AusBonsai

hey everyonw,

some of you have prob seen pics of this mume stock tree in a few of my other posts. a few weeks ago i cut back all the flowering branches to two nodes. it has since started to sprout everywhere so thought i should take some pics while it is still reasonably leafless.

i am so stuck on what to do with this tree. there are so many thick branches and quite possibly many options for styling. i intend to airlayer all branches not required. well, a few of them anyways. i tried to take the best pics i could from my phone.

the tree is about 60 cm high and the trunk is easily the circumference of the bottom of a champagne bottle.

any virts or advice for styling the main trunk are desperatley seeked...please help hehe

Once you've layered off all you want, the radical solution might be to decide on the One Clear Trunk Line, then cut off all the other branches to stubs - you would do this just before spring next year. Then you get budding at the stubs and elsewhere, so you can grow new, finer, well shaped branches to suit the trunk line. I'll admit I've had non-budding disasters with Japanese maples using this approach, so to avoid this, you would feed well through the growing season, and cut back halfway in autumn, to encourage back budding. I think there is a very good, strong trunk line somewhere in there, possibly several, but the profusion of thick high branches confuses the picture.

This is only my opinion, and it does carry risks, but a plum tree does need a clear strong trunk line - brooms for me are more for the leafy elmy things. You should probably get more opinions on whether, and how, to take such a radical step.

Gavin

It makes it harder from the high angle Astro can you take some pictures from less of an angle also showing more sides.

hi bretts
here are some more pics. sorry about the quality

I saw those on the last thread Astro
If you take a few more at different angles just as in N#7 it would be great. Perfect if you can slip the pot of for the pictures but ok if you can't do that. It's a nice tree want to make sure we have the full picture

will get new pics. just not in the same location of the tree at present so searched laptop for any existing ones i had

Beautiful Astro
So many options. As has been mentioned, you need to pick a trunkline and remove the rest so you can get some definition happening

I woud get your layers on soon, so you can remove them and start to develop the tree

Ken

Heres a trunkline and its origin for ya mate.

Hey Astro, Its hard looking at these trees with all the thick top branches so i just cut them all off a couple weeks ago, it has started budding everywhere.

Do it now!
Sorry i dont have any design advice, I wouldnt mind some aswell

No don't!

Can see the structure fine just need at least 4 pics at horizontal level

thanks guys and thanks anttal for your virt. was hoping you would give me one!

when is the best time to airlayer? now?

also, any trunk line i follow will create a lot of scarring. really need to get my head around this. i have a few ideas for how i would like it to look once its established. just nto sure how to get there and my carving experience is limited. last thing i want to do is kill this tree or do something ireversable. normally i am not this hestiant with getting stuck into a tree but this tree i really wanna make the right choices.

antall, after the main trunk line that you showed, how would u then style for a finished product?

i will attach some pics i have for inspiration. not sure if i can do anything liek these though. they arent my pic, i just googled them

Hey Astro first let me say the pics you put up, love the 3rd one the rest would not interest me in owning!

Now the trunk line i have pointed out will leave a trail of ruin. FANTASTIC!!! for this specie should be looked upon like junipers. Deadwood v live vein. When doing the chops to this trunkline, i would leave decent size stubss/ jin to carve later. I would not worry about the final carve for at least couple of years until such time you have done enough research / practice to feel confident. If you're ever in Melb i'd be happy to play. I'm sure there are people capable of teaching you up there. Now the priority is to reduce this trunk and get it popping where you may be able to use it and only then would i be making decisions on final styling. Air layering, i wouldn't bother wasting the time and would much rather get on with this material in front of you. Now the rest is up to you>>> You need anything you know how to find me...

thanks anttal. i really wanna layer a few of the branches off. mainly so if i do something dumb and kill this beauty i have a stock tree or two to play with still. i really liked the same one as you. in fact i am quite confident i can get something looking liek that since i have a nice curve in the lower trunk.

i will take some more pics this weekend, choose the exact branch i want to keep as start layering a few and remove the rest leaving some nice stubs. there are buds absolutely smothering the whole tree. it is shooting everywhere. nothing sprouting on the trunk yet but you can see the buds all over it just the same

hey guys,

bored at work so did some fiddling on my iphone hehe. i used Anttal's suggested trunk line and came up with this possible veirt. its a bit crude as still learning to use the iphone app but let me know your ideas and feedback

oh, i intend on leaving some jin and dead wood so the rough stump branches are meant to signify that