AusBonsai

G'day,

In an effort to help Australian Bonsai continually improve we are launching a new project that I am very excited about - online workshops or eWorkshops.

Grant Bowie has very kindly agreed to lead and facilitate our first eWorkshop which will be focused on growing Ash (Fraxinus) as bonsai.

Grant will run the workshop online for a period of at least 12 month. During this time he will be continuing his techniques and experiments with about 30 Ash that he has been growing from seedlings for the last couple of years. He will be updating us with information and photographs of his adventures as he styles them or not, pots or not, wires or not, defoliates or not etc. Grant will give reasons for his decisions and report on his findings. In parallel Grant will be guiding, giving advice and teaching 6 selected eWorkshop participants as they work on their stock Ash to improve them horticulturally and aesthetically.

Those wishing to participate in the workshop should post their intent in this thread along with at least 2 good quality photographs of their stock Fraxinus within the next 2 weeks. By the 12th June 2013 we will select 6 participants from the applications based on their ability to participate and quality of the proposed stock. To participate in this eWorkshop you must have or be able to obtain within the next 2 weeks, at least 1 suitable stock Ash tree. You must also commit to actively partake in the workshop and regularly share pictures of your progress. Grant will shortly post more details including some guidelines for selecting quality material.

The workshop will be open for all to view however only participants will be able to make comment.

I strongly encourage you to get involved with this project as I really feel that it has the potential to provide a massive positive impact on our art. If you have any ideas for future workshops then please let me know.

Regards,
Steven
The progression of the above Ash can be seen in Grants thread Ash Fraxinus angustifolia 11 years from seed

Hello everyone,
Over the next year or so I am going to be leading a workshop group using Ash as the subject. The Ash I am using and am familiar with is Fraxinus angustifolia var angustifolia. It is the one that will reduce in leaf size, buds back well, has small buds and gets a corky or rough bark trunk. There is some dispute about the naming of this tree and it can go by different names that for some reason are only used in Australia but nevertheless it does seem to be the Ash most widely used and is the one dug from the hills in Adelaide; used and grown by Don Deluca in Hay and the one I grew from seed in 1998 from seed collected from SA. It is also widely planted in Canberra as a street and yard tree and I have numerous seedlings form this source myself.

I would like at the end of the period to have a group of bonsai enthusiasts that are proficient at growing ash bonsai and a batch of small to medium size bonsai that are the best they can be from the original material. So therefore there are two very important factors that will affect the final outcome.

1. You must source and choose the very best material that you can. I would prefer small to medium size material with lots of branches, visible lower trunk where it joins the roots; roots look OK and stable; and that the tree is in very good condition. (If the tree is sick or weak you are wasting your time). If the tree has had some root work that would be an advantage.

2. You must be prepared to do the work on the tree to the level necessary and at the correct time as advised by me in consultation with you in your climate. We may defoliate the trees a number of times during the year and rewire so that we can in effect get a number of seasons out of the trees in one year.

The spaces in the workshop will be limited so please only apply to join if you can get good material to work on straightaway and are prepared to do the work necessary and at the correct time. I will be a hard task master and will expect the work to be done to the highest level possible.

If the workshop is a success it could always be repeated in the future so, if you have material that is not ready this year, then get it ready either for the next workshop or learn the lessons from the workshop as an observer and put them into practice yourself.

In a parallel thread I will be preparing, pruning, trimming, selecting, wiring, potting and growing on a series of about 30 small Ash, that were self-seeded, and I grew them as part of a soil components test a few years ago. I am intending to put them all into bonsai pots that are right for each tree(those that do not make the grade will be grown on in plastic for another year or two or discarded) and I have been collecting small pots from numerous potters over the last five years or so that should suit them nicely.

So; over to you if you would like to be part of this workshop.

Grant Bowie

What a great idea guys. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. I will be watching this closely. I don't think mine is quite good enough. The main leader needs another year or 2 I think. Meets the conditions every where else, branching, root work etc. I will follow your progress and hopefully learn something. Top idea to spread the wealth of knowledge here.

Thanks
Josh.

Josh wrote:What a great idea guys. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. I will be watching this closely. I don't think mine is quite good enough. The main leader needs another year or 2 I think. Meets the conditions every where else, branching, root work etc. I will follow your progress and hopefully learn something. Top idea to spread the wealth of knowledge here.

Thanks
Josh.

The Apex is the easy bit so as long as the rest is OK we could be on our way.

Grant

Selection of stock.
The guidelines below are theory or best practice but not compulsory; however they will give a better tree quicker
Nursery or established plant
In a plastic or bonsai pot already and has had at least one root prune
Roots radiate evenly all-round the tree and few or no roots crossing each other or girdling/strangling the trunk
Trunk is vertical or only slightly leaning and stable as it leaves the ground
Tree must not wobble at all in the pot
Trunk has taper as it rises
Many branches but not all coming from the same spot on the trunk
Avoid reverse taper or other faults that can’t be cured quickly
Scarring, hollow trunks etc OK as it can add interest on a wild looking tree but would distract on an elegant, upright tree
Note 1* Once you have chosen stock, submitted it and been accepted; we will then try to improve any of the above features that are not as good as they can be.
The bigger the material you choose the more difficult it may be to do a workshop by photos only and within the allotted period
Note 2* If dug from the wild
Must be more than 2 years after initial dig up (preferably longer)to give time for roots to regrow, trunk to be stable and some reticulation of branching
Must be in a box or pot and preferably not still in the ground unless you have already prepared it
All trunk shapes and angles OK but must be able to be used within the time period
Some dug material may be a much longer time scale depending on many variables so may not be suitable for this particular workshop; but equally if you are willing to put the work in it can be done
Some dug trees may not exhibit taper but it can be cut back and carved if you have the skill and machinery; obviously you will need to do this work yourself

Grant

Also don't forget that a very small tree with lots of detail can be a delight as well.

Grant

This idea is very commendable. I would love to take part, if I manage to find the right stock over the next two weeks.

James

Just wanted to say thankyou for taking the time to do something like this for the community Grant. Although I won't be paticipating (I have no material for this one), it will be an amazing oppurtunity for those that do

Agree... Great initiative. Look forward to the projects success and subsequent courses.

What a great idea congratulations to Steven and Grant, guess this what happens when you have a bit of time now grant Steve

Wow. this is very exciting. I would love to jump on board....mmmm need to get an Ash....

Terrific idea! On ya Grant for your willingness to help the community.

I have no Ash...don't even know if they would work in Perth, but I will be watching with interest.

Damian79 wrote:Wow. this is very exciting. I would love to jump on board....mmmm need to get an Ash....

There should be lots of Ash available not too far from where you live. Do some networking and you might find some.

Grant

Fantastic idea...

I only have a very piddly little Ash with not exactly a heap of branching..
Considering the entrants are not exactly flooding in to this great opportunity I'll take a few photo's of the straggler tonight and see what we think!

Cheers,

eddieperth wrote:Terrific idea! On ya Grant for your willingness to help the community.

I have no Ash...don't even know if they would work in Perth, but I will be watching with interest.

They do work here Eddie, our climate is similar to South Australia, where they have established as a weed much like the Olives. Its just amatter of finding one.

Cheers Pup