End of season trim - down under

[Shibui]

We've had a couple of frosts and the deciduous trees have almost finished dropping leaves so I can now see the branch structure clearly. Time to trim.

Started out with a couple of trident groups



Then a larger Japanese maple because it has been well trimmed through summer and did not need much off now.


Then on to some smaller bonsai
A couple of hollow trunk tridents
Before:
and after:

Some even smaller bonsai
before:
and afters:

A couple more tridents:
before:
After:

This one started out as a bit of a joke. The pot was a prize in a competition. Not something I'd choose for myself but maybe it's Ok with this tree? I'm liking how the tree is developing now.
Before:
After:

That tree is not sure where it is headed but I spotted a couple of possible smaller trees in it.

First is a much shorter version of the current front - just using the first branch as it has some great character

Second option is the opposite side - again just using one branch on that side as the tree

 

[Jrmcmich]

Some cool trees you have there. Last one I do like option 1 better myself. Always like seeing pictures for inspiration ideas for trees. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Shibui]

Trimmed a few more maples today.





I defoliated this old Japanese maple some years ago in preparation for a show. Result was sunburn on the branches and, eventually, one of the main trunks died completely. Been menaing to do something with it for a couple of years now. Maybe this winter?

 

[Cajunrider]

We've had a couple of frosts and the deciduous trees have almost finished dropping leaves so I can now see the branch structure clearly. Time to trim.

Started out with a couple of trident groups
View attachment 547446
View attachment 547447

Then a larger Japanese maple because it has been well trimmed through summer and did not need much off now.
View attachment 547448

Then on to some smaller bonsai
A couple of hollow trunk tridents
Before:View attachment 547450
and after:View attachment 547451

Some even smaller bonsai
before:View attachment 547452
and afters:View attachment 547453View attachment 547454View attachment 547455View attachment 547457

A couple more tridents:
before:View attachment 547460
After:View attachment 547463

This one started out as a bit of a joke. The pot was a prize in a competition. Not something I'd choose for myself but maybe it's Ok with this tree? I'm liking how the tree is developing now.
Before:View attachment 547461
After:View attachment 547462

That tree is not sure where it is headed but I spotted a couple of possible smaller trees in it.

First is a much shorter version of the current front - just using the first branch as it has some great character
View attachment 547464
Second option is the opposite side - again just using one branch on that side as the tree
View attachment 547465

I wanna be skilled like Shibui

 

[eugenev2]

Trimmed a few more maples today.
View attachment 548114
View attachment 548115
View attachment 548118View attachment 548119
View attachment 548120View attachment 548121

I defoliated this old Japanese maple some years ago in preparation for a show. Result was sunburn on the branches and, eventually, one of the main trunks died completely. Been menaing to do something with it for a couple of years now. Maybe this winter?
View attachment 548116View attachment 548117

Has it not been unusually hot for you there in OZ? Here in SA our weather has been so strange, chilly in the morning and evening, but 25C during the day, all of my trees still look like its spring

 

[Balbs]

C

do something with it

Shibui, I’m curious what you were planning for it?

 

[bonsaiwood]

Wow, really digging your JM in the blue oval, 3rd photo. Reminds me of a big ancient California Valley Oak with its twisty branching.

 

[RoadManDenDron]

Did you put the moss in the hollow trident or did it grow by itself?

I guess if you added it its to add character as it rots the inside?

 

[Shibui]

Has it not been unusually hot for you there in OZ? Here in SA our weather has been so strange, chilly in the morning and evening, but 25C during the day, all of my trees still look like its spring

We had a relatively mild and wet summer but the rain suddenly stopped a few months ago. Now it is VERY dry though that's no affecting the bonsai much. Nights are obviously cool enough to trigger dormancy in the deciduous trees. No cloud cover means cool nights as the day's heat escapes easily but warm, sunny days - low 20Cs. Frost a few times this week as a prelude to the winter to come.

Shibui, I’m curious what you were planning for it?

I think the dead trunk will need to go. The question is how far? Dead wood is not usually tolerated in maples but I'm not one to stick with convention so I may just reduce it for a start and see how that looks.

Wow, really digging your JM in the blue oval, 3rd photo. Reminds me of a big ancient California Valley Oak with its twisty branching.

Thanks. One of my attempts to produce a natural styled JM with main branches ascending then curving out to form the branch layers. Unfortunately I keep getting upper trunks overthickening during development phase. Each one seems to be better as I learn what to be careful of.

Did you put the moss in the hollow trident or did it grow by itself?

I guess if you added it its to add character as it rots the inside?

That moss was introduced as a soil cover but it's a species that prefers to grow on tree trunks. Now it is a full time job keeping it under control. You may spot it in the branches of some of the other trees as I post them. So, yes, it grew there by itself and I have not had time to kill it yet this Autumn. Another job to add to the list.
The hollows are regularly lime sulphured to slow deterioration of the wood.

