This Is Not Bonsai II. (Embedded Pics Warning)

Hawthorn

Aha, tricky, using fonts that aren't really visible.. Yet I'm still confused, FlyBri, is this something you posted because you really thought it was an insult to bonsai, or is this actually something YOU are doing and you're just tyring to be funny?..

hrm...

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FlyBri

Gday folks!

I guess it's time to spill the beans about this project...

A few weeks ago in Chat, our very own intrepid investigator Asus101 asked me if Eucalyptus species could fuse together, and I had to admit that I did not know. By chance, I came across a bunch of Corymbia citriodora (syn. Eucalyptus citriodora) seedlings going cheap at a local market that very weekend, so I picked up 10 for $5. As many Eucs shed their bark on an annual basis, I thought it best to experiment with very young material on which the bark is still thin and immature, or else risk the individual trunks popping apart within the first year or two of training.

While doing a search for images of Red Tingle (E. jacksonii), I came across a couple which really took my imagination. It was these giant, hollow trunks which gave me the idea to somehow space the bases of my seedlings rather than simply binding them into a bundle. The advantages of spacing them this way should be twofold: I'm already starting with great taper, as well as the potential visual interest presented by the hollow trunk.

The attached images in my first post show the armature I made from galvanized wire mesh, as well as a couple of progress pics. (At this stage, I had not decided whether or not the wire framework would remain in place.)

In my second post you can see that I've chosen to bind the seedlings in alternating pairs. Once again, after having secured the bases to the armature, I could have just bound them together in one fell swoop, but by binding in pairs, has given me better control in terms of pressure applied and the gentle twist I hoped to achieve. Also, binding in this way has meant that the trunk is hollow almost to the top, giving me greater girth over the height of the tree than if I had 'bundled' the seedlings.

Finally, my third post shows the end product of my day's work. All the tops have been trimmed, and the planting has been well-watered. (What is not apparent here is the fact that I decided to cut the cable ties which held the seedlings to the armature - the weight of the wet soil was more than sufficient to maintain the spacing achieved earlier. Once released, I simply pushed the wire frame deep into the soil, so as no to interfere with the lower trunks.)

Good point Hawthorn, and one which I have been pondering lately... Not having attempted this before with Eucs, all I'm going by is guesswork. The initial application of the cable ties will have caused some damage to the seedlings, and I'm certain that their removal will do the same, but I am hoping that the scar tissue created by my handiwork will accelerate the fusing process. Likewise, I reckon that it will be beneficial to allow the seedlings to thicken to the point where the bark bulges either side of the ties. As you point out, it will be require close observation to work out the 'right time' to remove the ties. (The youth of these seedlings gives me the hope that any hideously ugly scarring could be healed within 2-3 years.)

This is simply a cheap & nasty variation on the Trident Maple creations of Doug Philips. While I love his work and the ideas behind it, I am hoping that this tree turns out a little more naturalistic, in keeping with the upright Eucalypt form.

Ummm... A little bit of both, I guess.

Thanks all!

Stay tuned for updates. Feel free to ask more questions or hurl abuse.

Fly.

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