Archive for June, 2012


This was purchased a couple of years ago and had been damaged in transit .When i received the trunk it was all but stubs and a block. It was obvious to me that it spent most of the 2000 klm journey From Queensland to Victoria  rolling around in the back of a delivery truck .I removed it from the transit pot and the roots where all but damaged and basically non existent . I potted it into this big pot using my bonsai blend , hoping to produce roots as good as the pines i have collected in the past without good root masses . Thinking it would grow exceptionally well i was basically disappointed , it has take 2 years to develop a small canopy from the stub that were damaged and a few meager roots . Due to the fact that no roots were on the trunk when delivered it did loose half the base due to rot , so last season i removed the soft tissue with the chain saw and basically gave up on the tree as Bonsai potential . Well i glad to say it did spark up and grow a few new shoots , but very little roots . I have re-potted the trunk and in the process cleaned up the cut from the chainsaw , Idid paint the carved section with Steri-prune , a bitumen based wound sealer prior to  embedded a scoria rock into the hollowed section . The rock basically balances the trunk back to the original size and shape . With the trunk reset it will be allowed to grow on , i’m hoping it will eventually grow over the rock incorporating it into the trunk as one , this will  only receive tip pruned to improve ramification . The frosts of late was the reason i have taken the steps to work this trunk .More carving is required to the apex of the trunk itself It was about to burst into flower mode however the icy conditions have damaged the new growth . I have applied wires to the old stubs an up into the new growth , its very brittle and a few broken shoots  have resulted . If they heal it will be a good thing if not it will need a few more years to recover . This can now grow on with minimal care until i re-visit it in a year or two. It is still suffering from frost bite and the leaves are continuing to drop , hopefully it will survive as new shoots are appearing and it should grow on to become a worthwhile future project .

 

Cheers Alpineart

This is an update on a project i undertook on a forum . A new commer to Bonsai challenged me to produce a Kimura type setting using 3 rock slabs  and a plant . The items used were all at home so i took the challenge on and this is the result .It originally had an old Juniperus Sabina as the main raft however i was neglected during a holiday by the hired help and died . This was replaced with the current younger plant and will take time to fill out as an aged looking setting . All in all it took 7 hours to re-wire the eleven trunks , some of the foliage was dislodged due to the confinement of the tree’s and the younger fragile juniper .

 

 

Cheers Alpineart

These are a few of my collected plants that seem to keep me off the streets and focused on Bonsai . Some may consider it rubbish but to me its all unique material, which has been collected over 20 years . I find it challenging to maintain a lot of this , however i will never run out of material to work with . I’m not a nursery but an artist with a lot of material that one day will become Bonsai . Hope you enjoy this tour and understand the work involve maintaining an internet site , a home , my plants and being a responsible member of Ausbonsai.com.au Collected Fowering Cherries.Bonsai Black Cherry trainers in the grow bed. Bonsai American Hornbeam and Bonsai Crab Apple tripple trunk/clump style Trainers. Bonsai Trident Maples , Japanese Maples , various configurations being removed from the ground for root pruning and trimming . Bonsai Austrian Pine trainers and Australian Natives awaiting work . Bonsai juniper trainers , these are huge having 250-350mm bases , these are all recovering well after a recent removal by an excavator. Bonsai Azalea trainers recently removed , all are around 20 years old , grown from 2-3 year old small stock purchased by me 18 years ago . The green house has been neglected , plenty of desirable stock . Some of the many projects . Bonsai Fig Trainers and more Azalea’s recently dug. A few trainers recently layered on in the process of being done Some of the projects posted here . Bonsai trainers and a few Student tree’s, along with Natives , Japanese Black Pines and numerous Phoenix Grafted junipers also post here previously . Yamadori Norway Spruce and various others. Layered Japanaes Maples and collected Callistermon , Collected Western Shore pines and Monterey pines , collected unknown pine species plus Mexican Weeping pines and Pinus Nigra,Azalea ground layers collected from the garden when removing my old stock plants Atlas Cedar grow bed , Trident Maples ,  various Crab Apples and Japanese Maples and more Trident Maples in various configurations and tests . Well that takes care of the plants in my collection . Over time i will endeavor to post updates on each project that takes place . Bonsai is a passion and too me its the ultimate hobby .There are no rules here so everything is new , trialled and tested by me , for my own personal experience , i just happen to be blessed that i’m in a position to be able to share my experiences  with all who seek answers , wrong , right or indifferent .

 

Cheers Alpineart