Another Mame Cotoneaster - triple trunk or double trunk?

[Hartinez]

Hey all. Here is another little tree I started last year. You can see it’s initial stages in This thread here along with another mame Cotoneaster I’m a big fan of.

After exposing more of the base the triple trunk I had planned was starting to not look as good. The base was didn’t flare the way I had hoped.

With that said, with as fast as these grow, it’ll still make a killer little tree.

The question...

KEEP AS A TRIPLE TRUNK?

REDUCE TO A DOUBLE TRUNK?
or

GO TO A SINGLE TRUNK?

i do have an idea in mind, but I’m curious what the BNUT hive mind thinks.

 

[Hartinez]

Like this was my thought.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Saw that as well from your first pic.

 

[coachspinks]

Like this was my thought.
View attachment 298034

I agree. The one you are eliminating is very straight with no taper. I don't see that as something you can fix.

 

[PiñonJ]

Definitely better without the left trunk (first pic). Keeping two trunks still leaves you with some inverse taper. If you remove the middle trunk, as well, you’ll be establishing some taper and you have nice movement off to the right.

 

[Shibui]

I think it is more than just the straight trunk. All trunks have the same thickness which interferes with visual flow. Shorter trunks look far better when they are thinner than the main trunk.
All trunks coming from a single point will encourage local thickening leading to reverse taper. I'm all for taking off the straight trunk as well.

 

[Hartinez]

3rd trunk gone!! Carved a bit and wired out the branches available.

 

[penumbra]

Much better bonsai-ish. You made the right move and it doesn't really need to be over analyzed.

 

[Hartinez]

Much better bonsai-ish. You made the right move and it doesn't really need to be over analyzed.

Yeah at this point it just needs to grow. I just thought I’d get a little bit of input in the process. If this one goes anything like the other one I’ve got, should be almost a full canopy by the end of the season.

 

[penumbra]

If this one goes anything like the other one I’ve got, should be almost a full canopy by the end of the season.

That sounds about right. I prune my cotoneasters every week or two. They develop tons of back budding. They are really fun to play with.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Nice move, I like the 2 trunk version.

 

[Hartinez]

Nice move, I like the 2 trunk version.

Thanks Leo. When it fills in it’ll have a great little shape and look like the other. Though the other one I’ve got is nice, I’m really liking the asymmetry of this one.

it makes me want to buy a whole collection of these little Cotoneaster and start a bunch. They do so well here.

 

[LCD35]

Glad I saw this. It reminded me to go prune mine and keep the random growth under control; I know the crotch growth and random shoots popping means it has energy, but you have to stay on top of it to keep growth focused towards the goal.