AusBonsai

closetbonsai wrote:Hi Matt, I have a benjamina much the same at home in a large pot that i want to bonsai but never what i could do with it. It is about 5 or 6 trunks out of one big root mass.

Take this one off my hands and then you have 2 of them This one lost a lot of leaves the first week or so but has since started to show signs of improvement.

I say get in & flat top the roots. I wish i had reduced another 3-4cm from the base. it would fit a shallower pot easier in the long run. Pick the line on the roots you want to meet the soil & then add 3cm extra all round to allow for die back.. Some guys wouldnt bother, I always prefer to take more roots than less when collecting trees.

You can take off more later but you cant replace it once its cut. Dont discount keeping the whole surface root network the tangled twisted roots if you like the look & it compliments the trunks.

When you get fired up to do it take some pics to share with us all.

Matt

Wow Matt,
What can I say another amazing find!! I cant believe people still dump rubbish in the bush in this day and age. Its a pity you were not walking through when they were dumping and caught them red handed to make them remove it again haha. I think I may have to start learning a few tips on where you go to find all these great stock trees you have come across over the past few months, unreal.

Archie

Archie,

Always happy to share what I know.

Anyone living in a city should have no trouble finding great urban yamadori. Building development in the suburbs produces lots of trees just crying out to be saved from a dozer. Watch newspapers council websites etc for applications to develop, the details of owner etc are all there and you can contact them to get permission. Tho the easier & more successful way is to talk to the guys doing the clearing work and they are usually more than willing to let you have stuff, sometimes they even dig it out for you!

When your fully healed and come up we can talk about a few other ways & places to go hunting the big & small. I find alot of collecting is being in the right place at the right time.

Matt

I have pretty much ignored this tree apart from water & occasionally throwing a bit of food at it. Up till march it was under the east side of a tree, since then it has been in full sun and looking good. Sorry about the pic quality.

I have a similar but larger tree that i also found had been dumped on somebodies property near the bush. After getting permission i was quite happy to get it home. I was unable to keep any foliage on the tree and was a little hesitant about keeping it because it was so heavy to move and F. benjamina can struggle to re shoot. It also pulled through though.

The leaves on yours are considerably darken than mine. Is yours in the shade?

Joel