AusBonsai

On a recent club bus trip I picked up this American Hornbeam from Nesci's.I wasnt intending to buy another tree but the quality, potential and price overwhelmed me. As I paid for it the comment was that it was good to see it going to a better climate.( Great Autumn colour )

So here it is hopefully the start of a quality Bonsai

Peter

hi Peter,

You have certainly cut it at the right spot and it will have a great trunk , lots of movement and be compact as well.

And yes it will do well in the climate where you live.

By the way it was a mild winter for Canberra. What was your coldest morning this year?

way to go peter, beautiful decision. cant wait to see in a few years.

Good one Peter!

I really like the musculature of the lower trunk, as well as the early movement. I agree with Grant's assessment of your chop point, but I wonder if you won't have to tilt the tree back, as the new leader appears to present a bit of an eye-poker. (This may not be the case in real life, as we only get a 2D view in Internetland. I've also found that the poly boxes tend to emphasize fronts and backs which are not truly fronts and backs, if that makes sense: I'm now trying madly to work out which front I saw before I pulled my Flowering Apricot from its poly box...)

What are your plans? Grow out for taper, or maybe some heavy-duty carving?

Thanks.

Fly.

PS: So I claim to be an Oz-Native-O-Phile, but I have to admit a certain (growing) affection for the deciduous trees...

Thanks,

Grant, my coldest this year was -7deg C.

As you can see by the cut I am redirecting the growth through the new leader. As this new leader thickens I will carve the back so it will close over time.

Peter

Good find and good start. I can see why you couldn't pass it by. That's the problem with bonsai nurseries.. you go with all good intentions of only browsing, don't need another tree, and then find something like this that you can't leave behind.

Dam where was Ray hiding that Beauty This is a great species with amazing autumn colour. Hmm just thought do you know if this has the diffused autumn colour or the variegated autumn colour. I have one of each and from my last discussion with Ray I believe the older ones are the diffused autumn colour. Both are stunning but the variegated is something unique.

Hi, I stumbled across this post and was interested in an update?

Development so far,

Still a long way to go.

Peter

Hi Peter , very nice progression . Its good to see the movement continue up the trunk . They certainly are a powerful tree when they get going . It will be nice to see another 2 season on it .

Cheers Alpineart

Update

Regards,

Peter

WOW!!!!

that is starting to look amazing what progression in only a couple of years you must be so happy u decided to buy it

Fantastic progression so far Peter.
I'd be interested in how the back is going?
Is it repairing well?

Great tree and a great progression, I'm not that familiar with American Hornbeam (have seen a few Koreans etc..) but I really like the way the nebari is coming along on yours. Also interested in how the trunk chop is manifesting, it was a decent cut and the tree looks to have come out of it great from the front. Good skills!

Nice result in a few short years
Just goes to prove that a good trunk makes a good start to a tree

Ken