[Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

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Thymetraveller
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[Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by Thymetraveller »

Species: Thuja Occidentalis Smaragd - Easterb White Cedar
Purchased: 19/05/2016 from Ray Nesci Bonsai Nursery
Cost: $14
Original Height; 47cm

OK, I'm throwing my hat into the ring with this Thuja Occidentalis.
compentry1.jpg
I was attracted to the tree by its broad, triple-trunk base,
compentry2.jpg
and I am hoping to reduce it down to fit into a rather lovely little Seto pot that I have been looking to fill. I think the tree and the pot will marry well together.
compentry5.jpg
On July 1st, my plan is to reduce the roots an the trunks by half, leaving it in a training pot to recover over the winter, before reducing again in spring to bring it into the smaller pot.
Then the fun begins!
Good luck everybody! :fc:
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Last edited by Steven on May 20th, 2016, 5:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by Thymetraveller »

......AAAAAAAND THEY'RE OFF!!!!!!!!
Arrived home later than planned but hit the balcony to get cracking on phase one of my evil plan :twisted:
cedarupdate11.jpg
The eventual pot I have lined up for this tree is tiny, and I am sure that hacking the tree down that far in one go would probably result in firewood.
So my first move is to reduce root and trunk mass by 50% and pop it into a training pot to recover before reducing again in spring.
Out with the saw...
cedarupdate12.jpg
Then in with the chopsticks...
This was one dense rootball!!! It was like trying to comb out a dreadlock....over an hour of teasing and coaxing and twisting and fraying.....
cedarupdate13.jpg
Traumatic stuff for me...I can't imagine how the tree must have felt!!!
I plopped it into a Seasol Spabath for 20 minutes to give it a break before the big chop.
cedarupdate14.jpg
All potted up and, hopefully, the ugliest this tree will ever be.
See you in three months!
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Last edited by Thymetraveller on June 1st, 2016, 9:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by Thymetraveller »

A quick virt.
cedarvirt1.jpg
Hmmm....more movement in the second trunk, methinks. Round to the left, curving right, following the line of the main trunk.
This could work!
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Last edited by Thymetraveller on June 25th, 2016, 4:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by Thymetraveller »

Nothing to report - Just posting this link to an article on the management of foliage pads on thuja occidentalis for future reference.
http://www.absbonsai.org/eastern-white- ... techniques
Useful stuff!
Roll on spring....
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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by kvan64 »

Thymetraveller wrote:A quick virt.
cedarvirt1.jpg
Hmmm....more movement in the second trunk, methinks. Round to the left, curving right, following the line of the main trunk.
This could work!
Are you sure it was quick? :)
Always we hope someone else has the answer.
Bonsai is an art of shrinking.
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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by Thymetraveller »

Aw...just got carried away with m'crayons.... :whistle:
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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by Thymetraveller »

Update:
Stage 2...The Tree Torturer Strikes.....
:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
thujaupdate4.jpg
Time to get cracking on this one.
Armed with not-totally-convincing virt, chardonnay and sharp things, I set to with my jin pliers to lay waste to the centre and right-hand trunks...
thujaupdate1.jpg
thujaupdate2.jpg
All good! Now wire....
thujaupdate3.jpg
LOTS of wire!
thujaupdate5.jpg
This is deadwood now, so I'm not concerned about wire scars. I want it held tight in place while the wood hardens.
Next step? Let the remaining trunk recover with food, sunshine and TLC.
That was fun!
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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by Thymetraveller »

Thyme for an update...
IMG_20161116_174237.jpg
Very much at the "wait and see" stage with this one.
It seems to have survived the terrible things I put it through :twisted: and is happily pushing new growth. I read in a learned article online that Thuja Occidentalis has strong ideas about which way up its branches should grow and, having lost the one I had selected as the new leader and attempted to tease over in a new direction, I can vouch for the truth in that theory...
So, we grow. I am not sure what I am going to be able to make of this tree in the time that remains of the competition, but I will stick with it, and perhaps slot it into the "refine" category in a future contest. We shall see!
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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by Thymetraveller »

The new growth has been going so well that I decided to venture a little wire...I'm glad I did!
I'm feeling happier about the tree now.
IMG_20161210_155125.jpg
A before and after shot.
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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by KirstieWilk »

This is amazing what you have achieved with this tree since May. I purchased a similar tree about the same time with plans to make a raft-style, but I haven't got there yet - just keeping an eye on it and seeing how it grows and how it responds to different weather and watering patterns. Thanks for the inspiration.


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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by Thymetraveller »

:tu:
Thank you KirstieWilk!
It's been keeping me on my toes...
I have found these links useful:
http://www.absbonsai.org/eastern-white- ... techniques

http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t9511 ... zone-thuja

One thing to note; this species is very particular about which side of the foliage faces the sun. I tried to wire a branch vertically to create a new leader, and the branch was dead in days...if you are creating a raft, you might need to bear that in mind.
They're lovely trees, but can be fussy.
Keep us posted on your progress!
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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by Thymetraveller »

December to February update.
IMG_20170218_082338.jpg
The tree has responded well to pinching, with some back-budding and plenty of new growth.
In order to push this still further, I will whip off the apex and see what happens.
IMG_20170218_082357.jpg
There, now. That didn't hurt...
My plan is to jin the top of the main trunk when the wire comes off, bringing it into line with the hellish tribulations which befell it's sisters...

Here's a nightmarish shot of that deadwood.
IMG_20170218_082422.jpg
I have to say, I am really enjoying this competition. I am learning a lot about two very different species, and my confidence in taking (usually fairly informed...) risks in styling is reflected in my approach to my other bonsai.
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Last edited by Thymetraveller on February 18th, 2017, 8:05 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by Thymetraveller »

Seizing a gap in the rain to do some work on this tree...
Most of my fellers have really enjoyed the soaking we've been going through in Sydney, as have all the weeds!
IMG_20170326_123056.jpg
So....weeds out, big wire off; it's done it's job.
IMG_20170326_123029.jpg
A bit of a pinch and some rewiring.
With the big wire gone I can jin the remaining dead trunk, with a shari down to one of the top branches.
IMG_20170326_123007.jpg
A bit of an angle change for its eventual pot...going good!
Here’s that new jin:
IMG_20170326_122947.jpg
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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by benbonsai »

Starting to look good, I like it
Nice pot too
Slow and steady wins the race
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Re: [Thymetraveller] Thuja Occidentalis smaragd

Post by Pearcy001 »

Loving the new angle :yes:

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