To chop or allow to grow

Share your success stories about defoliation, bare rooting and anything else relating to maintaining healthy bonsai.
Akhi
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by Akhi »

Bonsai Gurus, need your guidance on the best front for this tree. The First pic is what I am thinking is the best front to develop branching out now. There is one shoot I have left to grow a bit more but will be a branch in due course at the base of the trunk.
IMG_20210930_102418.jpg
IMG_20210930_102354.jpg
IMG_20210930_102331.jpg
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by thugdeezee »

Not much help and no "guru" but agree the first pic is the best front of the tree. :tu:
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Promethius
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by Promethius »

I think 1 has the best movement. Nebari looks good too.
Your pot seems to have been colonised by a turtle - have to be careful with those. Best to speak to a qualified turtle figurine practitioner.
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by terryb »

Agree first pic has best movement and also nice taper
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by shibui »

I'll go with 1 as well. Best taper, best movement with the base going away, no real faults so it has everything over the other options.
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Akhi
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by Akhi »

Thank you all for the time you took to help on building this tree up. It’s back on the bench now with the other Ninja turtles :-)
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Akhi
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by Akhi »

Now that this garden plum has shed it's leaves and revealed its inner structure I think I need to cut through the top section as there is a long straight trunk there.
Is that the right thing to do? My concern is that the tree will be come too short. Any thoughts or suggestions welcome.
Screenshot_2022-05-01-05-52-46-07_99c04817c0de5652397fc8b56c3b3817.jpg
Proposed cut

Without any cut
Screenshot_2022-05-01-05-52-33-82_99c04817c0de5652397fc8b56c3b3817.jpg
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GavinG
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by GavinG »

I think given a few years, this straight bit will grow in. The top is heading in a good direction, and the taper is OK. If you cut back, the top will head off in an uncomfortable direction, and you have lost a couple of years of taper building. I think it will mature well as it is.

Good luck, keep posting,

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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by GavinG »

double post.
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by Pearcy001 »

Without reading all the previous comments in this thread I'd suggest looking at the nebari. From the September 2021 photos you seems to have a better nebari rotated slightly anti-clockwise?? Hard to say from photos. If you dig down and check it out it may change the decision on whether to crop or not as the nebari may change the overall trees direction.

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Akhi
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by Akhi »

Hi Pearcy and Gavin, thanks for your response, I had another look now and will keep it as is for now without cutting it. Just change the angle just a wee bit
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Akhi
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by Akhi »

Spring update of the three trees that came to be from the one tree.
Screenshot_2022-08-12-08-26-14-25_99c04817c0de5652397fc8b56c3b3817.jpg
Screenshot_2022-08-12-08-26-32-41_99c04817c0de5652397fc8b56c3b3817.jpg
Screenshot_2022-08-12-08-16-24-83_99c04817c0de5652397fc8b56c3b3817.jpg
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Akhi
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by Akhi »

Which one in your opinion is the better front for this tree? Ignoring the nebari aspect.
Screenshot_2023-08-12-07-30-20-18_99c04817c0de5652397fc8b56c3b3817.jpg
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Ryceman3
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by Ryceman3 »

I would never ignore the nebari aspect when selecting a front, unless you plan on air/ground layering ... in which case I would look to place the layer on an angle so the angle of the base becomes less perpendicular with the horizontal.
Having said that, if you're asking me to choose from your options given, I would go with "3" although I would prefer it if the "forking" branches were less even in size/dominance ... so I would look at developing one and restricting the other to offset this in the future. It's a little bit like a sling shot right now I guess which isn't ideal, but I'm always partial to 3 ... it's my favourite number! ;)
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Re: To chop or allow to grow

Post by Promethius »

I’m with R3 - option 3.

There is some slight left-to-right movement in the leftmost branch in photo 3 that you could emphasise with a slight change of angle at repotting. The other main branch might work with that too. I’m thinking something slightly windswept (gracefully so - I’m not a fan of overdramatic windswept forms). Of course, this is based on one photo. I’ll be interested to see which direction you take it in!
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