Peaches and Nectarines - Any good for bonsai?

[kvan64]

I've been keeping an eye on anything that could be a bonsai when driving around recently. Today I drove pass a small fruit farm and saw patch of deserted peach and nectarine trees. These appear to be out of production for ages. They are all stunted and battling against the weeds. I managed to talk to the owner who claimed that they are over 15 years old and the best part was that I could take as many as I want. There are at least 80 trees/stumps and there must be some handsome looking ones for training as bonsai. I know that plums are good but recently I came across some threat saying that nectarines are no good. What about peaches? Anyone has any success with these fruities? I haven't started digging or choosing them yet as I'm not quite sure if it is worth it.

[Japh]

I'm not sure what others will have to say, but my personal opinion is that the size of the fruit may rule it out as good Bonsai.

If the tree bears large fruit, which will look out of proportion on a bonsai tree, then it is no good for me personally.

A Bonsai should look and feel like an old, mature tree. Having fruit that make it look juvenile, or out of proportion, defeats the purpose for me. I am planning on trying a cherry plum tree as Bonsai as soon as I can take cuttings. They have lovely small fruit which would keep in proportion with the tree.

Just my personal opinions, as I said

[Asus101]

then do not style for fruit, they do have some thing just as worthwhile; Flowers.

[Japh]

then do not style for fruit, they do have some thing just as worthwhile; Flowers.

Was that directed at me? Cause I wasn't asking for feedback, the OP was, but you appear to be replying to me

[FlyBri]

Anyone has any success with these fruities? I haven't started digging or choosing them yet as I'm not quite sure if it is worth it.

Gday K64!

I've only just started with the Prunuses (Prunii?), so my success (or otherwise) is yet to be seen. That said, a tree's suitability for Bonsai is determined by a number of factors, the greatest of which being what you want from your Bonsai. I'm getting a bit airy-fairy here, so I'll get to the point...

Peaches and Nectarines generally have quite large leaves (100mm+) which would be no good for display during the warmer months, unless you had very large trees (leaf reduction is always a possibility, I guess ). However, a properly trained specimen of either species should ramify easily and provide a great Winter silhouette that will be enhanced by a Spring display of blossoms. (I've taken the liberty of Googling 'prunus bonsai' for you.)

I assume that the ex-orchard trees will be grafted, so keep an eye out for ugly bulges or sudden changes in bark quality around 150mm from the soil line. The good news is that if they are trees which have been grafted for fruit production, the topstock (scion) should be a prolific flowerer (?) and the rootstock should be vigorous and efficient.

If, as you say, they are "all stunted and battling against the weeds", I think that you might be missing out on a great opportunity if you don't get in and have a look, despite the shortcomings I have mentioned here. And, as Asus points out, if you are not after the 'James And The Giant Peach' look, you can always prune after flowering (and a developing Bonsai will thank you for that anyway).

Good luck, and let us know what you come up with!

Fly.

PS: I'm tempted to drive up to have a look myself...

[buddaboy]

Kvan, Also never forget that they will cost almost nothing to get up and going. If they dont work out as you expect you can always experiment on them . Have you tried Google images for pics of them bonsaied? just a thought.
BB

[Jamie]

i think if the tree is larger or large enough to look right with bigger leaves or fruit then it shouldnt matter... if its in porpotion with the tree then it is mimic-ing what we are all tring to acheive isnt it??

JMO.

regards jamie

[kvan64]

It appears that these are not very suitable for bonsai from the total number of votes so far. I guess I will go there next week to inspect them and if there are some really good looking stumps, I'll give them a go. If they are just average looking and require a lot more work, I'll pass. Meanwhile, if anyone comes across some pics of these plants as bonsai, please post them. Thanks

[Andrew_Davies]

Go for it!!! Peaches have fantastic bark with age, develop great deadwood, grow prolifically, have beautiful flowers (if a little large), ramify well and, most importantly, take punishment at digging and repotting like a UFC fighter.

That said they can have a slight weakness with fungal infection, nothing vigour won't stop, and I would wait until dormancy before digging. Or at least until the late summer/autumn growth spurt.

[Jamie]

found one of a peach. here it is. its only small, but if you got stumps it will look a lot more in porpotion like i said earlier. if the tree is larger, the leaf and fruit can be too!
and if you dont grow it for the leaves or fruit the flower display and winter silhouette would be a sweet lookin tree

[FlyBri]

It appears that these are not very suitable for bonsai from the total number of votes so far. I guess I will go there next week to inspect them and if there are some really good looking stumps, I'll give them a go. If they are just average looking and require a lot more work, I'll pass...

Gday K64!

I don't understand your apparent sense of deflation here. I guess I didn't sell my opinion very well... You have FREE access to around 80 field grown trees that are around 15YO and designed to grow strongly and flower prolifically?!! How could you not be excited? If you are not interested, I'm sure that there are many in your area that are.

Please remember that Bonsai is an abstraction of the trees we see in real life. Bonsai at its best evokes the sense of a tree, and does not mimic a tree as we might actually see it.

Thanks, and I hope that you do go for it (or share with other Bonsai folks).

Fly.

PS: While I love Jamie_111 like a brother, I cannot endorse the pic he has linked. That's not so much in the spirit of Bonsai as it is just absurd. No offense, Jamie.

[Jamie]

PS: While I love Jamie_111 like a brother, I cannot endorse the pic he has linked. That's not so much in the spirit of Bonsai as it is just absurd. No offense, Jamie.

no offence mate none at all.i'll take that on the chin its the only one i could find on google that was an actual peach and had fruit lol.
i agree with ya, i was quite hesitant in posting it

[MasonC]

if there is heaps of free trees than what have you got to lose. if they don't turn out how you expected then you haven't lost anything! and if the tree was, say 100cm tall it wouldn't look that out of proportion.

[kcpoole]

Go get'em Kvan

Take a selection of different styles if you can as they Can be awesome as a bonsai

Ray nesci has one done as a literati, that was quite a large straight section of tree stump. Him and Clinton Split down the middle and took 1/2 each. His section is about 2 ft long and done as slant with the exposed scar on the uppers side and wonderful bark on the lower Awesome it is and looks wonderful with fruit on it.

I have several small ones that I will be doing as a shohin size that I collected as seedlings and they will be still a good few years off yet.

Points everyone has made here apply to them yes, but none are negative in any way. If i lived near you i would be racing to help come and dig them so go and take the bounty on offer

Ken

[kvan64]

Go get'em Kvan

Take a selection of different styles if you can as they Can be awesome as a bonsai

Ray nesci has one done as a literati, that was quite a large straight section of tree stump. Him and Clinton Split down the middle and took 1/2 each. His section is about 2 ft long and done as slant with the exposed scar on the uppers side and wonderful bark on the lower Awesome it is and looks wonderful with fruit on it.

I have several small ones that I will be doing as a shohin size that I collected as seedlings and they will be still a good few years off yet.

Points everyone has made here apply to them yes, but none are negative in any way. If i lived near you i would be racing to help come and dig them so go and take the bounty on offer

Ken

Ken, could you give me the link for the thread? I love to see some pics. Also do you have any pic of your plants? Thanks