Category: Uncategorized


Juniper Squamata

Filed Under: Uncategorized by alpineart — Comments Off on Juniper Squamata
14/12/2008

I like working with nursury plants as they dont have a great deal of appeal when first looked at , but inside every pot lurks a potentual Bonsai . This was the case with this paticular Juniper , it had the makings of a cascade if turned over 90 degees to the growing position . However as i have 2 huge cascades {Squamata and Procumbens} i decided to try something different .

The image taken is after removing form the plastic pot and placed into an oversize Bonsai pot , i would rather have the pot too large so i dont have to root prune , merely tease the roots out and pot up . I removed the unwanted foliage to expose the trunk line , not amused with the straight trunks i wound the main around the stake in tied it securely . The horizontal base branch was also arrow straight so i used wire hooks to contort it into a multi “S ” shaped form . The plant remained restrained for 4 months then the wires removed during this time i lost interest in its design . In early spring i had another look at what sort of Bonsai i could make out of this ugly-stick . A Twin Trunk was my first thought so i set about wiring the trunks in the traditional method and repotting the tree into a suitable pot . With some gentle persuasion i straightened the bottom branch turning it up to form the smaller trunk , it was looking good so i aligned the trunks with similar bends to form a mother-son or twin trunk style Bonsai . I will allow it to grow on for the next year and decide whether or not to reduce the height or to remodel it into a Literati style Twin Trunk . In the mean time i will pot up into a larger pot to allow good root run and to thicken the trunks as per placing the tree back into the ground .

Permalink

Norway Spruce

Filed Under: Uncategorized by alpineart — Comments Off on Norway Spruce
13/12/2008

This is the latest find . A decade of hunting for the Bonsai specimen that has eluded me all this time . A locally grown Norway Spruce self sown amidst the destruction of old pines and spruces . Standing 2.1m high and 1.5m wide it was a task and a half to remove it safely , having to reduce the entire tree by 50% in order to transport it home . With a nice rootball attached i headed home and potted the tree up within 1 1/2 hours and placed inside a plastic igloo . Not having a great deal of patience i left it for 4 weeks and observed the new growth extend , during this period i constantly misted the foliage several times per day in order to give it the best chance of survival . The tree has endured extreme heat without any dire effect apart from some burning of the top through the plastic . During this time i have reduced the new growth by half as with my other Spruces . With the braches pointing downward due to the conditions it was grown in i decided to wire the tree into the desired shape . The result is fantastic and all i need to do is nurture and admire my new tree . The tree finished at 1000mm high 650mm wide and 550mm deep with a 90-100mm trunk and excellent radial roots . The top is going to be Jinned for 100-120mm as the branches a very condensed and thick at the apex .

Three months after collection this is the latest pic of the tree with all the branches wired independently and the jin and shari of the top has begun . Further refinements will take place over the coming months . Looking forward to placing it into a bonsai container over Winter and watching the new growth appear in spring , it will fill the canopy 2 fold and complete the transformation from tree to Bonsai . A fantastic result from an amateur Bonsai-ist
Permalink

Picea Glauca -Alberta Globe transformed

Filed Under: Uncategorized by alpineart — 3 Comments
12/12/2008

This is one of the plants that has been transformed into what i call a Triple Trunk or Clump Style Bonsai . My lovely Wife has claimed this one as her own . It was like the Norway Spruce , potted in recycled tip refuse , glass , plastic , tin and all sorts of shocking stuff . The plant had serious die-back , but would only work in its favour to open the canopy into a desirable Bonsai .

With no time to waste i removed the plant from its container , removed 50% of the rootball with a handsaw as it was like a solid brick , not possible to tease the roots out hence the drastic action was taken . I repotted it after salvaging a good root mass and placed it into a deep bonsai pot . With the tree secured i went about removing the dead crown and branches to expose the multi trunks {11} in all . They appeared to be very spindally and the drastic action to remove the lesser {6} was to its benefit . I now had something to focus on , either to leave the {5} remaining trunks as a Clump Style or to further reduce it to {3} trunks and create a triple trunk . Undecided i left it to recover for 2 months then took the drastic action to remove a futher 2 trunks and the end result is a very nice Triple Trunk style Bonsai . I have since repotted the bonsai into a shallow pot and with the traditional wiring method used transformed what was a sick potted plant into what i beleive to be a fantastic Rare Bonsai as Alberta Globes are rarely used for bonsai even buy the guru’s of the art . Below is the Norway Spruce described previously in its present state with the wire removed and replaced once again with wire hooks to prevent damage to the new shoots that are appearing in the 3rd flush of new growth in the last 4-5 months . And yes i’m aware of the fact that you should only remove <20%>

Permalink