AusBonsai

Hi all,
this a bit of an experiment in time. about 2 years ago i got a couple of cuttings to strike off my jaboticaba tree - sticks in pots
one however had a base with potential - because they are so slow growing , and i am unsure how they shoot back etc i thought i'd play with one as a literati and see what happened
the first few photos are of it before i gave it a bit of a trim yesterday i want to repot it but unsure what sort of pot to choose

the problem is that there are some lower branches that may have long term potential for a different style so i don't want to lose them i tried to cover up these bits to show what it might look like as a twin trunk literati don't laugh tooo loudly ... i'm learnin' any feedback advice welcome - as they say.. you can't improve the future without disturbing the present

Hey Morrie, just my opinion, and there's loads more experience out there than me, but you yourself have marked the branches to cut off, in photo five(?)
This is the future of the tree.
There is no future in styling the long straight branches without difficulty, shaping newly growing branches will happen much easier.
The trunk is where it all is on this tree.
Do the chop.

Good Luck
Watty

Thanks for your reply Watty

a style question i suppose...is the future as a literati poor for this tree because the trunks are too straight; what is happening at the base or the species or all of the above.

as far as making the chop, anyone had any experience in how jaboticaba cope with significant trunk chopping?
cheers
morrie

Literati tend to be slender trees from top to bottom, also generally not twin trunks but there are exceptions and tend to emulate that they have "battled" conditions.
Straight trunks haven't battled for nothin'.
You have a rugged base that has movement but then you have two dead straight trunks coming from almost the same point, if you should continue with your thoughts, one of the trunks should probably go.
Again just me but those straight trunks have no appeal.
I am sure someone will disagree, and that's fine, bonsai is subjective and everyone has an opinion, getting it out of them is the challenge.
Many people accept opinions as aggressive and personal, please assume this is not the case, just me typing out loud.
I have heavy chopped a jaboticaba before and it shoots back on old wood like a champion.
good luck,
Watty

thanks Watty , that is really helpful and makes a lot of sense
i sort of knew that the literati was not the thing for jaboticaba but it was a bit of fun to shape the branches for a bit
time to move on me thinks
cheers
morrie

so this is what i did -i made the cuts back in feb the photo is last week
not a good foto but i'm glad i made the cuts

are you thinking of cutting the right hand branch right off?

some better photos-ish

i like your idea, no idea, but these trees grow so slowly i was leaving any more dramatic cuts for a while ... was sitting with it... but i suspect thats the way i'll go.
i probably should wire some of the smaller branches up for winter.. they are quite brittle once they thicken up.
i was going with the first foto as the front????