Bougainvillea Styling Tips?

[quints]

Hi all, this is my first post, so here goes...

I discovered the art of bonsai about 2 years ago, and have been trying my hand at it for a while, with varying degrees of success (a few dead trees along the way haha).

I've been looking for a Bougainvillea bonsai for a while, and came across this tree in a nursery yesterday. I know the shape is far from great, but it was ridiculously cheap, and I love these trees.

The tree as is now:

[img]https://s1286.photobucket.com/user/quint ... 5.jpg.html][IMG]https://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a61 ... 2a1ed5.jpg[/img]

I think this should be the front of the tree, although the very straight branch on the left looks very unnatural...

[img]https://s1286.photobucket.com/user/quint ... d.jpg.html][IMG]https://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a61 ... 5b21bd.jpg[/img]

[img]https://s1286.photobucket.com/user/quint ... 9.jpg.html][IMG]https://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a61 ... 910579.jpg[/img]

[img]https://s1286.photobucket.com/user/quint ... c.jpg.html][IMG]https://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a61 ... c56d4c.jpg[/img]

[img]https://s1286.photobucket.com/user/quint ... c.jpg.html][IMG]https://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a61 ... 6430cc.jpg[/img]

Any tips for styling or other general ideas would seriously be appreciated I know its not the best tree, but a challenge is always good

[rainbowgardener]

Unfortunately none of your photos came through. I think for using the Img button here, they should end in jpg not html. But photobucket makes it very easy. They give you an Img code with your photo. Just click on that to copy it and then paste it in here (without our Img button).

[rainbowgardener]

Since you never came back (why bother posting all this, if you aren't going to come back and continue the conversation), I fixed some of your photos for you:













YVW!

[quints]

Thanks a lot for the help and for the photos! Sorry for the delayed reply... Do you have any suggestions for the tree?

[imafan26]

For myself, I do not like the "V", so I would keep only one of the branches. The top looked like it was cut. That is going to take a while to reshape. Usually I have learned with bonsai to let the tree tell me what it wants to do. Bougainvillea will put out very long branches so I would trim the top to promote smaller branches to form and thin it out from there. I would plant the haworthia somewhere else they like somewhat different conditions. Moss would probably be better. Bougainvillea can have very interesting trunks as they get older and moss will grow on them.

Bougainvilleas put out long canes and I find it easier to maintain them as topiary. I keep the branches trimmed back into balls or umbrels. It needs to be done often.

[imafan26]

sorry double post

[quints]

If I chop the 'V' branch, should I do it at the black line to be safe or at the red? Also, if I do trim the tree, should I trim it at the black line to be safe, or harshly at roughly the red line to promote heavy growth?



Its early summer here now, so is this the right time to do it? thanks for the advice, will move the Haworthia soon.

[Artisans]

Quick Bougie Progression...

bougie1.jpg (63.75 KiB) Viewed 12219 times

bougie3.jpg (63.97 KiB) Viewed 12219 times

bougie4.jpg (44.58 KiB) Viewed 12219 times

Bougainvillea progression...

[rainbowgardener]

Thanks, Artisan, I'm really enjoying your pictures.

So that is all the same Bougainvillea? Over what time span?

[Artisans]

Yes, Rainbowgardner about 2 years time.

As for QUINTS tree:
As painful as it may seem, this is what I would do if it were my tree. I teach classes at our nursery and sometimes it's very hard to get a new student in the Introduction to Bonsai class to make these extreme cuts but they are VERY necessary if you want a nice tree. Once they do (I usually have to do it for them) they began to develop a REALLY NICE tree and are happy with the decision.

Don't re-pot until it grows back. You can develop it in the same pot for a year or 2 before re-potting. If you can use some of the existing top branches to go ahead. To increase or "catch-up" the first bottom branch and make it the fattest (which it should be) simply wire the branch (when hard enough) and bend the tip UP. This will cause the branch to think it is an "apex" or top and take off, adding thickness to the branch. You can cut it back to normal length later.

Bonsai takes patience but it will happen faster than you think. These kind of steps are NECESSARY in order to have nice trees. Don't worry what other people think when they see it. They don't know what they are doing but NOW you do. If you are worried about their opinion then put it away and show it when it's developed more. If you don't do these things you will CONSTANTLY be "chasing it back" and never get the look you want.

VERY NICE TRUNK and that's all you need to start with. Branches we can always grow.

NOTICE THE ASYMMETRICAL TRIANGLE IN GREEN