A Ruckus !

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Purging... Thanks!
 
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sawgrass said:
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Recently acquired this... getting harder and harder to find these old guys.
Got some big plans for it, and see a bright future for it ahead. I plan on taking
some years with it to actually build the tree up, and create a much taller tree, with
the apex more than likely ending up above the top deadwood.
It also will be shifted to a new angle if the tree permits.
Thought I name it Ruckus, cause it's deadwood reminds me of one !!!
This is a big tree, I put a tape measure in for scale.
Click to expand...
Wow! That was a great find.
 
I'm looking forward to seeing this transformed. Have you decided how you are going to arrange the foliage yet?
 
It looks so much nicer in that pot :)

One comment (not a criticism) is that I don't see a live vein. All I see is deadwood. With a tree this nice you wouldn't want it to look like a phoenix graft. Perhaps it is there and I can't see it (always tough when looking at photos). [EDIT] Nevermind I see it. I just had to have my second cup of coffee, LOL.
 
sawgrass said:
It's a tough call, but for me,
I think you gotta go with the deadwood as the front. It has much more
Interest. What do you think? Also, the live vein section that is
Visible on the front I believe has died. This happened before it
Came into my possession.
Click to expand...

I was actually wondering about the back. The one photo that you posted it is hard to see because of the foliage, but there is really strong movement in the little bit I can see. Do you think you could get another photo with the foliage pulled back a little? Forgetting the trunk and deadwood for a moment, does the nebari strongly suggest one front versus the other?
 
Very very cool. I love buttonwoods. This one is such a good example of the awesome deadwood features they have. I wish I could grow them where I live. I don't think they would take well to overwintering indoors.
 
I'm anxious to see how it turns out. You say they like a lot of water. What is your soil like for them? Seems like most Floridian bonsai people use the Wigert's soil (turface/bark/lava) but I haven't paid much attention to buttonwood.
 
I dont see how you expect to pot it anywhere close to this angle due to the roots at the bottom (lower left) would be in the soil, the roots on the opposite side would be above ground. OR, if the roots on the right were in soil, the roots on the left would be 6 inches underground. I think that if you insist on potting at such an extreme angle, you will need to do it in stages over the course of several years and subsquent repottings at progressively more acute angles.
 
lordy said:
I dont see how you expect to pot it anywhere close to this angle due to the roots at the bottom (lower left) would be in the soil, the roots on the opposite side would be above ground. OR, if the roots on the right were in soil, the roots on the left would be 6 inches underground. I think that if you insist on potting at such an extreme angle, you will need to do it in stages over the course of several years and subsquent repottings at progressively more acute angles.
Click to expand...

Buttonwood grow in standing water and any size branch/trunk could be rooted in water.
If he chopped literally all of the roots off, fit the tree to the angle he wanted, put it in soil and a pot, and sat it in a tub of water; it would root and survive.
At least here in Florida.

EDIT:

@Stacy

I've been told Buttonwood develop "finer" root systems in the Standard with 50% Miracle Gro added 1:1.
I believe this came from Ed Trout, but I don't quite remember.
We both know that you can't overwater a Buttonwood, so the added organic soil just makes them that much happier.
I only have one in a bonsai pot, and that is the mix I've been using and it has developed very nicely in the year that I've had it.

For the record though, I don't get hung up on soil mixes.
You can grow anything you want, in anything you want as long as you water accordingly.
 
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I actually liked it before the work was done.
I miss seeing the foliage- maybe I'm not a visionary.
Please keep posting pics because I'm sure it will be lovely.

I'm in iowa and I use the wigerts mix also on my trees.
 
I'm still waiting for some advice on mine so I surely am not qualified to comment on yours. I will say though it appears as though you're giving it a hell of a workout. They must be a lot tougher than I thought.
 
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sawgrass said:
Man... where are all the people who usually post on my
Threads ??? I guess cause there is nothing controversial
To discuss they have moved on... kinda funny, cause I am
Always told by these same folks that I am the problem.
But, when pics and talk of trees are posted it's dead quite...
Kinda hypocritical don't you think ???
Click to expand...

Doesn't this post make it seem like you are TRYING to be the problem? You could think this thing all around in circles I guess... Regardless- nice tree I guess... I am kind of salty about Buttonwoods because I think they a re pretty cool, but don't have a good situation for a bunch of tropicals, so I don't and probably WON'T own one...
 
I think u told everyone not to come on your thread to start sh$; so probably they look at the info posted and moved on.
I think it's a blessing and you should be happy about your trees. Drama will happen eventually no reason to encourage it.
 
OK, I'll bite,

Post # 25 - image 3, You now have a "Jennifer Lopez style big Booty Buttonwood" with a butt of dead wood sticking up. Now I ain't got nothin' against a "baby with big back", but frankly on a tree, I don't know.

You are right, the strongest, most attractive feature is all the dead wood. I'm not sure this is the best way to show it.

My recommendation would be to not mess with the potting angle for a couple years, see if with foliage, maybe a pad or two in the right place can make it look more natural. Right now it looks strange.

Worse case 5 years from now go back to something closer to the original potting angle. What ever you do, don't cut off much if any of the dead wood. It is the strong point. Time might reveal how to show it better.

But that is my taste - its your tree,
 
I try not to get too upset if people don't comment on my trees when I post them. I figure that if the tree is worth commenting on (good or bad) then people will do it. I know my trees aren't great, but I know they're not worthless either. Please don't take this as a comment that your trees are crap and that's not why people are commenting on them. I think you have great material. It's just that I notice people tend to respond to novice "sticks in pots" posts and world class bonsai posts. Often people don't want to take the time to say, "That's a good start, but it has a long way to go."
 
I'm completely sure Eric wouldn't lead you down the wrong path with this tree. What I would give to have him as a resource for my trees. It's a great thing.
 
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