Acer Katsura progression.

[fredman]

I bought two of them to plant in the ground. This one got so battered by the wind, I took it out and put it in a shallow container. Now 3years later I have a plan for it.
This is it fresh in the container.

I then chopped it low, and put it in the ground. Didn't know what to do with it...so I just let it stand in the ground. It grew shoots but that terrible wind (I live in THE windiest city in the world) kept breaking them. Also, it died back terribly....I thought at one stage i'm going to loose it.
I eventually dug it up again and sheltered it in the cold frame.

This is what it looks like now

And this is the plan...actually more of a direction I want to go with it.

I'll replant it on a board come spring, put it back in the ground and start working on the nebari. Naturally I will give it maximum protection against the wind this time round.
Also...I don't plant directly into the ground. I like putting them in a sizable plastic storage container (essentially a big bonsai pot, plenty bigger holes drilled round the sides, and only a few smaller one in the bottom) filled with bonsai soil, and put that in the ground. It grows just as fast as when it's in the ground, but makes lifting it so much easier.
Anyway...any comments or suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[Pitoon]

That's looks like a cool project! I didn't realize how big the trunk was until I saw the pic of the chop. That was a pretty big tree. You could have air layered that trunk every year for 5yrs and then you could have had 5 shohin projects

 

[fredman]

That's looks like a cool project! I didn't realize how big the trunk was until I saw the pic of the chop. That was a pretty big tree. You could have air layered that trunk every year for 5yrs and then you could have had 5 shohin projects

Tell me about it... i've been trying to kick myself in the .... the last few months since I realised that....but it's to late now.
Thing is, I didn't feel like bonsai the last two or so years...personal reasons. Now that i'm rejuvenated again, all that ideas are flooding back in...
It's OK though...nothing is ever for nothing

 

[fredman]

The scar will definitely look different in time. All depends how and where it heals, and where the live vains stabilizes...that's the theory anyways.