HelpfulGardener.com

[img]https://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/Skeletor619/0304121727a.jpg[/img]
This is a Gollum Jade. Also known as Spoon or E.T. Finger Jade. I acquired this as a cutting from a mother plant about 3 years ago. I never intended for it to become a bonsai, or for it to grow this large, but it kind of just happened. I usually will break off any yellow, or shriveled leaves I see. Being a succulent I doubt any wiring can be done for it.
[img]https://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/Skeletor619/0304121725.jpg[/img]
Here is a Trident Maple. It started out as a mail order sapling. I've had it in this pot for a couple of years now. It's finally starting to get some real branches coming in.
[img]https://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/Skeletor619/0304121724.jpg[/img]
Here is a Itoigawa Shimpaku Juniper. This was an eBay purchase. Right now it's in a plastic training pot, and fully wired. I plan on repotting it this spring.
[img]https://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/Skeletor619/0304121723a.jpg[/img]
Here is a Procumbens Juniper. Another eBay purchase. When I got it I wasn't too pleased with two of the branches. I felt as if they were too distracting. If you look real closely at the branch to the far right, that is where I made the two cuts.

Very nice... I think you have some feel for the art of bonsai.

If what you want for the maple is to grow some real branches and trunk thickness, wouldn't it do better to plant it in a big pot or even in the ground for a couple years and just let it grow?

rainbowgardener wrote:If what you want for the maple is to grow some real branches and trunk thickness, wouldn't it do better to plant it in a big pot or even in the ground for a couple years and just let it grow?

Thank you!

Yes, I would like for the tree to become thicker. Since planting it in the ground is out of the question(I live in an apartment.), a large pot will have to be a substitute.

I like what you're doing. Nice starts.

If you don't mind a couple tips.
Trident maple - if it is just starting to branch out I would not re-pot this year. Let those branches get stronger. BUT you have a bar branch issue going on. Some time you might want to remove a couple to give a more staggered pattern. Get some movement into the trunk with wiring. Not severe - just a gentle 'wiggle' in such a way that the main branches will be on the outside of curves.

Nice wiring on the Shimpaku. Be sure that the front of the tree has the top leaning towards you - not away from you.

With the Procumbens - it would have been better to have left stumps for jin rather than total removal of the two branches, either short or long. Now the empty space is a problem. You might get lucky and new shoots might grow there. Or in the future that branch might be bent/wired in such a way as to shorten the 'empty space'.

You might also change the planting angle someday when you re-pot again.

Nice start for a collection. Good job!

TomM wrote:With the Procumbens - it would have been better to have left stumps for jin rather than total removal of the two branches, either short or long. Now the empty space is a problem. You might get lucky and new shoots might grow there. Or in the future that branch might be bent/wired in such a way as to shorten the 'empty space'.
!

I had initially planned on making the right branch a jin branch, but I'm still unsure about that at this point. I see what you're saying about me removing those two branches. Oh well... In due time hopefully new shoots will grow in there.

Thanks for the compliments, and the tips!

I also have 3 Japanese Black Pines, a Blue Atlas Cedar, an Italian Stone Pine, and a Katsura Japanese Maple. These are all still in their nursery stages.

I'm really trying to get my Blue Atlas Cedar to grow, but it hasn't shown any signs of growth since it was bought early last year.

This list of trees that you have is impressive. Hope to see them all someday no matter what stage they are in. Keep growing - and don't ever forget that bonsai is 50% horticulture and 50% art.
Enjoy!

TomM, do you have a collection of trees to share? I would love to see what you have!

Don't own a camera or even a cellphone - can you believe that? Have never posted a pic! A few of my trees can be seen at our club site - in the photo section, www.mvbonsai.com Nothing great. My best trees are more recent purchases and not yet 'shown' anywhere. That will change over the next 2 years.

From memory the collection includes.
(tropicals) 2 bougainvilleas, 1 grewia, 1 natal plum, and a couple 'play things'
(temperate and hardies), several larches including 2 forest groups,
1 Japanese maple, trident maple 'forest group' from seedlings, 2 Japanese black pines, 1 Ponderosa pine, 1 Shimpaku & 1 Prostrada juniper, 1 San Jose, various cedars and arborvitae. I also have 8-10 Japanese red pines, 1-2 year old seedlings that are quite small but are alive and well just for future class projects. Plan to get many more of these and the tridents to donate to the club once they are growing well. These make nice instructional trees and raffle items.

Favorites are definitely larch and pines.

Sorry dude about the photo thing - friends are trying to help out.

A few more to add - Korean hornbeam, Scots pines, different spruces, barberries and crab apples. the list keeps getting longer.

Had to go out in the garden to refresh my memory and brush aside some snow. Yeah I'm in zone 4b. Heavy snow 2 days ago and 66 degrees today.
It won't last.