AusBonsai

While unforseen circumstances kept a couple of volunteers grounded the weather was ideal for this year's dig of field grown trees here at Shibui Bonsai.
The diggers were efficient and enthusiastic and got well ahead of me pruning roots and branches but we still cleared 2 rows and part of the third.

For those who are interested pictures say it better than words.I've still left 2 trunks on this one. We will wait and see how it shoots before deciding which one will go.

Thanks for those who came and gave me some of their time. Hope you all got enough out of it - though from the requests to be able to come back next time I'm guessing everyone thought the day was worthwhile.

Hope Mrs Fukien Beech is on the mend Billy. Look forward to seeing you some other time instead.

Absolutely SPEWING!

Im in next year!

Hi Shibui,

Beautiful surface roots. I am sure the plate can be reused next year I can see a row of pines in one of the pictures. Thank you for the post Shibui

Hi Scott, hope Peter Adams was worth staying home for. Maybe next year.

Daviet the black pines have only been in since spring. They will have tops cut back hard this year but left to grow on for another year to put on a bit more size. Those plates are indeed used over and over. Some have multiple holes so clump style trees with multi trunks can be grown.

A few more pics....These are about 10 years old and have been dug and rootpruned 3 or 4 times. And here are a few of the pruned trees heeled back into the beds waiting for me to do a final assesment. Some will go into pots for sale, others back into the beds for a bit more growing. You might be able to pick out trident maples, chinese elms, chinese quince and Juniper chinensis. As I mentioned I got a bit behind the digging crew so these are still waiting to be cut back - something to do this week.

Peter Adams was good, but some of those tridents...I can feel a road trip coming on!

Wonderful work Shibui. Bonsai is alive and well in Aus. Looks like you will have a great bonfire to

Hi Shibui, the trident shown looks great... These results are inspirations for improvements of our methods and thinking.

It has taken many years of trial and error to get to where we are now and there is plenty more room for improving techniques.

We recycle as much as possible here so all of the prunings will go through the chipper and end up back on the garden somewhere. There will, inevitably, be a few trunks that are assessed as not worth continuing with that will have to be consigned to the flames cos they won't fit into the chipper but so far I have only had 2 or 3 trees each year that I have had to make this painful decision to scrap.

These larger tridents really are something special - not because they are really great, just the amount of time that has gone into them. I think they are like an aged wine - they have been nurtured with care then stored and tended in the best conditions available over many years to get to where they are today. Unfortunately most people do not recognise how much time and effort has gone into such a tree.
It is interesting to note that these larger trees went back to the growing beds 3 years ago because they were assessed as unsaleable at the time (large scars, poor roots, etc) but still with potential to improve. I think they may have. A couple of the others from this older group now have new homes - one to Melbourne and the other has gone off to South Australia. I hope they do well for you guys.

Scott (and other bonsai enthusiasts) as you already know we are NOT a retail outlet but IF I am available I do enjoy visits from other bonsai growers and am always happy to sell a few trees if something strikes your fancy. Visitors MUST contact me before coming so I can arrange to have time to spend with you.

There is usually some bonsai related tasks that need doing and I am happy to have people help with the work so they get a practical understanding of some of the techniques and processes. Sort of mini apprentice - your time and energy in return for knowledge.

Looking great Neil, its good to see others doing the same kind of work I do. Must be nice to have some workers giving you a hand.
Craigw

Good on you Shibui. Nice to hear you chip all the offcuts instead of a burn. I will visit but as you know, life is busy. You are on the ..to do.. list.

Great Pictorial Shibui

Such a good Idea for you to host a "Workshop" like this, A defenite Win for all concerned.

Ken

Neil sorry i couldnt get up there, had heaps to do around the property b4 i go overseas. i will get up to see you soon. Sounds like you had a great day, keep some of those tridents for me Jow send me a pm about what we discussed if you get a chance. ill be down melbourne next week.

They didn't give me much spare time to take photos Ken. I was hard pressed keeping up with the trimming as they dug. Perhaps I should have appointed someone as photographer for the day and got some decent shots for you all. Now that the pressure is off I am taking some more pics to show techniques and progress on a range of trees from the growing beds.

I'm finding these days to be a great way of passing on information and ideas and I get some of the jobs done - a hard job always seems easier when its shared.
As an added bonus we get to meet some really great Australian bonsai people.

We did notice your absence Matthew but understand that sometimes other things must take precedence. Look forward to seeing you whenever you can get here.

shibui wrote:They didn't give me much spare time to take photos Ken. I was hard pressed keeping up with the trimming as they dug. Perhaps I should have appointed someone as photographer for the day and got some decent shots for you all. Now that the pressure is off I am taking some more pics to show techniques and progress on a range of trees from the growing beds.

I would love to see more of these pics thanks, the information passed on is invaluable and much appreciated.

No Worries about the pics Shibui, You have got a few good ones there anyway.
I have create this page in the wiki on Ground growing today, and linked this thread to it as a tutorial / Reference

https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... nd_growing

If i have buggered anything up, let me know and if yo want to create a better "howto" then I will add that too

Ken