Ginkgo from seed

[Brian Van Fleet]

Curious, how well have you been able to reduce the leaves? I hear Ginko don't reduce well.

I haven't made any effort to reduce the leaf size, but they're not bad.
The key to reducing leaf size is increasing leaf quantity: the more leaves, the smaller they are.

 

[Dav4]

Looking great, Brian. Just wondering, do you give full or partial sun for this one? I've wanted one for a bit, but if they need full sun to thrive, the bench space that provides it in my yard are overfull as it is.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Thanks Dave. This year, it got less sun than I wanted, just because of the space available. It got sun until about 11:00, then dappled. It was on the lower long bench under the oak tree. Next year, I'll try to find a space in more sunshine, though it did fine where it is.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Fall hit fast...Saturday morning everything was frozen solid, and the ginkgo leaves are curled in protest in the first photo. They perked up during the day, then yesterday's rain all but finished it off for the year.

 

[JudyB]

What a glorious finish though!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Leafless now, will be cutting it back at some point.

 

[sorce]

The pot? (Lol)
Who is looking at the pot!?(lol)

Are those roots? Branches? (Seriously)

I look forward to seeing the cut back, you gonna ditch any trunks?(seriously)

Smokes sister as a tree.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Scorce, you could learn a bunch about ginkgos and see what an old one looks like at this Website. Ginkgos are unique and awesome trees.

 

[sorce]

Thanks that's an awesome site!

I remember having these on the schoolyard as a kid, and have seen some big ones but none with chichis!

Are these then traditionally accepted on a bonsai?

I have ginkgo on my list of must haves, these things are amazing!

Sorce

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Cut back yesterday. Hard. Nice. A little out of balance, but I'm working on a plan...
Wood...blue pot this spring, just for you bud!

 

[thumblessprimate1]

This is getting more and more interesting.

 

[Djtommy]

pretty awesome you got this from seed.
How is your other twin trunk doing? i havent seen many twin trunk gingkos

 

[fraser67]

Really love this tree. Can't wait to see the new pot. How often do you need to repot this guy?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Really love this tree. Can't wait to see the new pot. How often do you need to repot this guy?

Thanks. It's going in an old Heian Kouso. I'm doing a lecture and demo on repotting at our club meeting tonight, using this tree as the demo tree.
It was dug in 2013, first bonsai pot in 2014, and probably doesn't need to be repotted yet, but I want to continue working roots and eliminating old soil. Hopefully it can make it 2 years between repots after this one.

 

[fraser67]

Thanks. It's going in an old Heian Kouso. I'm doing a lecture and demo on repotting at our club meeting tonight, using this tree as the demo tree.
It was dug in 2013, first bonsai pot in 2014, and probably doesn't need to be repotted yet, but I want to continue working roots and eliminating old soil. Hopefully it can make it 2 years between repots after this one.

Thanks. That's a beauty! I've got a fairly young gingko forrest planting I did last year. Was curious how quickly they're roots develop. Guess I'll miss your lecture lol.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Here

pretty awesome you got this from seed.
How is your other twin trunk doing? i havent seen many twin trunk gingkos

Here is the twin trunk. It's only about 2" wide at the split because it's been in and out of the ground so many times.
Just dug it today; relocating everything in the ground this spring (ugh!).

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Repotted...

 

[Nybonsai12]

So what is the long term plan? Going upward in the flame style it appears to be headed?

I hope everyone gets how special this tree is. An ancient species, underutilized in bonsai in my opinion(or i'm just not looking), wonderful fall color, their own distinct style.. and you've grown it from seed.

Did you think it would end up like this when you planted it? Do you remember the stink when you collected the seeds? ha.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

So what is the long term plan? Going upward in the flame style it appears to be headed?

I hope everyone gets how special this tree is. An ancient species, underutilized in bonsai in my opinion(or i'm just not looking), wonderful fall color, their own distinct style.. and you've grown it from seed.

Did you think it would end up like this when you planted it? Do you remember the stink when you collected the seeds? ha.

Yes, basically a flame style. After a few more hard prunings it should slow down just enough to develop some ramification. It seems to be cooperating nicely; better than many I've seen and had.

I didn't have any idea what it would be when I planted them, but I really appreciate their appearance in their "awkward" years, and thought it would be cool to replicate that. This one clearly had other plans!

And, yes, I'll never forget the smell, and just hoping the bag wouldn't bust open on the bus ride home from campus!

 

[fredtruck]

Brian, this is really a fine tree, maybe my favorite of all your bonsai. What this shows is what can happen with long term care and a huge amount of patience. Congratulations on an excellent tree.