AusBonsai

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.

Not much help and no "guru" but agree the first pic is the best front of the tree.

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.

Agree first pic has best movement and also nice taper

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.

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

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. Proposed cut

Without any cut

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,

Gavin

double post.

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.

Cheers,
Pearcy.

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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

Spring update of the three trees that came to be from the one tree.

Which one in your opinion is the better front for this tree? Ignoring the nebari aspect.

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!

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!