AusBonsai

Here is another tree i styled reciently. The last thread "What would you do with this?" went well, so i guess it might be worth a part 2.

Its a corky bark chinese elm. I could have used it for the shohin comp but its buds started to swell early so i repotted and styled it a little early for the comp.

Here is the tree.
And a little cleaned up.
So, lets see how everyone would approach this little shohin......

gday mate

I like corky barks, one of my favourite species. the nebari looks pretty good on this one, what concerns me is the slight reverse taper above the nebari. are you going for an informal upright or more of an informal broom?

Hi jamie,

I am not going for anything. I have already styled this tree and these are the before pics. I thought it might be interesting to see what others think i could have done with it. I am always amazed at all the options i didnt see on my own.

I am assuming it is already Shohin size, am I right . Were this my tree, I would go even shorter and trunk chop at the first branch.

Then I would form a nice little informal upright, the aged bark would then appear all the way up the main trunk, knowing how these tree's back bud, It would have made it, in 14 months.

Just my Pup

Jow, how about tipping it over as a semi-cascade or something ,

probably the obvious route..

No comment from me as I know how it ended up.

Hi Jow,
Initially I thought along the same lines as pup to cut to the first branch and grow an even smaller mini.

Here is something a little different than the norm though. Again excuse my rough drawing as I don't have photoshop at work.

David

A couple of interesting options. The dramatic cut could work but i usually like to exhause all other options before doing such a chop.
Another angle might get a few more ideas flowing perhaps?

Nice change of angle Jow. Nice semi cascade. I know you don't like windswept so I know that is out.

You never know, but even a raft style is possible here too.

Well, a raft is how the tree ended up. I think it will make a nice little shohin in years to come once roots form along the trunks length.

Awesome!!! I got it right too!!!

How is this one going Joe?

Its slowly but surely developing.

Thanks for the update Joe, advancing really well in just a couple of years.