recived a with hazel plant now what

[gbhunter77]

I did get this huge witch hazel plant.. huge is. 3inch trunk and 4feet high. The problem is I cannot find any styling information on them. The plant is no flexible at all and the branches are all pointng up! Is there some sort of clip any grow method for these plants?[/u]

[tomc]

I likes 'em as a landscape. Never budded back well for me.

I gave up on mine as bonsai.

[TomM]

Why are we still acquiring more and more plants that we do not know?

There was so much 'talk' about reducing this collection to just the few that we can concentrate on and actually create bonsai from.

Focus on the good stuff instead of - I got another one, now what? That's a bit like fishing, catching a lot of them, then "how do I get it off the hook".

I think you have more trees than many bonsai professionals. But what good is it doing to have so many? You are becoming overwhelmed.

[rainbowgardener]

I have a witch hazel tree (not bonsai) in my back yard. It has very big coarse leaves. I wouldn't have thought about it as bonsai material, though maybe if you only wanted to show it in winter as a bare tree. ... Definitely temperate, deciduous, outdoor tree.

[gbhunter77]

You are very right Tom. I get these things as gifts..next time I will have to tell people my hobby is hoarding cash . I may just plant this in the yard so there is something growing there othrt than weeds, I am overwhelmed. I want to stay focused on working with mapple, shimpaku and pine. Plus the 5 tropicals I have and that's it. I also got a huge holly plant as a gift...I will see if the nursery will let me return that. I can't focus on any particular plant. I will try to sell some give it away or just toss them. The witch hazel I have a place for. The holly I should be able to return.. it just might be odd asking for the recipt. The "wind swept" I made is suited for garbage. That should make things easier. I will post images of the mugo pine which I personal think are destined for garbage. I know one is.

[tomc]

Every time I hear somebody rule a tree out because of leaf size a chestnut trained up, of a German grower comes to mind.

The rubber hits the road for me at how well a tree will bud back.

If you simply must play with obscure hearty north american trees, try a mulberry or an osage orange (bodarc).

I never got as many started as I would have liked, and couldn't bring them with me, but I liked what I saw of them when I had some.

Witch hazel's "season" for display is as other posters have noted is in late autumn when its in bloom but bare of leaves.

And WH doesn't really like the haircuts needed for even a large display tree.

[TomM]

Bottom line is - not good bonsai material - not worth the time and effort.
If you want good bonsai use good bonsai material.

[gbhunter77]

Point taken. I have reduced my ficus collection. I will focus on pine ,shimpaku and one other tree. That's it. All else is going bye bye. I will post my pine pictures....maybe, they are not very good. I was also told by Mr. Boon from CA that the clubs in Michigan are junk, and if I'm dedicated I will need to work much harder to get better. Also once phisicaly able I intend to fly to CA and take the intesive cource he offers. God willing I can beat my illness, to do this. But you guys are great here: you guys,books,dvd and the internet(be it with a large grain of salt).