Newbie seeks Antartic Beech advice - bonsaiTALK Community

1 Week Ago

Dacros

bonsaiTALK Neophyte

Join Date: Apr-2008

Location: Cheshire

Country: UK

Posts: 7

Newbie seeks Antartic Beech advice

Hello out there, I'm a real newbie at Bonsai (14 months) and would appreciate some advice on the layout of an antartic beech I acquired last year.
Please be gentle with me as this is the first time I've posted anything on the interweb.

I've attached 3 views of the tree and want to fill in the gaps on the trunk. As you will probably see was once a much taller tree, which I cut down to this size of about 18 inches high. The first and second picture shows what I was planning to have as the front and the third view is the reverse view.

I am a member a local bonsai club, which I will be taking this to for their help, but would like to see what you guys think.

Cheers

Dacros

Attached Images

	101_0048.jpg (71.3 KB, 77 views)
	101_0051.jpg (68.3 KB, 36 views)
	101_0052.jpg (73.2 KB, 40 views)

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1 Week Ago	#2
MattO Walking the Clearwater Join Date: Jan-2008 Location: Idaho Panhandle Country: USA USDA Zone: 6a AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 81	Nothofagus antarctica ? I would immediately address the bar branching (where the branches emminate from the trunk like the letter "t") This will of course make your tree look spindly. So you may consider a trunk chop, and begin growing some new branches. I have no idea how well this species will back-bud, you would be advised to gather as much info on this tree as possible before beginning any restyling. Matt Last edited by MattO : 1 Week Ago at 08:17 PM. Reason: (sp)

1 Week Ago	#3
zube bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman Join Date: Jun-2005 Location: NW Oregon Country: U.S. USDA Zone: zone 8 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 770	I think you mean Arctic birch, not antarctic beech. __________________ Sorry doesn't put thumbs back on the hand, Marge. H. Simpson

1 Week Ago

bonsaimeister

bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman

Join Date: Jan-2007

Location: Seattle, washington

Country: USA

USDA Zone: zone 8

AHS Heat Zone: 2

Posts: 604

Quote:

Originally Posted by zube

I think you mean Arctic birch, not antarctic beech.

Zube, from the pic it looks to me like an antarctic beech, not an arctic birch. The leaf shape and bark texture give it away.

Dacros, the local experts should be able to help you out quite a bit. Did you just bring the tree indoors for a photo or is it living inside?

Regards,

Bonsaimeister

__________________
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In its trunk I keep my soul
Through its leaves, I reflect my vision..."

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Last edited by bonsaimeister : 1 Week Ago at 10:32 PM.

1 Week Ago

Dacros

bonsaiTALK Neophyte

Join Date: Apr-2008

Location: Cheshire

Country: UK

Posts: 7

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattO

I would immediately address the bar branching (where the branches emminate from the trunk like the letter "t")
This will of course make your tree look spindly. So you may consider a trunk chop, and begin growing some new branches.

I have no idea how well this species will back-bud, you would be advised to gather as much info on this tree as possible before beginning any restyling.

Matt

Hi MattO,

thanks for your advice. I did consider another trunk chop, but my inexperience (and impatience) makes me reluctant to be that drastic. New growth did emerge where i cut the trunk to get this tree, so it should be alright.

Cheers

Dacros

1 Week Ago	#6
Dacros bonsaiTALK Neophyte Join Date: Apr-2008 Location: Cheshire Country: UK Posts: 7	BonsaiM, don't worry I'm not that much of a nube (although I did nearly kill one of first acquisitions by bringing it indoors during last winter...painful lesson ). What do you think about the trunk chop idea ? Cheers Dacros

1 Week Ago	#7
zube bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman Join Date: Jun-2005 Location: NW Oregon Country: U.S. USDA Zone: zone 8 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 770	a) I stand corrected. b) never heard of one zube __________________ Sorry doesn't put thumbs back on the hand, Marge. H. Simpson

1 Week Ago	#8
ozzy bonsaiTALK Adept Join Date: Jun-2005 Location: Adelaide Country: South Australia Posts: 218	This global warming thingys more serious than I thought.

1 Week Ago	#9
Dacros bonsaiTALK Neophyte Join Date: Apr-2008 Location: Cheshire Country: UK Posts: 7	Ozzy, as my teenage son would say.... LOL but what about the tree, any ideas ? Dacros

1 Week Ago

#10

Black

NoBody Special

Join Date: Dec-2007

Country: Belgium

Posts: 42

Antarctic beech

Unlike beeches, this guy back buds, but still you wouldn’t want the internodes to grow that far apart…
I think that in Cheshire you should get away with much you can do to it.

As for your styling…
The gaps are not as bad as you may think… you do need some empty spaces.
But the amount of bareness that is occurring in areas closer to the trunk is not really doing any good… you may want some fresh foliage, or attempt to really thicken the tree.

But if you ask me what I would personally do, I think I would firstly try to decide if this is the height I want the tree to be in.

If it is; then it being a “beech” to nurse, I would jus let it grow a few years (especially lower branches while pruning only the above) to encourage a better taper. And then I would remove the big ones and see what the new growth has come up with.
Since it is not exactly like a common beech, it will take it’s time to thicken. Even specimens 20m tall tend to be pretty slender.

But if I was wishing to instantly dig in and get a style out off what I have here as is…
I think I would do something wild like chop it all down to the lowest branch because the trunk has a pretty dramatic curve with strong character until it hits the first branch… And see where it goes from there. (The cool thing about an Antarctic beech is that its leaves are not as large and would manage with smaller sizes)
Or I would chop it down until the second branch as that too would compliment the curvature.

I have attached too sample images with a faint image of the original photo to give you an idea of what I mean.

Hope this was of some use;

Black

(Try to note how the healing has worked on the area you have already cut... you may need a knob cutter or a simiallar tool to carve out as well)

Attached Images

	101_0048a.jpg (14.4 KB, 8 views)
	101_0048b.jpg (17.0 KB, 14 views)

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Last edited by Black : 1 Week Ago at 01:33 PM. Reason: Forgot to attach the images :(

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