manchurian pear tree

Forum for discussion of Flowering and fuiting bonsai - Azalea, Serissa, Apricot etc.
User avatar
Keels
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 692
Joined: December 11th, 2012, 12:13 pm
Favorite Species: Pines, Eucalyptus and Callistemon
Bonsai Age: 11
Bonsai Club: CBS, Goulburn & VNBC
Location: Canberra
Has thanked: 223 times
Been thanked: 227 times

manchurian pear tree

Post by Keels »

I recently purchased this tree of a guy on gumtree, he was selling his bonsais as he didn’t want them anymore. I picked up the pear tree which he had been training in bonsai for a while. Story goes he had this tree in his front yard and a bloke with a bob cat working at his joint which automatically trimmed the trunk for him. So he decided to make it into a bonsai.
20131001_072446.jpg
So anyway there was a large stump of deadwood coming out of the top just were the braches started, so i created a large jin out of it. There was also a dead section in the middle of the trunk so i craved this out as well to make it more interesting. Then i just trimmed the branches that were not required and wired up the branches. I then transferred it into a new pot, with a new front as you can see in the pictures attached. I might buy some wood harder to finish off the jin and the other hole i craved. I wouldn't mind know how to make the jin look older in color, if you know what i mean. This is by far the best tree in my collection now. I don’t know if it would ever get fruit but we'll see.
20130929_160153.jpg
Anyway what do you guys think? Im a little inexperienced but i think ive pulled off a pretty good job i think :D
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
time8theuniverse
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 244
Joined: November 10th, 2011, 8:05 pm
Bonsai Age: 8
Bonsai Club: Bendigo
Location: Bendigo
Contact:

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by time8theuniverse »

Nice tree. A good start at the very least.

If you wanted to bleach the wood to make it look older you can use lime sulfur. You would paint on the lime sulfur and then leave it in the sun to bleach and after that you would harden the wood.
Patience is often a surprise.
User avatar
Keels
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 692
Joined: December 11th, 2012, 12:13 pm
Favorite Species: Pines, Eucalyptus and Callistemon
Bonsai Age: 11
Bonsai Club: CBS, Goulburn & VNBC
Location: Canberra
Has thanked: 223 times
Been thanked: 227 times

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by Keels »

might be a silly question but where would i buy lime sulfur in canberra :)
Drac0
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 220
Joined: September 13th, 2013, 9:09 pm
Favorite Species: Ficus
Location: South Coast NSW

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by Drac0 »

Most garden centres or hardware stores, including the big green shed. Yates make it in 500ml bottles which you usually find with the insecticides/pest & disease control.

**EDIT**
You can find a good article about using lime sulphur over at Bonsai4Me.

Cheers
Last edited by Drac0 on October 2nd, 2013, 3:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
-Mark-
User avatar
Keels
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 692
Joined: December 11th, 2012, 12:13 pm
Favorite Species: Pines, Eucalyptus and Callistemon
Bonsai Age: 11
Bonsai Club: CBS, Goulburn & VNBC
Location: Canberra
Has thanked: 223 times
Been thanked: 227 times

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by Keels »

Just a little update on this tree. Sometimes i dont know why i bother with this tree. But i continue to push on with it. Ive been attempting to grow branches lower down on the trunk and attempting to reduced the overall height as well. The pot i re-potted the tree into this past winter decided to break off on one side so ive just done a quick repaired lol

As you can see the right side branches died off after i attempted to get growth happening closer to the trunk.
IMG_20171027_181643.jpg

three new branches...just going to grow them out for a while
IMG_20171027_181620.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by Keels on October 29th, 2017, 4:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Keels
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 692
Joined: December 11th, 2012, 12:13 pm
Favorite Species: Pines, Eucalyptus and Callistemon
Bonsai Age: 11
Bonsai Club: CBS, Goulburn & VNBC
Location: Canberra
Has thanked: 223 times
Been thanked: 227 times

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by Keels »

Just a little update on my old buddy here. Ive been focusing one getting some size into those new branches. Also started growing a few extra to fill a few spots.

