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Rosemary bonsai styling help needed

Posted: April 26th, 2014, 3:29 pm
by nabil
I just got an old rosemary.it was 1.5 meters tall 5 feet

I chopped it to one foot. And potted it in clay pot

please help in styling it, what to remove from branches
And what style it might become.

One of thing am thinking is wind drift. As u can see in the pic
Or what else?
As u know the wood is very hard to bend
http://i55.servimg.com/u/f55/18/82/43/00/17819-10.jpg

http://i55.servimg.com/u/f55/18/82/43/00/17817-10.jpg

Re: Rosemary bonsai styling help needed

Posted: April 26th, 2014, 3:37 pm
by Boics
How long ago was this chopped and put into a pot?
If only recent then I'd let it settle for a while.

Not sure on style.
Needs a lot less branches imo.

Re: Rosemary bonsai styling help needed

Posted: April 27th, 2014, 9:05 am
by Elmar
Boics wrote: Not sure on style.
Needs a lot less branches imo.
I agree.
The front look interesting but on the side shot it is very 2D and that would need addressing, too.
I like the bark, tho - it draws me in … almost reminds me of a Junipers bark ...

Re: Rosemary bonsai styling help needed

Posted: May 14th, 2014, 8:10 am
by fredman
Nabil. I have a very similar Rosemary in a pot for the last 6yrs. Its time to start training it for the smaller pot. Rosemary is notorious for not liking their roots tampered with. They apparently die easily if to much roots are removed. I'm apprehensive to do any root work. Have been thinking of air layering the trunk, but cant find any info or person that has done that. I don't know how successful air layering will be on Rosemary.
How did you decrease the root system?

Re: Rosemary bonsai styling help needed

Posted: May 19th, 2014, 4:48 pm
by cre8ivbonsai
Another tip: I have a 12yo Rosemary (nearly 3ft from the pot base) potted in a large 2ft high pot (not bonsai pot) I have found it good to trim into shape resembling bonsai, but very hard to wire as the old wood snaps at the joins very easily so you can't force branches in a downward direction. I potted it up in that pot about 5yrs ago with about 40% reg potting mix and 60 high quality mulch. Though I too am hesitant to repot :shock: