Grewia progression

ABCarve · Jul 17, 2015

So here's a Grewia post.
History- Started from a cutting 1991. Nurtured as a flowering ornamental by my mother until 2012. I would give periodic haircuts once or twice a year on my visits. These haircuts implied bonsai. The grow was always long and leggy because of how the flowers form. First pic was after putting it into an available bonsai pot and a severe pruning Dec 2, 2012.

Letting it grow out - July 29, 2013

ABCarve · Jul 17, 2015

May 22 2014. An even more severe pruning and root reduction into a much smaller pot. Hmmmm? My thought was to try to slow it down to get flowers on shorter branching. Kinda of successful...but still pretty wild looking July 1, 2014. The smaller pot really doesn't complement any aspect of the tree.

ABCarve · Jul 17, 2015

June 3 2015. Moderate spring pruning and some wiring to try to give direction and take out some wildness. June 6 - Seeing that wiring/bending the branch would put the flowers in closer proximity to the rest of the foliage I began wiring all the branches into S-curves and pulling them down. The tails of the wires were left on so as it grew (quite vigorous) the branch could be continuously wired and shape. July 7 - Many of the branches have out-grown the wire and have been cut off and replaced. Put in a new pot color to complement the purple flowers and the corners altered to collaborate the shape of the flower.

ABCarve · Jul 17, 2015

The tree seems to be just a green triangle with posies. No place for the birds to fly through. So....what do you think? Is this just the growth habit and be happy with where it is? Try to build some negative space into a kinda boring triangle? Does the pot fit the tree? Up for discussion?

zachkent29 · Jul 17, 2015

Very nice tree and I'm really digging the pot combo!

ABCarve · Jul 17, 2015

zachkent29 said:
Very nice tree and I'm really digging the pot combo!

Thanks....any thoughts on the other questions.

zachkent29 · Jul 17, 2015

ABCarve said:
Thanks....any thoughts on the other questions.

Sure. I would like to see into the canopy a little more, yes. I think I would also prefer if the apex was rounded a little.

I'd like to see the foliage brought in just a little...but then you wouldn't have flowers...

ABCarve · Jul 17, 2015

zachkent29 said:
Sure. I would like to see into the canopy a little more, yes. I think I would also prefer if the apex was rounded a little.

I'd like to see the foliage brought in just a little...but then you wouldn't have flowers...

The material doesn't seem to be one that will become tightly ramified...at least so far. Anyone have experience with this material?

MaverickLancer · Jul 17, 2015

Grewia has been difficult for me. No matter what I do, I can't seem to tighten up the internodes.

I'm personally not a fan of the 2015 pot. The bright orange and sharp corners create too stark of a contrast for me. I also agree with zachkent that it's too sharp of a triangle at the top. Maybe round it out and try to define some pads like for something like this...?

ABCarve · Jul 17, 2015

First...Wow that is a chubby grewia!! I guess I never saw one grown in it natural environment. I'm with you on the pointy top....I'm or it's working (growing) on that point. My nodes seem to be close enough but I don't get tight terciary branching. I think this is what makes it difficult to create pads. Your flowers are on short branches....how do you do that? Maybe your zone? I'm zone 5b. Thanks for the crit on the pot. Any info you can ad is appreciated.

MaverickLancer · Jul 17, 2015

ABCarve said:
First...Wow that is a chubby grewia!! I guess I never saw one grown in it natural environment. I'm with you on the pointy top....I'm or it's working (growing) on that point. My nodes seem to be close enough but I don't get tight terciary branching. I think this is what makes it difficult to create pads. Your flowers are on short branches....how do you do that? Maybe your zone? I'm zone 5b. Thanks for the crit on the pot. Any info you can ad is appreciated.

The picture I attached isn't mine. I'm a long ways away from that. It's one I just have saved as inspiration for my Grewia.

Mine is here: http://www.bonsainut.com/index.php?threads/lavender-star-flower-grewia.19209/

It recovered from its fungus issue and is throwing out long leggy growth (likely due to the fact that my tiny balcony isn't getting as much sun as it should).

ABCarve · Jul 18, 2015

Thanks for the links....very helpful!! One linked said "only use aluminum wire". I haven't found copper wire to be a problem at all. I use a very inorganic soil mix (a little peat) but the tree can get wilty pretty quick on a hot day. It is a bit of a water suck. One thing with using all the S-curves is that growing out will hopefully put on some wood, and give it some health, without it looking too rank and wild. It'll be interesting to see what under there when I cut it back.
About your yellow leaf drop.....Mine drops almost every leaf in early spring as it gets ready to start pushing. It also drops leaves regularly through the growing season. It definitely like sun. It flowers more prolifically on the side that faces afternoon sun.

Robert E Holt · Jul 18, 2015

Very nice tree. I agree with the comment about the pointy top. A little more rounded would be nice. I also think adding some negative space would enhance the aesthetic. Oh, and I also like the pot. My first thought was that it was a good change. Looking more critically though, it does stand out a bit much. The bonsai pot is supposed to compliment the tree without drawing the eye away. I guess I could go either way with that one.

ABCarve · Jul 18, 2015

Robert E Holt said:
Looking more critically though, it does stand out a bit much. The bonsai pot is supposed to compliment the tree without drawing the eye away. I guess I could go either way with that one.

I guess that's what happens in using an unconventional pot. It's bit more yellow in person. My thoughts on it change from day to day, but I haven't seen anything I like better.....yet.

Robert E Holt · Jul 18, 2015

Unconventional is good, never be afraid to take the unbeaten path.

fredman · Jul 18, 2015

In the wild they sometimes forms rounded little trees, but they like to also form scrambling bushes that uses other scrubs to support them. They are half bush/tree and half almost climber

They are profusing flowerists. Beautiful site all summer long in the wild...

ABCarve · Jul 19, 2015

fredman said:
In the wild they sometimes forms rounded little trees, but they like to also form scrambling bushes that uses other scrubs to support them. They are half bush/tree and half almost climber
They are profusing flowerists. Beautiful site all summer long in the wild...

Nice to hear about their natural growth habit. From my experience it does seem to be viney. Mine doesn't seem to totally stop flowering. Even when cut back it's not long till buds show up. Might be nice to use one in a landscape planting and let it interact with the other trees as you described.

ABCarve · Jul 21, 2015

Observation
To see if cutting off old flowers would increase flowering, as an experiment, I chose to cut all the open flowers off at the end of the day....about 7 PM. The next morning - 9 AM, voila, a whole new crop - more prolific and evenly distributed. The second time I did this I wanted to see how early they come out and went out early- 6:30 AM- to see. What I found were these little guys prying open the ripe flower buds. The bud pictured is being double-teamed. Not sure if they actually open it or just expedite the process, but they sure do like 'em. By the end of day the flowers have the crap beat out of them and need to be cut off.

ABCarve · Jul 27, 2015

I get by with a little help from my friends!

Giga · Jul 27, 2015

Pretty cool tree, new species for me

Grewia progression

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