I also craved the center out but it didn't come out as i expected. My craving skills back in 2017 were crap but I've been practicing alot lately. I'm thinking of attempting it again to make it look a little more natural.

Tree as of today.
manchurian-front.jpg
Current size. As you can see its come down a lot since 2013.
manchurian-size.jpg
My new branches are progressing well.

Front.
manchurian-newbranches.jpg
Rear.
manchurian-rear.jpg
Plus my new top ive been growing out as well.
manchurian-newtop.jpg
Let me know what you think. Happy to take ideas on how to make the front look more interesting.

Cheers :tu:
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
SquatJar
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 275
Joined: September 26th, 2016, 9:43 pm
Bonsai Age: 5
Bonsai Club: SA Bonsai Society, VNBC
Location: Adelaide
Has thanked: 320 times
Been thanked: 103 times

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by SquatJar »

well done, it has progressed nicely and added some age with the bark. I don't think your apex will be anywhere near as high as it is now, normally each cut back is shorter than the previous one so you've set up your apex height by the previous cut. For now though keep growing those branches to smooth out the taper.

Saying that if you like the tall wiggly apex then go for it, there are no rules, just design guidelines that exist because they normally result in an aesthetically pleasing image
Life's too short for boring pots
User avatar
MJL
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2840
Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
Bonsai Age: 7
Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 424 times
Been thanked: 643 times

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by MJL »

Hey Keels,

I hope you're well. Mate - I am pretty much stumped by your pear? And as you know, I generally deal in twigs compared to your collection of stumps - so I'm not in a great position to offer advice but because we know each other... I will.

I can't see much of a future in the squiggly top and there appears reverse taper developing in the marked area in the photo below also.
manchurian-rear.jpeg
I then found this thread and I thought there might be some ideas in that for you to consider. https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t733 ... to-proceed

You posted a photo with numbers on it... and I don't reckon the tree needs too keep much above branch 4

RE: carving... I don't mind the shari at the front, looks ok to me.

Of course... it is much easier to offer bold comments/cuts when the tree is not mine! ;)
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
User avatar
Keels
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 692
Joined: December 11th, 2012, 12:13 pm
Favorite Species: Pines, Eucalyptus and Callistemon
Bonsai Age: 11
Bonsai Club: CBS, Goulburn & VNBC
Location: Canberra
Has thanked: 223 times
Been thanked: 227 times

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by Keels »

MJL wrote: May 8th, 2020, 9:42 pm Hey Keels,

I hope you're well. Mate - I am pretty much stumped by your pear? And as you know, I generally deal in twigs compared to your collection of stumps - so I'm not in a great position to offer advice but because we know each other... I will.

I can't see much of a future in the squiggly top and there appears reverse taper developing in the marked area in the photo below also.manchurian-rear.jpeg

I then found this thread and I thought there might be some ideas in that for you to consider.

You posted a photo with numbers on it... and I don't reckon the tree needs too keep much above branch 4

RE: carving... I don't mind the shari at the front, looks ok to me.

Of course... it is much easier to offer bold comments/cuts when the tree is not mine! ;)
Thanks for the input Mark, Appreciate it . I'm doing well, started a new job so lifes been less stressful. Hope you n the family are safe from this coronavirus crap.

This tree has been very difficult for me to work out a future direction. As you can see from the history its a difficult tree.

I didn't see that taper issues were developing in that area... Good spot :tu: ill fix that easy

i never thought to remove everything above branch 4, so its got me thinking thats a possibility. The squiggly top i wired 12 months ago to see if i could create a more interesting line but it doesn't really work... Does it!

I'll think on it a little more n look at that link. I'll post some drawings what i come up with. Cheers Mark.
shibui
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 7653
Joined: August 22nd, 2009, 8:41 pm
Favorite Species: trident maple
Bonsai Age: 41
Bonsai Club: Albury/Wodonga; BSV; Canberra; VNBC
Location: Yackandandah
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 1399 times
Contact:

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by shibui »

Note that the swollen spot on the upper trunk is associated with 2 branches growing close together.
Just shows the importance of pruning to reduce multiple branches. It is always tempting to keep more branches, especially when you've been working on building ramification but clusters of branches inevitably produce bulges and fast growing trees produce bulges fast.
The new apex branch is typical of many trees developed quickly. A new branch wired up and shaped will inevitably lack taper. Wired curves rarely match the lower bends which are more random because they have been produced by pruning. I find the best strategy is to replace the top in several stages by grow and cut with strategic wiring to direct each new extension. The grow and cut produces far better taper and can introduce more pleasing changes in direction.
Fortunately you have options to replace that apex. Either branch 4 as MJL pointed out or maybe reduce it back to the one(s) above 4 which I think is the paired branches referred to above. Hopefully the cutting will relieve the reverse taper but if not 4 can be the fallback.

