"Don't let me go to the nursery on my lunch hour" my burning bush

[Metalgrootvader]

So, yeah. I went from nothing two weeks ago to two burning bushes, three juniper, an unknown azalea, a cotoneaster and a rescued crabapple. I have asked the ladies in our records department to strike me in the head if I say I am going to the nursery.
Here is my $12.50 find, a euonymus alatus 'compactus'. I really really like the trunk and will make it a broom style.
Plans are to remove the lower right and left branches and cut it back in spring.
That next branch up on left seems a bit thick...opinions needed.

Thoughts? Should the newbie stop yet? lol

 

[Dav4]

Very nice, tapered trunk on this one. It will make a fantastic broom style in short order...good pick up.

 

[Dav4]

It's good to have more then a couple of trees to play around with, as your less likely to overwork them. Still, keep those itchy fingers from doing anything to your new trees until spring...4-5 months from now.

 

[JudyB]

Still, keep those itchy fingers from doing anything to your new trees until spring...4-5 months from now.

Hardest part....

 

[BobbyLane]

Looks like a real tree, wouldnt mind working with that one!

 

[sorce]

I cut roots off mine no more than the "tuff" I've read about and it died.

This is well worth going slow with!

Love your titles!

Love the sticker!

Sorce

 

[Arcto]

Put down the credit card. Keep your hands in sight and slowly back away from the cash register.

 

[Metalgrootvader]

Put down the credit card. Keep your hands in sight and slowly back away from the cash register.

I had cash....untraceable.....cash....MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA

 

[Metalgrootvader]

I cut roots off mine no more than the "tuff" I've read about and it died.

This is well worth going slow with!

Love your titles!

Love the sticker!

Sorce

The sticker is from the River Smallies site!
I will go slow! promise.

 

[Cotyledon]

My suggestion with this is work the roots in the spring, with no top cutting until the following spring. Does already have taper.
(Pls post chop pics).

 

[Andrew Robson]

Cool! There are 2 options really, you can put it in a pot now and have a very unimpressive bonsai, or you could grow it in the ground and make a good bonsai with some time and patience.

My advice to make this a good bonsai would be to grow it in the ground for 5-10 years to fatten up the trunk, and then spend the next several years developing it as a bonsai. You can plant it in the ground this fall, and then whack it back in the spring. Let it grow, whack it back, and repeat for several years. If you are older and don't want to wait, you could put it in the ground for 5 years and then develop it for 5 years, but it wont be as good as really letting it fatten up in the ground with some time.

Since you are a newbie. check out Michael Hagedorn's blog posts about his burning bush.

http://crataegus.com/2012/03/18/burning-bush-seasonal-styling-and-potting/

http://crataegus.com/2015/03/24/burning-bush-revisit/

Goodluck!

PS My advice to all bonsai newbies on the web is to spend as much time reading the blogs of Bonsai Tonight, Crataegus Bonsai, and Phutu. It is the best bonsai information for Americans on the internet in my opinion, and will only help you in your bonsai quest.

 

[Vin]

Dude, you got it bad! Been there, done that, still there. I consider myself at the controlled obsession level now.

 

[GGB]

wow dude. don't do anything drastic (in haste) and you'll have yourself a pretty nice tree in that one. I'd be very jealous if I was a shrub guy

 

[Dav4]

Cool! There are 2 options really, you can put it in a pot now and have a very unimpressive bonsai, or you could grow it in the ground and make a good bonsai with some time and patience.

My advice to make this a good bonsai would be to grow it in the ground for 5-10 years to fatten up the trunk, and then spend the next several years developing it as a bonsai. You can plant it in the ground this fall, and then whack it back in the spring. Let it grow, whack it back, and repeat for several years. If you are older and don't want to wait, you could put it in the ground for 5 years and then develop it for 5 years, but it wont be as good as really letting it fatten up in the ground with some time.

Since you are a newbie. check out Michael Hagedorn's blog posts about his burning bush.

http://crataegus.com/2012/03/18/burning-bush-seasonal-styling-and-potting/

http://crataegus.com/2015/03/24/burning-bush-revisit/

Goodluck!

PS My advice to all bonsai newbies on the web is to spend as much time reading the blogs of Bonsai Tonight, Crataegus Bonsai, and Phutu. It is the best bonsai information for Americans on the internet in my opinion, and will only help you in your bonsai quest.

I will respectfully disagree and say that this could be a very respectable shohin to chuhin sized broom (hard to gauge size based on photos) in 5 years or so and without the ground growing. The trunk appears to be there as far as taper is concerned, as are the main branches. I'd remove the lowest branches down near the base, cut back the upper branches hard, then start developing the secondary and tertiary branches. Honestly, if the OP wants a bigger bonsai, he can probably find a bigger tree at a nursery or perhaps in someone's yard...no need for putting this one in the ground from where I'm standing.

 

[sorce]

If you have ground space, that wouldn't be a bad idea, as they seem to keep good close, boxwood like feeders, close to the base.

Speaking of roots, we got into a discussion about digging down for them as opposed to up from the bottom.

They usually have nicer spread below a good top matt, dig from the top down first, find your spread, then cut the bottom off to fit a pot later!

Sorce

 

[Paradox]

I am with Dav4 on this one. The guy wants to work on bonsai, not put it in the ground and watch it grow for 5 years. Can always get a bigger one later or put a second one in the ground. None of us would have gotten very far learning-wise if all we did was put stuff in the ground and watch it grow. You got to work on trees to learn. I agree this could make a very nice shohin.

 

[Andrew Robson]

You got to work on trees to learn.

I agree, you have to work on it to learn. Putting it in the ground and working it there is learning how to make a good bonsai, not a mediocre bonsai.

 

[Andrew Robson]

I will respectfully disagree and say that this could be a very respectable shohin to chuhin sized broom (hard to gauge size based on photos) in 5 years or so and without the ground growing.

I disagree, it will make an average shohin to chuhin tree, not a respectable one.

Honestly, if the OP wants a bigger bonsai, he can probably find a bigger tree at a nursery or perhaps in someone's yard...no need for putting this one in the ground from where I'm standing.

You can grow it in the ground for several years and still have a shohin or chuhin sized tree after its all said and done.


Look as I said, there are really two options. One is the easy-way-out where you end up with a average bonsai, and the other is the with hard work and patience where you create a really nice bonsai. I would encourage the OP to go back and buy another since he is on a spree, and try one each way. After looking at both trees in 10 years, I think he would have learned a valuable lesson.

 

[Dav4]

I agree, you have to work on it to learn. Putting it in the ground and working it there is learning how to make a good bonsai, not a mediocre bonsai.

If this were my material, I probably wouldn't put it in the ground...and I go out of my way not to make mediocre bonsai. This tree doesn't need ground growing. The main structure is there...time for building the fine structure...in a pot.

 

[Metalgrootvader]

Thought about it most of the day (was a slow day at work lol)

Andrew, I appreciate the advice, and if I was younger (49 next month) and had some bonsai under my belt I would possibly follow it.

I think I will be methodical and seek advice. Probably will become an inside joke "Oh great....Metal needs permission to fart again".

So if I cut back, should I leave the roots be? OR Should I work roots and repot into a bonsai pot first? I'm not sure if burning bushes are a "one insult at a time" plant. I do know I will wait until the early spring before tackling either one.

I haven't even mentioned the azalea I am gonna "Geanangel" heheheh

Why am I posting like Sorce?

Must be a smallie angler thing.