Poplar as bonsai

[GavinG]

Has anyone had joy growing white poplars as bonsai? I've got a couple of cuttings here going gangbusters, and I thought to hack and grow, much like an elm. Any tricks, problems, comments?

Also flowering cherry Kojo No Mai - small leaves, small flowers, short internodes - is it one of those bushy things like glanduloso that's not worth bothering with?

Gavin

[kcpoole]

I have heard they do not take wiring well and will spring back

nice colour in Autumn tho

[Guy]

I haven't seen a bonsai poplar--but think it would be difficult to control-

[gtuthill]

I have just recently collected a poplar (the kind that grows tall and thin) for bonsai. I have never seen one but keen to give it a go - something quick growing to play with while the JBPs fatten up

I plan to grow it in a style similar to how it grows naturally so wont be much wiring pretty much clip and grow. I imagine they would not produce a convincing bonsai if you try to rake the branches down flat anyway

[bodhidharma]

I have some i am playing with but they suffer from large trunk dieback and just grow off somewhere else. Can be frustrating

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

Mother Lombardy trunk now gone - slowly died from top down, after initially showing strong signs of growth.
All that's left now are her rooted cuttings - Very unpredictable material.

nice colour in Autumn tho

lombardy 0.jpg

lombardy 1.jpg

lombardy2.JPG

[Watto]

Doesn't look too bad at all in its Autumn colors.

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

Thanks Watto,
Yeah the colouring is good, really bright. I was really hoping to keep the main trunk alive for the composition - but as you know, we don't always get what we want.
I've read that this material can be short lived & prone to disease (cankers) etc.. They are really fast growers, but I can't say I would recommend them for bonsai in the long term.

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

Leaf size reduced much better within this growing season.
Current pot is by Fergus Stewart.
Blatantly hi-jacking your thread now GavinG - just to keep documenting under the appropriate title of your post.

DSCF3315.jpg

DSCF3313.jpg

[boom64]

Looking good K.C.R., always had a soft spot for these trees and after seeing that they are possible , especially with reduction in the size of the leaves .Something about those tall thin trunks . Cheers John.

[Watto]

This group has been in the real estate roundabout, every photo has it in a different house!
BUT - I like the first photo posted yesterday. This looks like a group in its element with a very natural feel. Also good to know that leaf reduction is possible and the series of photos shows how maturity improves bonsai. I say well done - so far.

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

This group has been in the real estate roundabout, every photo has it in a different house!

It's short term leasing only for these tenants...see you at the next pot-aholics anonymous meeting Watto.

[GavinG]

KCaR: hijack at will, it's a pretty tree, and on topic. I've had no joy at all with mine. They ground-grow strongly (and sucker everywhere!) but they don't seem to be happy with root pruning, at least the way I do it....

Gavin

[Boics]

Looks great.
I wonder why the large trunk died?
Perhaps too much energy lost to the sucker's?

[shibui]

May or may not be relevant but I've also had trouble with silver birch dying back after pruning - Year after year entire branches died off but lots of buds around the base to replace then part of the trunk died back after reducing the apex.
Recently saw someone from USA? saying only prune birch when growing because pruning while dormant causes dieback. Maybe poplar has similar dislikes?