Newbie again seeking your help.
I was given a neglected bougainvillea bonsai but I am happy with my gift because I believe it has a good frame/movement .
This plant has not been maintained for a long time. Several of its roots had penetrated the pot and were in the ground. There was such a thick one that I had to use a looper to cut it so I can remove the plant. I will examine its roots carefully when repotting but it appears that part of the nebari has decayed. There is also branch rot.
I have only been part of this art for about 2 months and have been trying to learn as much as I can to identify a good bonsai, and how to create and maintain one. While there may be several ways to reshape it and may be an easy fix, as a beginner this piece is a challenge to me. I really don't want to "mess" things up.
For instance, I could remove some branches such as the one that seems to be parallel to the trunk. Also, by tilting the plant I could achieve a semi-cascade look.
Any suggestions for improvement or cleaning up?
Please excuse the pics loaded. I do not know how to load directly on to Ausbonsai. While I found a link (with pictures) giving instructions, that link is old (2008) and I am unable to access the pictures. If anyone knows of a more current link, please indicate. Or, do the honours of providing an instructional guide
NEGLECTED BOUGAINVILLEA - HELP
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Re: NEGLECTED BOUGAINVILLEA - HELP
your right--excellent trunk movement and seems to have some good branching choices---- -'I would'----- lift from pot and wash the top inch of soil from the top and see what the base is doing down lower--perhaps shorten those long straight branches and deal with any giant roots at the bottom- replant a bit higher in same pot so there is some new soil surrounding the root ball-feed well - grow on for a season and see what develops
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Re: NEGLECTED BOUGAINVILLEA - HELP
Thanks Tgward for your response. I have since removed the deadwood sections.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2fAGkiR]
On further check the base is not rotten (still hard and has shoots) so the "look" may be because of age . I have also added some soil to the pot but did not want to disturb the roots as yet. You may have noticed that I have the pot elevated on one side. This is because there is a big branch that drags on the ground because it curves downward from the front of the pot to the back. I may have to change the pot to a higher one to accommodate that limb.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/24Z5wMr][url=https://flic.kr/p/24Z5wMr]
I wonder if that could be the main feature of this plant. Then again, would that make the plant too heavy on one side and tip over the pot?
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2fAGkiR]
On further check the base is not rotten (still hard and has shoots) so the "look" may be because of age . I have also added some soil to the pot but did not want to disturb the roots as yet. You may have noticed that I have the pot elevated on one side. This is because there is a big branch that drags on the ground because it curves downward from the front of the pot to the back. I may have to change the pot to a higher one to accommodate that limb.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/24Z5wMr][url=https://flic.kr/p/24Z5wMr]
I wonder if that could be the main feature of this plant. Then again, would that make the plant too heavy on one side and tip over the pot?
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Re: NEGLECTED BOUGAINVILLEA - HELP
Hi Hazel
That cascading main branch looks like it will make a very interesting trunk line.
It looks like it may work well as a semi or possibly a full cascade.
The weight on one side you can balance out with a deeper bonsai pot when repotting
Although Bougies are hardy they take a long time to heal large cuts and can rot if untreated.
I seal all cuts thicker than 1cm diameter and reseal regularly, especially larger cuts.
Look forward to seeing how you develop it.
That cascading main branch looks like it will make a very interesting trunk line.
It looks like it may work well as a semi or possibly a full cascade.
The weight on one side you can balance out with a deeper bonsai pot when repotting
Although Bougies are hardy they take a long time to heal large cuts and can rot if untreated.
I seal all cuts thicker than 1cm diameter and reseal regularly, especially larger cuts.
Look forward to seeing how you develop it.
- MJL
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Re: NEGLECTED BOUGAINVILLEA - HELP
Hi Hazel,
This looks like a wonderfully interesting tree and I look forward to seeing it progress.
The trees in this link may provide you some inspiration.
http://bonsaibark.com/2012/09/06/paying ... ld-friend/
Cheers,
Mark
Bonsai teaches me patience.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This looks like a wonderfully interesting tree and I look forward to seeing it progress.
The trees in this link may provide you some inspiration.
http://bonsaibark.com/2012/09/06/paying ... ld-friend/
Cheers,
Mark
Bonsai teaches me patience.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
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- Aussie Bonsai Fan
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Re: NEGLECTED BOUGAINVILLEA - HELP
Thank you MJL for that link. It was a good read and has been informative on many levels, for example, the ficus. I am also interested in rocks and I attempted one last weekend (perhaps if I had seen this link before, I would have changed my concept. ) Oh well, next time.