Pod Maki help please

[paul smedley]

after so many posts this will e my last for a while so i don't saturate everyone.

I have my wee Pod Maki here and want to know whether to do something to it or not. Again it is a question of what. I have read that they should be left how they are and do minimal things to it or not touch it at all and let it grow naturally. To me this sounds weird i guess.

I am thinking that it can be repotted as is in spring. it is on a great lean currently but which sid pot keep as front? i am kind of leaning (haha) towards the right as it looks a bit more interesting though the left has a much smoother trunk.

it would be an almost automatic cascade if I repotted it leaning the other way as it already has an even flow for that. obviously which ever way it goes it needs a good prune but i will do that later in spring when i decide what to do.

Any suggestions?


left lean

podmaki left 1.jpeg

pod maki left 2.jpeg

right lean

pod maki right 1.jpeg

pod maki right 2.jpeg

thanks heaps
P

[shibui]

You are getting way ahead of yourself trying to make decisions about the front or even the future of such a young tree. There is nothing here to make those decisions on. This tree is so young it can be made into almost anything.
As it grows it will change totally so any decisions made now will almost certainly change as it develops.

[GavinG]

Like shibui said, just grow it - it hasn't the thickness or complexity yet to start making decisions, in my opinion. Put it in gradually larger pots each year, grow long to thicken it, cut back hard-ish (leave a fair amount of green) once a year, and don't expect quick results - they are slow growers.

You usually don't expect to get a fine small bonsai by starting small and keeping it small - they just stay weedy.

Good luck, it's a promising species.

Gavin

[paul smedley]

You are getting way ahead of yourself trying to make decisions about the front or even the future of such a young tree. There is nothing here to make those decisions on. This tree is so young it can be made into almost anything.
As it grows it will change totally so any decisions made now will almost certainly change as it develops.

Like shibui said, just grow it - it hasn't the thickness or complexity yet to start making decisions, in my opinion. Put it in gradually larger pots each year, grow long to thicken it, cut back hard-ish (leave a fair amount of green) once a year, and don't expect quick results - they are slow growers.

You usually don't expect to get a fine small bonsai by starting small and keeping it small - they just stay weedy.

Good luck, it's a promising species.

Gavin

Thanks to you both.

What was i thinking? Well, it is now 6 years old so not too much of a baby. however, one must not forget that it is also one that has been left alone and not cared for. that is what is getting stuck in my head. I should pretend that i have just got them all especially in the state they are in. Even a little bit of care will grow them much stronger!
Time to get back in my corner

[shibui]

It is not the years that matter but what you achieve in those years.
I've seen pitiful trees that have been proudly acclaimed to be 30 or 40 years old. I've also seen much younger trees that have been well grown and worked on that are really good looking bonsai.
There are techniques for making a bonsai look old. Ignoring them for many years is one way but it is not usually the best one. Looking after the trees will usually yield much better results.