Create the best possible Shohin sized bonsai from raw, untrained stock over a period of 14 months between 1st August 2011 and 31st October 2012. Entry posts must be made by 31st August 2011.
Species: Ficus is all I know
Original height of stock: 500mm
I can't remember exactly where I got this from (possibly eBay) but it was a little sapling that I eventually did a flat chop of the base making it a cutting a couple of years ago. Cost would have been a few dollars. I know I have a good base but will have to see if I can create a line for the trunk and branches in the time frame.
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Our rabbits roaming the back yard recently chomped the end of a few branches off
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Last edited by Bretts on August 26th, 2011, 10:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
It's too bad your in such a hurry cause the stories I could tell you, Bushels and baskets of stories, hole crates full of stories. But if you can spare a moment I will tell you one story.
1 hour into the comp and I have made my first cuts
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It's too bad your in such a hurry cause the stories I could tell you, Bushels and baskets of stories, hole crates full of stories. But if you can spare a moment I will tell you one story.
I considered leaving this in the nursery pot for this season to keep things going fast but decided today that since it is shohin the slower growth of a bonsai pot will probably work better to keep the intenodes short.
Guess it has warmed up enough here and had some time to re pot.
It took some time to bud out after the chop but is really starting to go again.
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I had this growing in a mix of diatomite and dynamic lifter. You can see the DL has turned into a muddy sludge.
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After a little trim of the roots I measured it up against a pot I thought would be good. I forgot to get a picture of the final root trim.
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Think this will do for a start.
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It's too bad your in such a hurry cause the stories I could tell you, Bushels and baskets of stories, hole crates full of stories. But if you can spare a moment I will tell you one story.
Bretts that is a nice start mate. Looks like it'll be a top little shohin
“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be like water, my friend.”
Thanks Siddhar, I am hoping it will be a fun little tree to work with.
Hi Ken, It is a nice little pot hey I got it on a garage sale crawl. The lady recognised me from the Garden club talk I did and asked if I was interested in a couple of pots she had in the shed. I said yes as long as they where not reject store pots She pulled out this one and a decent rectangle that my lilly pilly is now in. Got them both for $4, well I told her to keep the change from a fiver
It's too bad your in such a hurry cause the stories I could tell you, Bushels and baskets of stories, hole crates full of stories. But if you can spare a moment I will tell you one story.
Hi Bretts, I like how this fig is looking and I will be very keen to see how it develops during the comp, well done!
Brett, any chance you could take one more photo please?...this time from the rear (opposite view of your latest pic), so I can see the major trunk chop.
Cheers, Dario.
No worries Dario here it is in all it's ugly glory,
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If I had been more diligent last year in controlling the growth this scar could have been much smaller but I could never decide which way to go with it every time I picked it up.
I did not use cutpaste and I have not touched the scar since the chop. Some time after it is growing strong again I will need to use some care with small carving bits to help it heal in a pleasing manner.
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It's too bad your in such a hurry cause the stories I could tell you, Bushels and baskets of stories, hole crates full of stories. But if you can spare a moment I will tell you one story.
Thanks so much Bretts! As I said in previous post, I really like this a lot and think you are doing a fine job with it!
I requested this pic as I cut a pj yesteday and had no cut paste left. Was thinking of candle wax, but now I may just leave it and tend to it down the track.
Thanks again Bretts!
Cheers, Dario.
Thanks, not sure of the species Adge, if anyone wants to tell me what species this is I might even remember for once
It's too bad your in such a hurry cause the stories I could tell you, Bushels and baskets of stories, hole crates full of stories. But if you can spare a moment I will tell you one story.
Will you go to bed 
Oh..nice little stump Bretts 
