Baby Brazilian Rain Tree advice wanted
- Thread starter brainfree
- Start date
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
You are as obnoxious as your icon. I stand by everything I posted. Prove me wrong, or state clearly that you have a different opinion, which is different than being right.No inane PDF?
brainfree
Mame
I'm with Forsoothe here Lance. Instead of just saying "nope", please state clearly what, and why your saying this. Leave the PDF's at home please. Frankly I'm a little annoyed we're having this converstion.
Haxor Dave
Mame
I know of 3 different ones your normal one with thorns a Thornless an a Thornless flowering one.
brainfree
Mame
It’s been a while and my baby Brazilian Rain Tree is still a baby.
And it’s looks like it’ll stay that way.
When I first purchased this tree I thought the leaves were tiny because it was a just a young tree, but as I let it grow, the leaves have stayed very small compared to my other BRT. I’ve been wondering if there is such a thing as a dwarf variety.
Anyway, I recently brought it to my local bonsai club to get some advice and someone suggested a windswept style.
A merchant happened to be selling Tokoname pots at the meeting and as soon as I saw this pot I knew I’d found what I was looking for.
It’s still a work in progress and I’m not sure how to proceed with the two branches on the right side to aid in the windswept style. Any advice?
And it’s looks like it’ll stay that way.
When I first purchased this tree I thought the leaves were tiny because it was a just a young tree, but as I let it grow, the leaves have stayed very small compared to my other BRT. I’ve been wondering if there is such a thing as a dwarf variety.
Anyway, I recently brought it to my local bonsai club to get some advice and someone suggested a windswept style.
A merchant happened to be selling Tokoname pots at the meeting and as soon as I saw this pot I knew I’d found what I was looking for.
It’s still a work in progress and I’m not sure how to proceed with the two branches on the right side to aid in the windswept style. Any advice?
leatherback
The Treedeemer
I do not really see why this would be a windswept.
I do see some bigger small leaves at the bottom left. I would guess if you let this grow and prune it less, you would see larger leaves.
I do see some bigger small leaves at the bottom left. I would guess if you let this grow and prune it less, you would see larger leaves.
Russ1
Yamadori
Nice little tree and I do see it as windswept...
The branches on the right IMO look out of place for that though and too long.
I would shorten them a little at a time to see what it looks like. You can always cut more but can't put it back.
Also the one at the apex pointing to the right, you could shorten that or remove it.
Make sure to cut above a node to allow for die back. you could remove them if you are daring..
The lowest right branch I can not see where it originates from, if from behind you could shorten it and try to get it to bud back closer to the trunk then wire it to the back and left, I don't think it can be wired as is since it may be too thick to bend close to the trunk.
Use the cover them up trick, cover them with something neutral in color, a bag, paper, towel, a hand, etc. and make them invisible, stand back and look at it.
The branches on the right IMO look out of place for that though and too long.
I would shorten them a little at a time to see what it looks like. You can always cut more but can't put it back.
Also the one at the apex pointing to the right, you could shorten that or remove it.
Make sure to cut above a node to allow for die back. you could remove them if you are daring..
The lowest right branch I can not see where it originates from, if from behind you could shorten it and try to get it to bud back closer to the trunk then wire it to the back and left, I don't think it can be wired as is since it may be too thick to bend close to the trunk.
Use the cover them up trick, cover them with something neutral in color, a bag, paper, towel, a hand, etc. and make them invisible, stand back and look at it.
brainfree
Mame
I let it grow this summer until some branches were 15" long, and still the leaves stayed small.
I agree. And yes they are too thick to bend. I thought about using guy wires to bend them gradually over time.....or I could just prune them. But I like your Idea of shortening them over time.
I think I might just remove that one.
Like this?
Russ1
Yamadori
Yes, perfect! I like that.. Not that it matters, it's what you like.
Millard B.
Yamadori
Initially I agreed with Leatherback, now that you eliminated the right hand branches there are still more decisions to be made.
The bottom two left hand branches are stacked atop one another like a double barrel shotgun, they look fair now but in 10 years they will begin to fuse together, one or the other should be eliminated. Then the top is way too busy- less is more! It seems to me that the small rock at the left side of the base of the trunk is blocking being able to see any trunk flair. BRTs will grow like a weed, in order to get taper cut back to just past the first internode, then let it grow for 2 or 3 internodes, repeat, repeat, repeat. There are way too many mediocre bonsai, some of mine included. Last year I was given one of the original six BRTs grown from seed that Jim Moody's sister sent him in the 1970s, it was a Monster. over 15' tall . 20 ' wide. It was field grown for 40 years without irrigation or fertilizer. I pressure washed all the leaves off. I planted it next to my kitchen window, was almost as tall as my house but had only one small ball of hair roots. It was planted June 2022, was dead by Feb 2023, when was cutting it back to remove the "dead" stump I noticed a couple tiny dormant buds starting to open. I cut the root back to fit in a 25 gallon pot and applied root hormone Dip-N-Grow and powder over it. Now the half dead stump looks like a Chia Pet. I've been a member of the West Palm Beach bonsai club for 44 years, I have my idea what I want it to be but I'm taking it to a workshop next month with Suthin to see if our viewpoints are similar.
Sometimes when I can't figure what to do with a tree I open John Naka's Bonsai Techniques 1 and 2 for ideas!
The bottom two left hand branches are stacked atop one another like a double barrel shotgun, they look fair now but in 10 years they will begin to fuse together, one or the other should be eliminated. Then the top is way too busy- less is more! It seems to me that the small rock at the left side of the base of the trunk is blocking being able to see any trunk flair. BRTs will grow like a weed, in order to get taper cut back to just past the first internode, then let it grow for 2 or 3 internodes, repeat, repeat, repeat. There are way too many mediocre bonsai, some of mine included. Last year I was given one of the original six BRTs grown from seed that Jim Moody's sister sent him in the 1970s, it was a Monster. over 15' tall . 20 ' wide. It was field grown for 40 years without irrigation or fertilizer. I pressure washed all the leaves off. I planted it next to my kitchen window, was almost as tall as my house but had only one small ball of hair roots. It was planted June 2022, was dead by Feb 2023, when was cutting it back to remove the "dead" stump I noticed a couple tiny dormant buds starting to open. I cut the root back to fit in a 25 gallon pot and applied root hormone Dip-N-Grow and powder over it. Now the half dead stump looks like a Chia Pet. I've been a member of the West Palm Beach bonsai club for 44 years, I have my idea what I want it to be but I'm taking it to a workshop next month with Suthin to see if our viewpoints are similar.
Sometimes when I can't figure what to do with a tree I open John Naka's Bonsai Techniques 1 and 2 for ideas!
Russ1
Yamadori
Actually it looks like the bottom branch comes out at a 45 degs or so then curves to the side, which to me would make perfect sense for wind swept. Hard to see from the picture.i would maybe remove the next one up and see what that looks like.
brainfree
Mame
Yes I agree. There are still many decisions to be made. I haven't actually done any trimming, other than the one branch going the wrong way at the top. That was just a mark up.
Initially the front of the tree was this side where you see the root over rock.
But when I found this pot, it dictated that the front should be on this side, because the angle is right for a windswept and I like the blue on this side of the pot.
Regardless, decisions still to be made. Both branches on the right side jut straight out, so I think I'll just let it grow for another year or two and see what the tree says then. However, now that I see a picture of the root over rock side, perhaps I should reconsider.....so many decisions.
Thanks for all your comments.
