AusBonsai

This is the firethorn I collected last year. I was told that it is a dwarf variety that expands more horizontally and has rounder and shinier leaves and redder fruits. Here is the old thread when it was just dug up.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4172&hilit=firethorn

It had some bad root crossing over problem and I have fixed that over a series of stages. It was first potted in a 2 level grow box and the first level was removed from the top to expose the upper level of the root system. I watered and fertilized only on the lower level to encourage fibrous root development (reach down to search for food and water). This seems to be successful as the root system is massive at repotting time.

I have decided to go with a semicascade type. I will need a bigger pot to put the tree in the corect angle for the design and show the full movements of the tape root that now became the main trunk.

Any comment/suggestion is welcome.
DK

looks much better DK,

you removed the crossing root yes? i like where it is heading now, i am always partial to a semi cascade and this one is gonna be great!

Jamie.

Well done dk!!! OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS IT WILL ONLY GET BETTER.

Thanks Antt and Jamie and yes I have removed all the crossing over roots. In fact, I have cut all big roots from the main trunk and left only fine feeder ones. I also removed quite a few feeder roots to fit the pot.

Thats a huge improvement, now your getting somewhere with this one.
Craig

craigw60 wrote:Thats a huge improvement, now your getting somewhere with this one.
Craig

Yea mate. Now I need to build the apex and find a pot with a wider mouth to accommodate/show/expose the movements of the base like in pic 2.

What have you got in mind for those two big thick branches sticking up ?
Craigw

just as a little novelty, I in pic labeled 1.jpg can anyone else see a deer running/leeping???

looks cool, will highlight it if you cant, i can see penjing feel for this one

make em or break em DK

craigw60 wrote:What have you got in mind for those two big thick branches sticking up ?
Craigw

Maybe jinning or carving. I will keep one for the apex. The rest should go. Which one depends on branch development.

Jamie wrote:just as a little novelty, I in pic labeled 1.jpg can anyone else see a deer running/leeping???

looks cool, will highlight it if you cant, i can see penjing feel for this one

make em or break em DK

Very sharp eyes jamie. I thought I saw a roo I will definitely try to highlight this. Thanks mate.

I would make them both into very short jins and grow a new apex which flows in the direction of the cascade branch, there are a couple of smaller branches just to the left of those two thick ones, either of them would make a good apex.
Craigw

Thanks Craig but I am afraid that they are a bit to far away from the trunk/base and may look imbalanced. Those thick branches also have some small branches that could be trained to b new leaders. But yeah, short jins they will be.
DK

One of the most outstanding features of your tree is the trunk base and you should really expose it
This pine which is a pic taken from one of my kokufu books could be a good styling guide for you
Craigw

Nice work Kvan I thought you where heading closer to something like these? All pics borrowed from Man Lung's website
http://www.manlungpenjing.org/

gday guys

I reckon craig has got the idea for the styling, a couple of bretts images are similar to that aswell which i think would be the way to go DK, you got a cracking base now, just need to show it off some

Jamie

Thanks Craig, Bretts and Jamie. I just adjust the potting angle a bit to accommodate your suggestions. Please comment on the changes.
Thanks,
Dk