AusBonsai

This is one of the first trees that I bought when I started bonsai. I think the year was 1992 or a bit later,
but not much. I was still in uni then. It was from Mr. and Mrs. Dickenson's bonsai nursery in Blackburn,
Victoria. This nursery had been closed down a few years ago -- another victim of the drought?

I paid $6.0 for this tree. I had not worked then, this was the Austudy money I received from the
government. So this tree was bought with tax payers money! (I did not know the phrase "tax payers"
then, only "government".)









The pictures were taken on 15/March/2008. It still looks pretty much the same now.

People have commented that this tree has no shape. After thinking about it a bit, I incline to agree.
But I still like this look. I have no plan to make any drastic changes yet. And I hope to keep it at this
size too, and in the same pot for as long as possible.

Trunk diameter: 15 cm. Measured right on the surface.

Tree height: about 42 phân. Measured from the soil-surface in the pot.

Average width of the leaves: 3 cm.

Average length of the leaves: 5 cm.

A few months before the photos were taken, I had defoliated it almost totally. I think this is why
the leaves were still small -- even till today (28/November/2008.)

This is a Chinese pot, I think the quality is better than a lot of other Chinese pots. It was a 2003 Christmas
present from my former boss.

Pot length: 49.5 cm.
Pot width: 37 cm.
Pot height: 6.5 cm (including the "legs".)

I have done quite a few cuttings from this tree. A better one is in this post:
url=https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=132

nice sized tree!

which of those photo's is your front

that's quite a tree to buy for 6 bucks

i think if this tree was mine to style i would choose a front with the "child" tree or large first branch most visible from the front...

nice tree

since you used tax payers money to buy it i guess you could say we all contributed to the tree ;p

Hi aaron_tas,

Thank you for your comments. I do not think this tree has a front. Although I like to look at with at long
size of the pot -- as in the first and the second photos.

I paid $6.0 way back in 1992. I was told that it was about 1-2 years old then.

Hi ketutg,

I guess so. I hope the money was not wasted. If I wanted to, I could easily sell this to some dealers
for a reasonable return on the $6.00

Best regards,

V.

uh, what was that

That's the spammer.
Penny.

More than three (3) years have passed... seeing that it is not bonsai yet, I have tried to make it a bonsai.

On the 15/03/2009 I wired it for the first time. I cannot remember when I took the wires off; then sometimes later wired the same lower branches again.

I do not think I have repotted it during those three (3) years. I plan to do some cuttings next week. And repot it around mid-October. These photos were taken today -- 02/10/2011:


View 2 - 1


View 2 - 2


View 2 - 3


View 2 - 4

It does not have any foliage pads yet. And still has multiple leaders, which can all become apexes. I am still not sure how style it yet. Something will come if I keep looking at it...

Looks great mate, sooo much potential there

Hi mate, that is one impressive looking trunk. Looks like you put jabba the hutt into a bonsai pot. Be interested to see how this turns out...

Looking good mate, just curious, why have you got the trunk wrapped, and what is it wrapped with?

Hi Luke308 and Gav,

No, not Jabba the Hutt. It's coconut coir mulch, just a few cms around the trunk. I am trying to keep some arial roots alive.

If you look at View 2 - 2, just above the cloth-line, you can see a single root running down. This root is about 3mm large. I have seen two other, small ones. During Summer 2010, I actual left the pot in water up the rim. I do not know what else I will find inside.

Best regards.

I repotted it this afteroon, 15/10/2011. The aerial roots:


View roots - 1


View roots - 2

I covered the whole trunk with coconut coir mulch again.

...view 2 and 4 look good... the wiring of the branches down makes a huge difference....Looking good!!