Are you experienced?

[barrosinc]

And watch those roots! See how you're getting a few huge ones? You don't want that. You want lots of small ones coming off the base of the tree.

how would you address that??? lifting it up from the ground and root pruning? Cutting the long roots really short?? Or some other method without lifting the tree?

 

[Adair M]

Dig the tree, prune the roots back.

Without digging the tree, use a saws all to cut them.

You really don't want big heavy roots. They'll always be big and heavy. You want fine roots coming off the trunk.

The root work should have been done before it was planted in the ground. Develop a good root system first. It's much harder to fix bad old roots than it is to proactively create a good root system when the tree is very young.

Most people new to bonsai work the branches first. Branches are the last thing that needs to be developed!

Roots first, then trunk, then branches. Take the time it takes to save time!

 

[barrosinc]

every time I read the title of this thread, it makes me think about



hahahaha no offense intended

 

[Paradox]

Ok Al, you want us to show you something? I dont post much about my trees lately because they are still under development and I dont feel I have anything meaningful to add with them....yet, because as we know, bonsai takes time. In any case, I braved the relatively balmy 30 deg F temperatures this morning to take some pictures of the second tree I bought ever in 2011, the first being my mallsai juniper that got me back into this crazy hobby. So I consider this the first potentially real tree I bought.

I will be updating this thread: http://www.bonsainut.com/index.php?threads/scots-pine-what-to-do-is-it-worth-it.8692/ as I get the pics downloaded and resized. Anybody remember this tree? Well it is still alive almost four years later and I have been slowly transforming it. It still has a couple of years until I feel it will be in a better form to show, but Al wants to challenge us to show him something, fine, here is my contribution...stay tuned.

 

[Smoke]

Ok Al, you want us to show you something? .

I don't need a picture. I would just like to see people do the work. Just do it. Asking questions and getting replies means nothing. 99 percent of the advice given here will most likely not work due to;

• where you live
• fail do to crappy soil
• fail do to unhealthy tree in the first place
• poor watering practises
• not enough fertilizer
• potted incorrectly
• etc, etc.

Work must be done to gain an understanding of the horticultural practises need to keep plants healthy and thriving in small amounts of soil over periods of decades. To thrive in the art one must know and understand what every cut and nip will do to the plant at any given time of the year. when to decandle, when to defoliate, is it healthy enough for defoliation, does it even need defoliation on this rudimentary canopy. How do I enlarge a trunk, how to I produce taper, when and where do I chop.
Do it. And then buy another tree and do it again. Do it on fifty trees and you will be experienced at trunk chopping. Build taper on fifty trees and you will be experienced at that. Anyone see a pattern here? Can anyone equate this to an apprenticeship in Japan. Learning bonsai technique to rote. Learn by assembly line and mistakes and one will never forget them.

If your scotts pine has improved over the years, its not because you asked questions here, its because you did some work. You did it. Thats all I ask for.

 

[LanceMac10]

The last several days have reminded me that its still winter here. Not much going on outside, but a lot going on inside..... View attachment 67801

still out there, @Don Blackmond ? Bonsai....and shoveling!!!!!

 

[Ohmy222]

You say it takes time but then complain you don’t see people posting instant results. Hard to gauge if it is being followed. You just have to hope some master 20 years from now will say the advice on this forum made them who they were and pushed them to be great and love both the art and the community. Maybe Smoke was the inspiration for the next Kimura.

 

[Underdog]

I don't need a picture. I would just like to see people do the work. Just do it. Asking questions and getting replies means nothing. 99 percent of the advice given here will most likely not work due to;

• where you live
• fail do to crappy soil
• fail do to unhealthy tree in the first place
• poor watering practises
• not enough fertilizer
• potted incorrectly
• etc, etc.

from 2015 but timeless smoke LOL