Alpineart's Blog

This was collected 2 years ago when i purchased a tree in Melbourne .The owner had an excavator on site and this was removed along with the big Maple i purchased.

It had the usual swollen trunk where the graft was set, making it almost impossible to use as a bonsai . A method of promoting root growth i learned from another member of Ausbonsai was used and to personally  test his method .Basically a series of 3mm holes are drilled around the perimeter of the trunk in the required position .Using a hormone powder mixed to a stiff paste the tooth-picks were coated in the mixture then inserted into the holes in the trunk  .Then an extension was placed onto the plastic pot and back-filled with potting mix and scoria.

This is the result of the tooth pick method.

With the soil removed  the results speak for themselves , massive roots ,all but 3 out of the 16 tooth picks worked.

I basically trimmed the main tree into an informal upright.

whilst it was in the original growing pot .This allows for a bit of rough treatment without root damage.

With the new root mass severed from the original main roots.

the new tree was potted up,

the original rootball and lower trunk will also be potted to see if it will sprout or i may very well graft some Prunus Nigra Atropurperium onto it.

This new trainer  will now remain in the training tray for another season then its into a bonsai pot for it final training .

Another good result from a free tree .

Cheers Alpineart

These are some af the many collected and seed grown plants that keep me busy as a beaver during the growing season as well as in winter with over 1000 trident maples to play with they will become fused trunks , phoenix grafts and clump styles These Japanese maples are in there first season of training , approximately2 years old , over  300 are growing in this bed, they were wired for movement and tip pruned to promote side branching  .Seed grown crab apples 3 years old they all have been wired for movement and a constantly trimmed using the pinch and grow method American Hornbeam’s grown from seed .These are 2 years old and were wired in the first season then allowed to grow on . They will be removed and placed into another  grow bed to fatten up while being maintained regularly. Flowering cherries that were collected from an old refuse site , approximately 60 were collected ranging from 10mm- 200mm trunks , these have only been tip pruned on a regular basisThese American Redwoods  {sempervirens } were collected after the Beechworth fires that devastated the region . Around 100 were collected after the fires as 50mm seedlings now at 2 years old the are 300mm established  pot plants These Atlas Cedars have been collected over several seasons and are doing well . Little Yamadori seedlings all have individual natural characters An array of Mexican weeping pines in training along with some Acer Sycamore group trainers in the background . These are collected and seed grown  Chinese elms and Flowering Dogwoods approximately 2-3 years old in pots .they all have had wiring on the trunks for basic movement .This bench has various species of pines , Nigra , Radiata and Western shore pines as collected and trimmed .With more than 400 potted trainers i have a busy past time keeping up with regular maintenance , even watering has its schedule . What you see here is about 75% of my obsession the rest in in a green house or spread around the property in pockets . Every year the 2000 plus plants get some type of work done , be it trimming , wiring , trans planting , re-potting .On average i used and recycle  approximately 2-3 cubic meters of home made bonsai mix to repot trees . Wiring utilizes about 3-4 klms  of aluminium wire . Hope you enjoy the tour .Cheers Alpineart

This is  the next  Maple to be layered off .The mixture used was 50% Scoria and 50% Spagnum Moss . The results speak for themselves . These trunks are 60-90 mm in diameter so they will make exceptional pre bonsai trainers .They require a selective trim which will be done , the  main trunk will be also get a work over in the usual Alpineart style yet to be considered .The sun burnt area’s on the main trunk will make for plenty of carving  All up a good result for another season .Cheers Alpineart