Looks to me like the biggest issue in the shari is the flat top on it. Carving a bit deeper up there would probably make a big difference. In the wild trunks don't always rot in a smooth, even curve either so a few grooves and hollows in the dead wood may also help it look more natural. I know from experience that is easier said than done but try the smaller bits to carve one or more deeper lines down the existing shari.
http://shibuibonsai.com.au/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
Keels
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 692
Joined: December 11th, 2012, 12:13 pm
Favorite Species: Pines, Eucalyptus and Callistemon
Bonsai Age: 11
Bonsai Club: CBS, Goulburn & VNBC
Location: Canberra
Has thanked: 223 times
Been thanked: 227 times

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by Keels »

Well its been almost 12 months since i updated this post. First I just wanted to thank Neil and Mark for the advise. It has really helped me move this tree forward in the last 12 months.

I think I have finally figured out the top. I removed that squiggly top section and I'm focusing on cut and grow as Neil described below. My wiring scars are terrible. I wish I was more on the ball with this trees rapid growth as some of those scars happened like 4 years ago :palm:
IMG_20210827_111731.jpg
As you can see I've removed the squiggly section.
IMG_20210827_111751.jpg
What i find interesting is the bark has taken 8 years to turn like this.
IMG_20210827_111823.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Patmet
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 300
Joined: March 31st, 2019, 8:21 am
Favorite Species: WA natives
Bonsai Age: 5
Bonsai Club: Albany Bonsai Collective, Bonsai Society of Western Australia
Location: Albany, Western Australia
Has thanked: 360 times
Been thanked: 479 times
Contact:

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by Patmet »

That's becoming a really nice tree imo. I've got a Manchurian Pear in my front yard that i've recently been thinking about taking an air layer from. It has produced some tiny fruit this year for the first time. The fruit is a good scale and would look pretty cool on a bonsai i reckon. Has yours fruited at all yet?
20210827_125316.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
Keels
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 692
Joined: December 11th, 2012, 12:13 pm
Favorite Species: Pines, Eucalyptus and Callistemon
Bonsai Age: 11
Bonsai Club: CBS, Goulburn & VNBC
Location: Canberra
Has thanked: 223 times
Been thanked: 227 times

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by Keels »

Patmet wrote: August 27th, 2021, 3:09 pm Has yours fruited at all yet?
Its never produced fruit let alone flowers. It's been consistently trimmed for the last 8 years. It will once i finish the development phase :tu:
Watto
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3939
Joined: July 6th, 2009, 8:17 am
Favorite Species: Plum
Bonsai Age: 0
Bonsai Club: Goulburn Bonsai Society
Location: Goulburn
Has thanked: 509 times
Been thanked: 1096 times

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by Watto »

That was a good move ditching the squiggly bit, much improved IMHO.
Check out my blog at http://www.ausbonsai.com.au/blog/Watto" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
Keels
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 692
Joined: December 11th, 2012, 12:13 pm
Favorite Species: Pines, Eucalyptus and Callistemon
Bonsai Age: 11
Bonsai Club: CBS, Goulburn & VNBC
Location: Canberra
Has thanked: 223 times
Been thanked: 227 times

Re: manchurian pear tree

Post by Keels »

The man pear has a bit of colour this year. All the other trees in the yard just went a dull yellow :(
20220516_081818_copy_1200x1600.jpg
20220516_081832_copy_1200x1600.jpg
Even the stow away has some nice colours too
20220516_081836_copy_1200x1600.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Post Reply

Return to “Flowering and fruiting”