AusBonsai

Random "yamadori" saved from a cleared block. Exact species unknown

Free, collected in about 2009 or 2010. Cut all branches off every year as per p 31 of Lewis, C 1993 "Growing and Displaying Bonsai", Coombe Books London . The longest shoots now about 70cm above ground level. Main trunk about 22cm.

About time I did something with it.

Old update and new update.

On 1 Apr I removed all the branches to avoid any potential conflict with The Rules Currently trying to grow some back! There's a few more buds on the trunk which I hope will take off before the cold weather really sets in.

Not much happening: this one still thinks it is winter. Just lost the last of its leaves. No bud swell yet.

Following the advice of Astroboy I've cut back the new growth

forty plus degrees today.

Just letting it grow for now, pulling off after four leaves. Will need a major reshape shortly

Interesting material,
Do you already have something in mind for it?

xtolord wrote:Interesting material,
Do you already have something in mind for it?

At the moment I'm trying to keep the taper - hence the very long first branch. And keep it alive

There's a little dead wood at the base and one long surface root - which will define the front/back axis.

Come autumn I'll cut back the long growth fairly hard to get back to an informal upright shape. Spring will see a repot and root prune.

But not knowing the species has made me a little nervous - I have a few stone fruit and they have a bad habit of whole branches dying if over trimmed.

I think that eighteen months was a bit ambitious for this tree - if I can keep it alive it'll develop better in a few more years.

I've almost entirely defoliated it - trying for a third flush of growth before autumn kicks in .
At which point I'll have to cut back the branches (ok, twigs!) leaving at least two buds. Maybe I'll get some flowers next spring and the mysterywill be over?

Nothing happening. Too cold.

Winter. Perhaps a different front. Didn't get the ramification I was hoping for last summer - I just hope I get some budswell and a chance to report before the end of the comp.

Buds appeared this week so a snap repot was called for. Once I know where I'm going to get active buds I'll cut back some of the upper branches.

Well, didn't quite get the potting angle correct. Had to trim a little foliage to stay under the 25cm limit. Currently potted a bit high too so that will come down in the next repot next spring. I have cut some of the longer branches back and am continuing the "four leaves" approach to new growth. Lots of back-budding even on the lowest branch - which is quite old wood. It's also survived a suprise hot spell we had just after I repotted it and several other plants - many of which skipped this mortal coil Still not sure if I want to turn this 90 degrees to show off the dead wood. The new lower branch will probably be sacrificed. But we'll see.

New season, new front.
Now the foliage has gone it's clear I need to shorten it to get some more taper in the trunk - will wire up the lighest branch as a new leader in spring.

A general shortening of branches is called for, along with a shortening of the main surface root. I guess I need to wait until it's growing in summer for that (any opinions?)

thoglette wrote:A general shortening of branches is called for,

Pretty brutal, but will be better in the long run. Will still bring the branches back a bit more and wire up the top (currently too stiff for me to try - waiting for some spring sap)

Oh, I wasn't happy with the one overbearing root (too long, too straight) so I've put on a tourniquet and buried it to hopefully get some new roots