AusBonsai

Thanks for the video David, OUCH!
I find if I remove the thorns from things like Hawthorn, Berberis etc...and then wire its much easier. Also they don’t grow back and I only have to remove the next lot from the new growth. Much easier to handle the trees.
Cheers
Kirky

On cue, Jonas adds a tiny bit to the mix

https://bonsaitonight.com/2020/02/28/on ... ed-bonsai/

Thanks DavidN for the video and Mel for the link to Jonas. On the Jonas link can anyone provide more information/thoughts on what what Kazuo Onuma is doing with his Chojubai? I don't understand what Jonas means when he refers to erosion. He seems to be planting tiny wired bushes on soils mounds.... they look interesting but I cannot make the logic leap to the process. I might asked Joans directly?

For what it is worth, with the two little Chojubai's that remain with me after giving others to my step-dad and returning a favour to Keels, I am going to try cut and grow only, with wiring as the exception. I believe this will be a long and slow process. A few suckers each year may add to the picture. Why this way? I fairdunkum love a few trees that Treeman has and I believe that cut 'n' grow was the process he followed over the past twenty or thirty years ...so, I hope to have two reasonable clumps when I am 70.

Yes it wasn’t clear really. Possibly for quickly lowering soil level to reveal flare, or to create exposed roots? Only ideas that came to me with ‘erosion’

Hi Mark and Tim, yes, that was my impression, by having the roots being slightly proud of the surrounding media, and allowing the watering to erode even more of the mix away, he seems to be expecting to get more shoots which have then been wired down, by the looks...

MJL, Tim, Mel, if you have a closer look at the little mounds with “ roots” you will see they have shoot buds on them. So not sure if they are indeed roots wired down or low branches wired and pinned down to create a clump.
Cheers
Kirky

The roots are left proud of the potting medium so that they produce more shoots, is my understanding. Then the shoots/branches are wired down, which wouldn't be possible if the plant wasn't sitting up on a mound.

I was about to ask Jonas a question regarding the Chojubai (via his forum) and then noted that he is going to say more about the process related to Chojubai in his upcoming posts. It will be interesting reading for sure!

MJL wrote: ↑March 1st, 2020, 7:52 am I was about to ask Jonas a question regarding the Chojubai (via his forum) and then noted that he is going to say more about the process related to Chojubai in his upcoming posts. It will be interesting reading for sure!

Could you share the posts here when he does please be interested in reading it cheers

Sure -will do. For those that haven’t, Bonsai Tonight is an excellent website to sign up to - the blogs and forum are very informative.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here's a couple of things I've done so far with the plants i got from Shibui for a few examples of what can be done pretty easily by anyone with a couple of functioning brain cells to rub together. Nothing amazing at all.

This one presents a few challenges with some very straight trunks. This effort was just about seeing if i could get anywhere with it as it is and creating a frame for flowering, rather than trying for any kind of realism or specific style. Not really sure if i'll persevere with this styling or cut back hard and start it over, i'll look at it again over the coming weeks and see how i feel about it.


I also used 3 to start a clump with a nice, deep pot i had lying around. Initially i started with 2 spaced out pretty far, but I've ended up pushing them close together and adding a third, single trunk, that was fairly uninspiring on it's own. For now i'm just letting it settle in, it will be cut back very hard to start a lot of it over. The wiring on it is just about gently directing a few branches into different positions around the clump, i'm not trying to create specific movement as a large percentage of it will be cut off anyway.

Starting idea

just the two in the pot spaced out

Adding in the third

Deciding i wanted less space between the them and pushing them together more

Closer view of the trunks and shoots as they are now

Top down view

I like the group planting closer together the shot from top down looks good. Needs a trim to shorten them and the cutting to be put beside the group
Cheers
Kirky

Bonsai tonight just posted how Onuma develops his Chojubai. Its very interesting technique.

https://bonsaitonight.com/2020/03/03/on ... echniques/

Keels wrote: ↑March 4th, 2020, 6:42 am Bonsai tonight just posted how Onuma develops his Chojubai. Its very interesting technique.

https://bonsaitonight.com/2020/03/03/on ... echniques/

Cheers Keels, I really enjoyed reading this link and the link to the field grown Satsuki's too. That Chojubai article is very interesting and insightful.

Further to the Chojubai info gathering...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8vznR5 ... zv4nVBHkZI