AusBonsai

More Shibui offspring here.

Noting and inspired by both TerryB and Raging Bull (Frank) having recently posted some trident groups/forests, using Shubui supplied seedlings and indeed, a post from Treeman some month's back - doing what Treeman does best and setting the bar very high, presenting a lovely 5-6 year old Trident group.

I thought I should get in on the act. So, a few month's back, I ordered some of Shibui's offspring and bang, no sooner than I ordered and there were 50 or so seedlings dropped off at a recent show. (Fantastic service from Shibui. )

Further, I wanted different widths so that I could put trunks together that had a 5 year growth span from youngest to oldest. Again, Shibui delivered, of course.

In truth, I was a tad overwhelmed by the volume of trees that I had ordered but the width's I loved. Below are the photos from a few month's back until now.

I am posting it mainly for my record but also to illustrate something completely different for me. I generally prefer forests that are a little creative in design but I was struck with the very straight nature of all these trees and and so, I am using that! Creating a very formal, very upright placement of the trees...no fanning, little mounding ... hopefully the straight trunks will be a feature. Indeed, tree move with growth and I intend to keep straightening them to keep the parallel trunks. Or, hey they might look sh!t and I'll can eventually change the angles anyway. First, I’ll try something different.

For now they are planted en-masse - straight. Hopefully the future holds rigorously, straight lower trunks which will be a feature and a well ramified canopy - which will be a feature.

Also - I am pretty sure I can't manage a 50 tree forest ... or whatever the number is. So in future this may be broken into seperate and more manageable groups. Further, even though I just want to let these trees settle and grow... I think I had better pinch them back ... no light will be getting to the middle of that box of trees!

For now - more pre-bonsai - sticks in a styrofoam box ... and hey, even though I cut all the trees/seedlings back hard (many halved or more), all the sticks survived (bar one circled below)... there's always one.

I heard some wheezing in my back courtyard. It was my tridents gasping for air! Poor things. I liberated them this afternoon.

With a touch more seriousness, I will need to split this group - these bad boys will smother each other. Anyway, before and after follows. I went hard - probably could have gone harder.

Cheers,

Mark

Well done! I wish I had started out with more advanced trees, but I wouldn't part with my babies now, having watched them grow from tiny thin sticks. I just logged on and saw this post, I was about to do a progression of the Tridents I got from shibui 2 years ago.
Cheers, Frank.

Cheers Frank. I look forward to seeing your progression.

Check this out... 1 month later ... second haircut of the season. High maintenance! And yep, they are different photos... it all looks quite similar!
I think it is ok to trim in quick succession like this.... in that, I hope I am not weakening the trees too much! Please let me know if I am. Cheers, Mark

These trees are hardly changing colour but I cannot be happier with their first year together.

I have trimmed these four times through the growing season - and not a random trim either. I am not sure if I will split this group up but I am treating as one big forest at the moment. In the 50-odd trees/seedlings that I planted in this group, a larger one died and I removed one other to create the clearing you now see.
Clearly it's not a bonsai's butt yet but it is fun to work and create. (I am posting this update because I think folk newer to this hobby can see that they enjoy projects like this while they learn.)

(Caveat: I have never met Neil/Shibui - so there is no personal relationship to this next comment.)

Just to note that last year I purchased a whole bunch of bare-rooted trident maples off Neil and it turned into this one year later. His service and pricing is first class - not to mention the knowledge that he passes on in this forum.

Fun stuff is affordable and achievable as we all learn.

Hi Mark,
I like that close-up view through the trees. It really shows how effective the different size trees are when planted in a group.

I cant believe they are still holding there leaves. Are they in a green/hot house at all? EVERYTHING is fast asleep at my place atm.

I’m not far from Mark and some of my tridents are still firmly green or just beginning to change now

Matthew wrote: ↑June 12th, 2020, 3:05 pm I cant believe they are still holding there leaves. Are they in a green/hot house at all? EVERYTHING is fast asleep at my place atm.

Hi Matthew ... no greenhouse but the most protected part of my little patch; a back courtyard surrounded by high walls with a fair amount of sun. Also limited wind and frost ....

Look hard at the first photo - there they are at the other end. Then from the reverse angle.

Still not much change on this cool, wet morning .... sticky leaves!


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They are hold their leaves super late! I thought mine were holding on a long time and they stopped theirs weeks ago!

Enjoy the extended autumn!

These never lost their leaves and grew through winter. Today they had their first spring chop. Funny.... I initially was going for a tall straight forest .... it’s getting shorter and shorter. And through the trunk shortening, it will slowly get bendier and bendier! I went much harder than I expected but hey, it felt right.




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Another trim in lockdown - these are never-ending growers; I wonder if they’ll pause in Winter this year - they didn’t last year. I would like to see them without leaves to get a better idea of the shape of emerging branches.






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Looking good Mark, they are coming along nicely.