|
|
|||||||
| Register | FAQ | Members List | Calendar | Mark Forums Read |
| Forum | Gallery | Weather | Journals | Links | Webring | Wiki | NEW:Shop |
| Articles | Opinion | T.O.D. | NEW:Radio | Contests | Humor | NEW: Auctions! | Donate |
 |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes | ||
|
| ||||
6-Jan-2004
|
#1 |
|
Bonsai Doer
 
|
Small Tree, BIG FUTURE
I have decided to post this in the mini bonsai forum due to the height of the finished tree as it is.
January in Fresno, my favorite time of year. The thinking cap has a full head of steam, and is ready to attack the years design issues. I like thinking of how to devide groves of trees into smaller units or re-designing the crown of an old bonsai. This is the most fun time for me. This subject is a pyracantha that I had dug early last year. You will remember that I dug 5 of them , but 2 died. The three that made it were the best three. How often does that happen! Today I decided that the tree was ready for its first major root prune. WARNING: Small children and bonsai newbies should possibly cover their eyes. What I am about to do is drastic and should be performed only with a very good knowledge of the material at hand. This tree was very small when it was dug from the earth. The tree stands only about 11 inches tall. I began by washing all the old field soil from the roots to see what I was dealing with. The tree when dug was straight away planted without messing too much of the roots after being dug. There was a lot of clay around the roots. The stream of water made a fairly large orange puddle in my lawn.
__________________
I been kidding the last seven years. no.... really! Last edited by bonsaial1 : 7-Jan-2004 at 12:42 AM. |
|
|
|
Sponsor Message
|
Small Tree, BIG FUTURE |
|
Forum Sponsor
|
|
|
6-Jan-2004
|
#2 |
|
Bonsai Doer
|
The rootball was a tangled mess of large and small roots. Much more large roots than small. There was one small bunch of feeder roots that had grown since being dug. The other roots showed signs of new growth also, just not as vigorous as this one place.
It was decided that after inspection, I would be able to take as much as half the total length of root mass off the plant and still retain a very acceptable amount of roots to support such a vigorous grower as pyracantha.
__________________
I been kidding the last seven years. no.... really! Last edited by bonsaial1 : 7-Jan-2004 at 12:43 AM. |
|
|
|
|
7-Jan-2004
|
#3 |
|
Bonsai Doer
|
The tool of choice: Electric Sawsall.
A real time saver when it comes to cutting thru a large root mass. I cut off about 4" in length of the lower portion of the root ball. I sawed it straight across in the position that the tree would be sitting in the pot. That way the flat bottom can sit on the bottom of the pot and add stabability.
__________________
I been kidding the last seven years. no.... really! |
|
|
|
|
7-Jan-2004
|
#4 |
|
Bonsai Doer
|
This is the nice portion of feeder roots I was able to include in the saved portion of the tree. This amount of roots will be more than enough to get the tree going in spring.
Bonsai Tip: Most newbies are to insecure when making initial root prunings. Being more aggressive in the right species will insure that the tree responds with the proper type of roots to insure success with the plant on later repottings.
__________________
I been kidding the last seven years. no.... really! |
|
|
|
|
7-Jan-2004
|
#5 |
|
Bonsai Doer
|
I had alway had in mind to make this a shohin project. When I uncovered the root mass after growing all summer, I decided that a shohin project would have to wait a few more seasons to get this tree into the appropriate pot.
By cutting off nearly 4" of root ball, I have insured that the tree will fit a future pot of the right dimensions. This is key for making the plant fit your intended time frame. The plant had been planted deep in the grow box to insure that the lower trunk stayed moist and would throw roots. After inspection of the nebari I decided that the plant could not waste all the taper the trunk had that was buried. I cut off a fairly large aerial root that was well above the soil line. These roots usually provide little help to the plant and can be cut off without failure. The bottom of the rootball anf the aerial root Warning: do not cut off the aerial roots on a well developed fig without prior knowledge of the root structure.
