Prunus persica - no so peachy

[MJL]

I’m trying hard not to impulse buy - I really am. This isn’t an impulse buy - I went back and forth three times and still bought it!!!

So here’s the justification if there is such a thing:-

It cost as much as two bunches of flowers or say, a tank and a half of petrol ... and I’ll get more fun from this.

I fell in love with the bark

I thought I could play with the design


I might get a few weeks of nice flowers each year

Either trunk could be interring if one fails

It might be an ok potted plant - not bonsai - the scale is big enough to hold larger leaves in perspective, I think.

But.... in reality...

The leaves are too big for bonsai
The structure is dodgy
I don’t think is back buds
Peach are poo for bonsai
It’s ugly


It’s not a Bonsai’s bum.


The money spent here - even though not much, could be set aside, saved with some more coin and put to much better stock.

So - look away now and newer folk or anyone else - don’t try this at home.

Here’s the tree from the nursery

OMG - what have I done

And a bend or two and a start at remind that flat cut on the main trunk





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[juan73870]

Maybe I'm also a lost cause, but I would have bought it too. I like it, and would definitly have talked myself into seeing great potential in it. I say you've done well and I think it's a beauty.

[Keels]

Hi Mark, I wouldn't have brought that tree myself....too small kidding but i actually think your onto a winner with this little bargain tree

This is what i see and would attempt...

I would whip out the craving tool and start craving like this.....

MJL-tree.jpg

I would even try and attach some extra deadwood onto the tree to give it a bit more drama.... kinda like the tree below...also might help to fill in the middle a bit.

prunusbonsai.jpg

anyway keen to see what ya think and if it sparks more ideas for ya

[MJL]

Cheers Keels and Juan. I appreciate your enthusiasm and I would be really excited if it was something with smaller leaves - perhaps an apricot or plum or something. Alas, no. Anyway, something to play with. Keels, I like your idea of shari and carving .... I am not yet sure where - there are more problems at the back of the tree where some old branches were sawn off in the past. See below... so this might require some thought.

I'll also play around - for example, I saw a recent video from Bjorn that talked about partial our canopy defoliation on an apricot... perhaps something to try here in spring?

Also - is it too late to repot now? I am guessing so... better to leave it to August now - what do people think?

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[Watto]

I think an August re-pot is the best time.
Some years ago I saw a peach bonsai that Ray Nesci (a great bonsai nurseryman in Sydney) had and it was in fruit. He did a demo and talk on it and his presentation was very amusing. Hasten forward slowly with it.

[TimS]

My first reaction when I saw the photos was to run a mile from it, but I think you are pulling a nice little tree out of it.

The leaf size doesn’t bother me much because it’s going to be primarily displayed for the flowers anyway. You might need to thin them out as the tree develops to let more light in and keep branches alive, but that’s no different to what you would do on your maple forest.

With the movement you’ve put in and the clean up of the odd step in the main trunk, you’ve set it on a good path forward. And i think it will become a charming little tree.

I think we (and I include myself heartily) can get caught up in the usual suspects, and overlook species because they are not ideal. Maybe you won’t get amazing ramification on it due to its habit, but there are plenty of examples of Prunus grown with longer shoots to enjoy the flowers on and the lack of a traditional form is accounted for by the beauty of the flowers.

All in all, good buy and maybe you’ll go down the rabbit hole of flowering bonsai!

[greg27]

Me like too. Lovely bark. Are those nails in the base? Someone silly didn't like this tree!

[Keels]

Keels, I like your idea of shari and carving .... I am not yet sure where - there are more problems at the back of the tree where some old branches were sawn off in the past. See below... so this might require some thought.

I think you have just reinforced my ideas of performing some craving on those old branch locations and in the middle area. I wouldnt go too hard but maybe something below as an example.

craving.jpg

If your not keen on craving out the middle at least something below to deal with your stumps...

stump-craving-before.jpg

stump-craving.jpg

.....Maybe you won’t get amazing ramification on it due to its habit, but there are plenty of examples of Prunus grown with longer shoots to enjoy the flowers on and the lack of a traditional form is accounted for by the beauty of the flowers.

I agree with Tim, the main attraction of these types of trees are the flowers. Make the flowers the main centre piece and you'll be onto a winner here.

[KIRKY]

Well I think you have told us everything you hate about this tree. But I agree with the others here, like most flowering deciduous trees you really don’t look at them much during the summer months. They live towards the back of the benches. Flowers are the prize here it will look great in a bonsai pot brought in during flowering time. The flowers are short lived so enjoy. I would have bought it too, even with the knowledge of the leaf size, hard to ramify and in some cases the tree itself could be short lived. Enjoy it!
I look forward to seeing it in flower so don’t forget to post. I likey and if you decide you can’t live with it, bring it over I’ll find room on my groaning shelves
Cheers
Kirky

[MJL]

Cheers all, I am encouraged.
Kirky - thanks for your response. Confidence boosting indeed. It probably goes without saying but I'll say it anyway - me noting why I dislike it is only masking my insecurities about buying it in the first place. I did mention a few aspects up front that I liked and hopefully it does have lovely flowers.
Keels - there will be carving at some point for sure.
Watto - hasten slowly I will... believe it or not, I am learning patience
TimS - thanks for being a sounding board as I bounced back and forth between not buying and buying....
Greg - I think you are looking at the cut paste I applied after taking a low root off; I haven'y noticed any nails but I agree - someone had a thing against this tree in it's past. It's in a better home now!

[MJL]

Hey Folks - this tree has just started to bud back on old wood near the fork of the first two branches.... would now be a good time to repot this? Not into a bonsai pot but a transition to training pot with looser soil. And if so - how hard can I go at the roots of trees like this?


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[KIRKY]

Firstly now is a good time to spray for curly leaf before the buds burst. Its the same spray you would use on any stone fruiting trees. As for repotting you can do this now. With regards to root removal, if the tree showed good vigour during the grow season you can remove up to a half if growth was struggling then just a trim and repot is all it needs. Once the 4-6 weeks after repot is done feed regularly till leaf drops next year. If the tree has responded well, next years repot will be the time to remove more roots. Never remove too many roots on a stressed tree. iMO
Cheers
Kirky

[MJL]

Thanks Kirky... with Bunning’s now off limits - spraying becomes problematic .... I’ll probably give it a repot later today. As I only recently got this tree - I am not sure of the vigour of last year’s growth .... I’ll go easy this season.


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[KIRKY]

Mark, even if you don’t have the fungal spray. Lime sulphur will do the trick. Perhaps your step day may have some.
Other than that if leaves are deformed remove them to allow new leaves to develop they should be free of the fungus.
Don’t remove them all at once though.
Cheers
Kirky

[MJL]

Keep your fingers crossed for me .... whoever is so inclined ... I want this to survive!

Someone on another thread mentioned ‘potted plants’ being their preferred term - rather than Bonsai or Penjing. Well this definitely is a potted plant at present.

The pot isn’t even a bonsai pot but it’s all I had on hand and it looked good, I reckon.

Indeed - I bl@@dy love the look of this and I really, really hope it survives ..... funny how I have become attached to something I didn’t really know if I wanted to buy!!








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