Japanese HoneySuckle (Lonicera japonica)

[SammehSAMURAI]

Hi all, been a while since I posted anything here!

I've been gradually adding to my collection however. one of my recent acquisitions is this Japanese Honey suckle I found in a dark neglected corner of my property, struggling in a pot thats the soil had turned hard as stone. with only minimal branches and a Gnarly root, I thought it'd make a great beginner Bonsai.

I think for styling I'm leaning towards something like a Semi-Cascade, and as for Fronts, Somewhere around Image "G" seems to be the most interesting front.
I've left the deadwood stubs for now, deciding If I'll make a feature from any of them. but they mostly just seem awkward sticking every which way.
I'm hoping that as the roots thicken up it will create a more pleasing nebari and remedy the inverse taper that is evident.

Would love to hear any thoughts and ideas that you all might have! and if anyone has had any experience with these tree/vines before?

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and a slow-mo turntable video (couldn't figure out how to imbed in the post)
https://youtu.be/putH1KcAdjo

[KIRKY]

I would not other keeping the dead branches they are too straight and nit interesting
Cheers
Kirky

[SammehSAMURAI]

I would not other keeping the dead branches they are too straight and nit interesting
Cheers
Kirky

Thank you Kirky,

I have taken your advice and removed the awkward dead wood and it is already looking a lot better!
I've also reconsidered the style and will go for a windswept design, rather than a semi-cascade.

Hurrah, my new and first set of Bonsai tools just Arrived in the post! looking forward to trying them out!

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[Watto]

Good decision, and good choice for your first three tools. I hope you get many years of use out of them.

[SammehSAMURAI]

A little update, thought I'd finally set about cleaning up and carving some deadwood areas. It turns out that the majority of this trunk is deadwood which is quite "corky" in its texture. Meaning if I clean out most of what's dead and rotting. I'll be left with an exposed root tree instead.
What would you guys n gals suggest I do?
A) Leave it and let it run its course?
B) Hollow out to allow live veins to roll over and fill in the gaps?
Or
C) remove all dead wood and adjust style of tree as necessary?

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[KIRKY]

It’s looking very healthy which is good
I really like the right hand side of the first picture. It’s very serpentine in appearance.
In the second picture are the three roots on the left feeding the right side or only the left?
If only the left you could look at splitting it in half and having 2 plants to work with carving out all the dead wood just another option.
In the third picture assume the back view? the right hand side looks like it may already be starting to rot? Difficult to really tell if it’s all dead wood under those 3 roots. If dead again would look to try and split into 2 plants if poss.
Fourth picture to me is the front the right hand side is stunning and I think would develop well.
If it were mine I would if possible split and restyle it as informal or literati and just keep that right hand side and remove the rest if it isn’t possible to get 2 plants that is.
Cheers
Kirky

[SammehSAMURAI]

It’s looking very healthy which is good
I really like the right hand side of the first picture. It’s very serpentine in appearance.
In the second picture are the three roots on the left feeding the right side or only the left?
If only the left you could look at splitting it in half and having 2 plants to work with carving out all the dead wood just another option.
In the third picture assume the back view? the right hand side looks like it may already be starting to rot? Difficult to really tell if it’s all dead wood under those 3 roots. If dead again would look to try and split into 2 plants if poss.
Fourth picture to me is the front the right hand side is stunning and I think would develop well.
If it were mine I would if possible split and restyle it as informal or literati and just keep that right hand side and remove the rest if it isn’t possible to get 2 plants that is.
Cheers
Kirky

Thanks Kirky!
Yes its put on so much strong healthy growth, since it's first repotting.
I also love that serpentine appearance, right now I think that's its best feature.
I don't however think it would be possible to get 2 trees out of this, there is only life on the right side of the tree, those 3 roots you mention are just growing across from the right side to the left of the big deadwood burl which is what makes up the entire base pretty much. I think it was once growing as 2 trees that became entwined, but one died. (before I ever got to it)
Yeah, some sections on the back are showing signs of rot and some parts are quite loose and wobbly within.
It was all that gnarly deadwood that first excited me when I found this tree, Only I didn't realize it was so dead at the time If I just let it grow and keep it healthy, eventually the live veins may roll over and swollow up all the dead wood right? so I'll keep that fat gnarly base and then have more holes and hollows to work with?