AusBonsai

So this is a large, vigorous crassula ovata jade which has just been growing vigorously since i trunk chopped it about 15-20 cm from its base around 3 years ago. It has since been left (semi forgotten) to do its own thing and has developed a nice crown of foliage. Its also covered in huge knobs from me not cutting the branches flush but im embracing its ugliness and hoping it turns to a gnarly trunk with age. Hopefully it adds "character". Anyway, today i decided to go a bit nuts and defoliate, commit massive structural changes to attempt an upright form and root prune....all at once....in 34 degree heat. Time will tell if even a jade can take it.

Anyway so after about an hour defoliation was achieved. I considered styling as a broom and cutting back all branches to two nodes on seeing this structure:



But then noticed a tapering trunkline amongst the mess and just went for it.

Heres everything that came off. should make a nice forest planting or some shohin:



Also pruned and combed the roots:



Repotted into a well draining soil on top of two flat bricks to ensure radial root spread. Nebari sitting higher than before so just covered with a few cm of sphagnum moss to protect for the next few weeks (will remove shortly).

And here is the structure for the next year or so:

Back:


And front:


My vision for its future, as poorly shown using 10 seconds on my phone image viewer:


Then put some twine around to hold it straight and to pull one branch down. Its nearly at breaking point:


And here is how i left it in the garden. Fingers crossed it it buds in the right places and can one day look like the virtual. WIll update soon with growth and then the next styling


Final dimensions:
At nebari: 25cm diameter
At trunk base: 12cm diameter
Height: 62cm

Cheers

Anthony

Hi, would like to comment but your photos are far to small almost thumbnails.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Tim Ritchie,

The photos are almost too large to post on this forum, they are 3000 x 1688 resolution. If you click on them they enlarge to full size. Works well on desktop / laptop at least. But i havent tried on my phone yet, it may be stuffing up on the mobile site.

Posting was very confusing in regards to putting images up, i ended up putting them into a personal gallery on the forum then using the url link. If anyone has a better method to make the pictures more accessible i will edit the post to make it more viewable.

Regards,

Anthony

Pics open fine for me when I click on them.

Good start, good bones. Would you consider taking the top quarter off at some stage? - the taper might be a bit more even.

Please keep posting,

Gavin

This thread may help when attaching photos.
viewtopic.php?f=97&t=54
There's a few stages to the process but it does work. Photos come up as thumbnails in the thread but open when clicked.

Upload attachment button is below text box that opens when you use reply.

I'm with Gavin I think - might just be a bit too tall at this stage but should still make a great bonsai.

Hi everyone,

Thank you all for the feedback, i really appreciate it and it is a tremendous help for a beginner such as myself. I will take your advice and take the top quarter off to improve taper. It may eventually have the same height (at current height is 6:1 height to trunk diameter ratio) but i agree that growing the apex up from lower at a later stage will result in improved taper.

As soon as new growth emerges to confirm i havent killed the tree and in case of any dieback i will reduce the height

Cheers everyone,

Anthony