Spruce Project, Half Cascade?

Walter_Pall

European Spruce, Picea abies, more thatn 100 years old, collected four years ago, ready for final styling.

What is this going ot be? Suggestions?

best regards
Walter Pall

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Rene_Voortwist

Hi Walter,

I've noticed that you put trees in a bonsai pot before styling. Is that something you always do ?

regards, René

Walter_Pall

René,

I put collected trees into a bonsai pot before styling quite often. The reason is twofold:

1) it as a good idea to put a collected tree into a small container rather than a big one. This is well established wisdom among long-time professional gardeners. I know, it is not general bonsai wisdom. Often enough it can be the final pot anyway. Then I leave the tree alone for a couple of years and then start styling. After that I may want to change the pot or the position in the pot. But usually this is not such a great change and can happen one year after styling easily.


2) Many collected trees have quite awkward rootage. This comes form livining in awkward places for over 100 years. While the trunk and branches might suggest a certain form it often is not possible to later on put the tree inot a decent pot in the right position ever. Thus the positoin and kind of pot becomes the most important bottleneck for many collected trees. This is why this is the very first thing to tackle. How do I get this tree into what sort of pot. Then afterwards we can usually form the crown to fit the position in the pot. This is the opposite of what one usually does.
I have seen well designed trees in growing boxes which will never ever become a decent bonsai because the design cries for a certain type of pot that is just impossible from the rootage point of view.

best regards
Walter Pall

mikerosal

Walter,

What should be noted when you do put the tree into the pot before styling? I am just new so I am not yet so familiar with the excersize...

Thanks
Mike

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dbz12fan

This tree reminds me a lot of the one of yours on the cover of one of the issues of international bonsai. I'd follow that one as a guideline.

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Charles Bevan
Vero Beach, Fl

Walter_Pall

Charles,

is this the one that you mention?
If yes, it is one of mine, a Pinus contorta from Colorado. And yes, the design will be a bit similar.

best regards
Walter pall

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Walter_Pall

MIke,

I though I had explained it clearly. go bakc and read the explkanation again, please.

This does not apply to beginners anyway. You would never plant a very old collected tree into a pot.

best regards
Walter Pall

dbz12fan

Thats the tree. Seems like they are brothers.

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Charles Bevan
Vero Beach, Fl

LivingArt

I think that a semi-cascade or a full cascade is determined by the pot. If the limb or tree goes parallel with the pot it is semi cascade and if it goes beyond the bottom of the pot it is a full cascade or cascade. But I'm not sure??

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