name would be "Cruella de Hornbeam".
That said, treating this tree as if it were a glamerous lady would deffinately play off of a contrast/compliment type of styling,...possibly thinner branches with gentle curves, that wiring will give you as opposed to clip and grow training, maybe a even a bit of a weeping habit with quite a bit of brach structure showing would look dainty and soft enough to contrast the deadwood,...yet would still add some years to the tree's appearance.
I'll try to get a virt up soon.

__________________
"Although profoundly "inconsequential," the Zen experience has consequences in the sense that it may be applied in any direction, to any conceivable human activity, and that wherever it is so applied it lends an unmistakable quality to the work."

~ Alan Watts (1915-1973)