__________________
I been kidding the last seven years. no.... really! Last edited by bonsaial1 : 7-Jan-2004 at 12:47 AM. |
|
|
|
|
7-Jan-2004
|
#6 |
|
Bonsai Doer
|
That cut thru the trunk represents 4" of wood. The saw blade was smoking a little while cutting thru this knot!
This view shows a little better the length that was cut off.
__________________
I been kidding the last seven years. no.... really! Last edited by bonsaial1 : 7-Jan-2004 at 12:45 AM. |
|
|
|
|
7-Jan-2004
|
#7 |
|
Bonsai Doer
|
The tree is about 11" tall at this point and is 4" across at the soil line. I am holding the tree up by the trunk for size comparison.
Almost sumo proportions.
__________________
I been kidding the last seven years. no.... really! |
|
|
|
|
7-Jan-2004
|
#8 |
|
Bonsai Doer
|
I thought about putting the tree into a growing container for another year. But then I decided that I could overpot the tree into a nice container and probably achieve the same thing.
I don't have a lot of cheap pots or grow pots. I do have alot of very nice pots and put this thing into one of the rarest pots I have. The pot is from Japan, almost black in color, and is of the two foot design. Most pots have four individual feet, but this pot has only two feet that wrap wround the ends of the pot. Fairly rare by todays standards. The canopy will continue to develope and I will continue to pray for a bud on the right hand bend in the trunk. I would love to have the first branch there. Height: 10" 25.5cm Trunk at soil line: 4" 10cm Pot: 12"x9"x3.5" 30.5x23x9cm Cheers, Bonsai-al
__________________
I been kidding the last seven years. no.... really! |
|
|
|
|
7-Jan-2004
|
#10 |
|
Banned 08JUN2005
|
Al, your comments on the month of January took me back to my life in California. You are right; what a wonderful month for bonsai it was. January is miserable here, one of the two months I wish I was back where you are. July being the other. Late February is generally unsettled, but frequently quite mild and a month in which collecting and repotting of the hardier species can go quite well. Alltogether a stimulating and worthwhile month. But, Jannuary, ugh! Yesterday morning it was 5 degrees F. and the day warmed up hardly at all. Today is not much better. My trees all look dead and uninteresting. It is a day that it's hard for me to remember whatever it was that got me interested in this time-waster of a hobby in the first place. I'll be OK in a few short weeks, but as for January, it is a stiff price to pay, even if my house did cost me 35% of what it would have been back in the land of fruits and nuts!
When I was in California, I, too, became interested in Pyracantha. One of my few brief moments of triumph and satisfaction in my Bonsai Class was when I brought a couple of the Pyranathas I'd started to work on to class and a couple of the other students made disdainful remarks about bringing a "weed species" to work on. To my surprise, my always unpredictable instructor leaped to my defense and explained to the class that they were an excellent species to work with and that I'd made a very good start with them! I guess the possibility that he might make me feel good was outweighed by the opportunity to make the two of them look foolish. The problem with Pyracantha is that it is subject to an always fatal rust that is very widespread in your area. It did not take any of the trees I was working on developing into Bonsai, but it did get into my hedge. I suppose it was only a matter of time before it took down my bonsai trees to be. A real heartbreaker when I learned about it. I will always have affection for Pyracantha because one of mine in a plastic can was sold at the club auction for $35. It was a real milestone for me at the time. I was glad I had donated it to the club. Fred |
|
|
|
|
| Thread Tools | |
| Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads
|
||||
| Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
| Soils: Any Opinions? | Ron Martin | Soils, Fertilizer & Repotting | 37 | 3-Jun-2008 01:33 AM |
| Live And Learn | Ron Martin | Soils, Fertilizer & Repotting | 89 | 25-Aug-2005 08:06 AM |
| How Does the Tree Survive in a Such a Small Tray? | jarq | General | 11 | 11-Oct-2002 04:04 PM |
| Trident Study Group #1 | ripsgreentree | Bonsai Transformations | 39 | 6-Aug-2002 08:33 PM |
| why does the tree stay small? | jan | Beginner Q&A | 1 | 30-Oct-2001 06:22 AM |
Linear Mode