 

[Balbs]

see how that looks

I look forward to seeing what you do with it.

 

[nuttiest]

I love the plum or whatever that blooming mame is. If new growth happens now what do you do to stop it?

 

[leatherback]

Good stuff!
Just checked the location of yackandandah. Seems like I passed your place within 200km a few years back on a Melbourne -> Brisbane -> Melbourne camping loop. I know I passed through wangaratta, and I think we camped near the river around Albury. Too bad it is too far out of the route from Cairns->Sydney to do a drop-in. Maybe next year I should apply for a spring apprentice at Trident Paradise!

 

[Shibui]

I love the plum or whatever that blooming mame is. If new growth happens now what do you do to stop it?

I suspect that plum is a Cotoneaster - brown pot?
Why would new growth start now? Nights are cool and winter is just a few weeks away. If any of these do decide to shoot that's up to them. The worst that can happen is some frost burnt tender shoots. Even if that does happen, new ones will grow when it warms up in Spring.

Just checked the location of yackandandah. Seems like I passed your place within 200km a few years back on a Melbourne -> Brisbane -> Melbourne camping loop. I know I passed through wangaratta, and I think we camped near the river around Albury. Too bad it is too far out of the route from Cairns->Sydney to do a drop-in. Maybe next year I should apply for a spring apprentice at Trident Paradise!

Sounds like you were a bit closer than 200km. Albury is just 50km north of us and our closest large town. About half of Yackandandah residents commute to Albury/Wodonga to work each day.
A tiny bit further to Sydney - about 6 hours by car. Only 29 hours to drive to Cairns.
Have a great trip.
You would be most welcome if you ever do get close to this neck of the woods.

 

[Shibui]

Some more end of season trimming today.
Starting with a couple of tridents I'm not really that excited by. I've kept them because they are both big trunks but, I've said before big is not always better, especially in bonsai.
Apologies, no scale in the pic. Trunk above the basal flare is about 12cm. Visible nebari is 26cm wide.
Again, the first section of trunk is reasonably big but the upper trunk does not inspire me much. Note the scars from previous approach grafts to add roots to the nebari.
The next couple are younger trees and different enough to appeal more.
Need to look closer at the apex and see if there's some way of making it echo the lower trunk a bit better.
This trident ROR was field grown for a couple of years. I had some volunteers helping with the digging that year. They christened this tree Root over Boulder while getting it out of the grow bed but I really like how the flow of the trunk contrasts with the shape of the rock.

Last in this set is an old ginkgo

 

[Shibui]

Back to some smaller trees
Chinese elm semi cascade



Seiju elm
Trident maple
another small trident

Chinese elm. I use the first pic as the usual front but it looks OK from the back too.

Another Cotoneaster. I think this one is C. horizontalis

 

[Michael P]

I always learn from your posts!

 

[Shibui]

A few more trimmed today.
Some more advanced root over rock tridents
This trident seems to have a slightly different growth habit to others. Short, compact growth which is good for bonsai but the down side is it overthickens quickly. I just can't stop this middle section getting thicker.


A couple more younger ROR tridents



A much younger attempt at shohin ROR
Pity the first branch is so high. If I don't get voluntary shoots on the trunk next spring I may consider grafting lower shoots.

This is an attempt at a shohin sized trident clump
It has been allowed to grow most of the summer. Now time to prune each trunk to fit the clump styling. There are 2 reasonably good fronts for this clump.

Now a couple of small crab apples

 

[gooeytek]

You have the most amazing tridents I've ever seen
Those little ones are fantastic too, they're so ramified.

 

[Darth Masiah]

some really asthetically pleasing ror nebaris you have. too often i see overly large stones being used and the composition ends up looking like a mallsai ficus. i was wondering about the second tree in post #14; it gave me an uncanny valley feeling. is the top centered over the pot?

 

[Shibui]

some really asthetically pleasing ror nebaris you have. too often i see overly large stones being used and the composition ends up looking like a mallsai ficus. i was wondering about the second tree in post #14; it gave me an uncanny valley feeling. is the top centered over the pot?

Agree that ROR is often badly done - Space under the roots? Just grab any rock and shove it in....
Good ror should look as if the tree grew there. No spaces between rock and root. All these ROR are started with small seedlings which have roots flexible enough to be moulded to the contours of the rock.
Another challenge is to shape the tree to compliment the shape of the rock so the whole composition becomes pleasing. Not every rock suits ROR and not every tree suits any old rock.

The big ROR in post 14 is still in development. The large grow pot allows enough growth to build ramification but restricted enough to make the nodes shorter to keep ramification tight. The current apex is pretty much centred in the current pot though that was not a conscious decision.