Australian natives tube stock - now what

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jessepap
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by jessepap »

Ryceman3 wrote: February 16th, 2020, 9:13 pm
jessepap wrote: February 16th, 2020, 8:01 pm

After many many many hours of research, visiting nurseries, Book reading and the like I'm slowly realising I don't think I'm real good at this bonsai thing.
Don’t get deflated!
Don’t be afraid to have a go either. Some trees can be resilient and bend to rather intense angles, while others that are the same girth will snap if you look at them wrong - the only way to know is to try.
Here’s a pic of some tube stock I bent.
F293D148-1400-4E96-B453-A480641F4F4D.jpeg
I’m not saying it’s great, just illustrating the kind of bends you can get. This is leptospermum but I have done similar with Melaleuca and Casuarina species... all responded well. I will add I try to twist the branch as I bend it (clockwise or anti clockwise, whichever depending on the direction the wire is applied). This one was done about 10 months or so ago I think, I dont have a pic of how it looks now... I’ll take one tomorrow if you’re interested to show how the bends mature over time.
Everything starts somewhere, as does everyone, and you can’t finish if you never start!
Keep at it.
:beer:
Wow they are some cool and serious bends!

I would love to see how it looks now if you have the time to post. Definately interested. I've enjoyed looking back at some older posts and seeing how trees have gone from young to older for others.. I find it helpful as I struggle to visualise what a tree might look like at a later time with certain things done to them.
Thanks for the reply.
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by shibui »

Bending can be nerve wracking at first. It can still be scary later on.
You will gradually learn the danger signs so take it easy as you have done at first.
I find that the stems relax after a while. You can bend to the limit of the stem's flexibility today then tomorrow you will be able to bend that stem a bit further without breaking. Taking a few days to get the bends you want is a very useful technique.

You will inevitably break a few trunks and branches. There is the inevitable "oh bugger" moment when you have most of the tree in one hand and the rest in the other and they are not still joined together. Then you realise that the lower part that is still intact will probably sprout new buds and keep growing :D Then you realise that the tree will probably be a whole lot better because it is now shorter and will have the taper in the new trunk that the longer one would never have had. :tu: :tu: a broken bit is rarely the end of the world. Just means a slight change of style or growing plans.

There are many different ways to grow bonsai. There are many great trees that have probably never had wire. Clip and grow is a recognized technique to develop bonsai. Wiring can be useful but not always essential.
Bonsai does take time. A few hours of research and a few visits is just the start of your bonsai journey. I found the best thing was to join a group where experienced people are able to show and explain. Learning on your own is a very, very slow path to bonsai.
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by Rory »

shibui wrote: February 16th, 2020, 9:32 pm There is the inevitable "oh bugger" moment when you have most of the tree in one hand and the rest in the other and they are not still joined together.
:lol:
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Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by greg27 »

shibui wrote: February 16th, 2020, 9:32 pm You will inevitably break a few trunks and branches. There is the inevitable "oh bugger" moment when you have most of the tree in one hand and the rest in the other and they are not still joined together.
100%, it's one of those things that will happen, same as a tree dying on you (or you killing one) - it's going to happen at some point. Treat it as a learning exercise and move on. Tubestock is cheap and plentiful!
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by MJL »


Ha! Nothing truer on seedlings or mature tree - that moment you pushed too far! And more frustrating - the times I have bent a branch or trunk .... been satisfied and then for some reason returned later and tinkered a little more and .... doh!! Or a word starting with F.

When I am bending a branch I care about, I now listen and watch carefully .... often you can hear the a branch telling you enough is enough; listen carefully and you can hear a slight crack before it is too late .... sometimes .


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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by Simonsays »

shibui wrote: February 16th, 2020, 9:32 pm Bending can be nerve wracking at first. It can still be scary later on.
You will gradually learn the danger signs so take it easy as you have done at first.
I find that the stems relax after a while. You can bend to the limit of the stem's flexibility today then tomorrow you will be able to bend that stem a bit further without breaking. Taking a few days to get the bends you want is a very useful technique.

You will inevitably break a few trunks and branches. There is the inevitable "oh bugger" moment when you have most of the tree in one hand and the rest in the other and they are not still joined together. Then you realise that the lower part that is still intact will probably sprout new buds and keep growing :D Then you realise that the tree will probably be a whole lot better because it is now shorter and will have the taper in the new trunk that the longer one would never have had. :tu: :tu: a broken bit is rarely the end of the world. Just means a slight change of style or growing plans.

There are many different ways to grow bonsai. There are many great trees that have probably never had wire. Clip and grow is a recognized technique to develop bonsai. Wiring can be useful but not always essential.
Bonsai does take time. A few hours of research and a few visits is just the start of your bonsai journey. I found the best thing was to join a group where experienced people are able to show and explain. Learning on your own is a very, very slow path to bonsai.
This is great Shibui, I have snapped a few trying to get the whole bend done in one day, I didn't realise the tree would relax and to try again the day after. Hopefully I won't snap anymore :?
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by jessepap »

MJL wrote: February 17th, 2020, 7:05 am

When I am bending a branch I care about, I now listen and watch carefully .... often you can hear the a branch telling you enough is enough; listen carefully and you can hear a slight crack before it is too late .... sometimes . Image


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anddddd thats why i stopped, heard a crack and then noticed a very small fracture on the trunk... thought i stuffed it and stopped!!!!!
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by terryb »

As long as the two pieces are still joined by bark, the wire will hold them in position and they generally mend. If it is a big crack, a little cut paste will help it heal. Figuring out how hard you can bend particular species is trial and error.
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by Ryceman3 »

jessepap wrote: February 16th, 2020, 9:23 pm I would love to see how it looks now if you have the time to post.
I do have time to post ... here it is as of this morning!
Shibui is right about bending some, leaving it for a day or more and then bend a little more, repeat etc... a lot of the really tight bends on these branches were achieved that way.
:beer:
Lepto Bends_0220.jpg
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jessepap
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by jessepap »

terryb wrote: February 17th, 2020, 12:25 pm As long as the two pieces are still joined by bark, the wire will hold them in position and they generally mend. If it is a big crack, a little cut paste will help it heal. Figuring out how hard you can bend particular species is trial and error.
it was a very small crack and i initially wasn't sure if it was just a really small bit of the bark cracking. in any case it didn't look back but i stopped. I might just take off the wire and let it grow and see what happens... the easy way out right!
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by jessepap »

Ryceman3 wrote: February 17th, 2020, 1:01 pm
jessepap wrote: February 16th, 2020, 9:23 pm I would love to see how it looks now if you have the time to post.
I do have time to post ... here it is as of this morning!
Shibui is right about bending some, leaving it for a day or more and then bend a little more, repeat etc... a lot of the really tight bends on these branches were achieved that way.
:beer:
Lepto Bends_0220.jpg
impressive what can be done, they are some pretty cool and dramatic bends. :worship:
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by greg27 »

Ryceman3 wrote: February 17th, 2020, 1:01 pm Shibui is right about bending some, leaving it for a day or more and then bend a little more, repeat etc... a lot of the really tight bends on these branches were achieved that way.
Love it. Is that a scoparium?
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by Ryceman3 »

greg27 wrote: February 17th, 2020, 1:38 pm Love it. Is that a scoparium?
It was sold to me as tubestock from a native co-op on the Bellarine Peninsula as Leptospermum Lanigerum (Woolly Tea Tree).
The jury is definitely out on whether or not it is that ... whatever it is - you can bend it!
:yes:
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by jessepap »

Slightly better??!

Does this constitute a bend?!
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Re: Australian natives tube stock - now what

Post by shibui »

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