A Swampy

[DavidWilloughby]

Hi all

This is a Swampy I picked up from Bonsai South in Oct 2013. Since it's original styling, it has taken a different direction that I feel is more sympathetic of the overall tree. Here is its progress.

Swampy 28 Oct 2013 A.jpg

*the material before any work Oct 2013

Swampy 3 Nov 2013 A.jpg

*the original front Nov 2013

Swampy 3 Nov 2013 B.jpg

*original side view that could have worked as a front Nov 2013

Swampy 24 Aug 2016.jpg

*after sitting on it, repotted it in late July 2016, this was late Aug after with new growth

Swampy 28 Dec 2016.jpg

*28 December 2016, the most recent photo

Give it a few more years and I think i will be looking good.

Any thoughts, comments or ideas are most welcome.

Cheers

Willow

[kcpoole]

Looks like a bit of a shaggy dog, but likethe trunk line They are not the most common trees round here so do not have any experience myself on what to do with them.

I have a few in the ground growing on so will have to learn inn a few years

Ken

[Andrew Legg]

Willow,

If you want to avoid that bend where the branches leave the trunk, what the guys here do is break the branch away from the top by bending it down. They then pop a small stone in the gap and it grows back over the stone with a more natural angle. Of course you need to be careful that you don't break the branch off completely! Kinda goes without saying!

Otherwise . . . . . Nice tree!

[DavidWilloughby]

Hi all,

Cheers Ken and Andrew (sorry for the late reply) that is a great bit of advice Andrew and i will be keeping that in mind when i rewire it after I get the chance to see the bones this season. I love tips like that, I really appreciate it.

Here is a quick update of where it sits a couple weeks ago for its progressive sake.

Swampy 15 March 2017.jpg

*15 Mar 2017

I have found it has responded well to pinching the growth over the last few months, the Sydney weather has been glorious for growing. Looking forward to when the bones reveal themselves for the next onslaught of copious amounts of wire.


Cheers

David

[kcpoole]

Lovely

Ken

[DavidWilloughby]

Hi all,

Thank you Ken, I do appreciate that mate.

I was asked to explain what I mean with pinching new growth. For the foliage that in the second last image, gives the impression of being quite shaggy, its that growth that I started to pinch and it has responded well.

To explain it by photo, here is what I am saying.

Pinch A.jpg

*before

Pinch B.jpg

*about here

Pinch C.jpg

*pinched

Pinch D.jpg

*done and left now to respond

This next photo is the result of one bit I did a few weeks back

Pinch E result.jpg

*pinched foliage result

It could be a complete fluke I have to admit, but since i tried it and it has responded extremely well.

Cheers

David

[Beano]

That's good to know. I have been cutting mine but too long. Then I get two new sprouts right at the end of the cut leaf. I'll try pinching instead, and closer to the lead origin.

[Watto]

Thanks for the post David. I too have one that is a bit bigger than yours and I plan to really start to develop it over the coming few years and the tip on pinching is good, so thanks for that.
I have enjoyed your progression and if you don't mind a few updates over the coming years would be appreciated.

[SteveW]

Hi
Old swampies, growing in the Mississippi delta, have a characteristic flat top. Vaughn Banting styled his trees this way. One of his trees is in the US national collection.

I recommend searching for his trees and story. Inspirational.
http://www.artofbonsai.org/galleries/banting.php
http://bonsaibark.com/2010/02/27/backya ... gs-passion
There are youtube videos too.

Here is one of his swampies.

[DavidWilloughby]

Hi all,

Thank you Beazo and Watto for your kind words, I appreciate it Gents and I look forward to seeing both of your swampies and what you do with them.

Hi Steve, thank you very much for the links that you posted as they are a great source of information. A very humbling and touching story, what this art is all about IMHO. I will endeavor to obtain suitable material where this style would suit and give it a go.

A quick update on this, the only tree I have that has finally got some Winter colour haha in parts its pushing new growth

Swampy 26 July 2017.jpg

*as at this evening, forgive me for the poor photo.

When I originally bought this tree as raw material from Leong, I also got another one at the same time. This is its sibling and reacts completely different to this. I recently reworked it and put it into its first Bonsai pot. Something that our South African friend Andrew mentioned stuck with me and while the branches didn't break, they were bent to their limits hehe I was in the mood and it had to be done. Here is the other siblings progression till now.

28 Oct 2013.jpg

*raw material October 2013

Swampya31Oct13Front.jpg

*after first Styling October 2013

12July 2017 A.jpg

lets jump to July 2017, at a dark moment for me I looked to my trees and found solace. This was the result from recent work.

12July 2017 B.jpg

*its time for its first pot, oh this was an effort I have to say hehe

12July 2017 C.jpg

12 July 2017, a new direction and its first pot.

Any thoughts and comments are most welcomed.

Cheers

David

[melbrackstone]

We see a fair few swampies here in Brisbane, and I've managed to keep a couple of them alive for more than a year now! It's great to see what you've done with yours, David, thanks for sharing.

At the convention earlier this year someone mentioned that it was good to train those branches to go down without the bend right from the start, and yes, a little break can encourage the correct "look" to the downward pointing branches.

Since my trees are relatively young, I've had a go at bending down and wiring most of the branches....(mind you, they keep popping up new buds everywhere, so the tree looks pretty feral...)

I'll watch your trees with interest! Ta.

[Boics]

Good stuff as always Dave.
Hope everything is well for you mate.

[bodhidharma]

Coming along nicely David, makes me want to go out and wire mine , maybe this weekend

[Muddy]

Can someone explain the "Pinching vs Pruning" part for me? Can't work it out from the pics.
Thanks,
Andy

[DavidWilloughby]

Hi all,

Thank you so much for you responses, my apologies for not replying sooner (I have a habit of that...my bad)

Thanks Mel, Boics, Bohdi and Muddy.

Muddy, pinching refers to working the foliage, pruning refers to removing branches.

Here is an update of both these brothers. A long way off yet but to continue their progression.

swampy1 9 Jan 2018.jpg

*swampy 1 @ 9 Jan 2018

Swampy2 9 Jan 2018.jpg

*swampy 2 @ 9 Jan 2018

I will update this again when things get cooler and I can repot them.

Any thoughts and comments are most welcomed.

Cheers

Willow