ginkgo tips?

[shark]

Hi! I'm starting out with my first bonsai and I would love some general/styling tips.

I'm going for a moyogi-ish look (see pictures 2 and more for my inspirations) with a curved bark. The bark has already seemed to develop so it's a little hard, should I wire it right now? Or is it too far gone Also, I don't want it to have the grouped up shoots at the top like it does right now, should I prune them right now? (I've read October is a good time to prune them).

Overall, I have no clue on what I'm doing . Any help is appreciated.

 

[BirdsBBQBonsai]

I would wire some movement into the trunk now if its still pliable enough (or use a guy wire to bend if you can't wire effectively) and just let it grow. Ginko is a slow grower so this tree will need years of growth. In the spring you will want to work on developing good root structure. Great species to work with though.

 

[shark]

I would wire some movement into the trunk now if its still pliable enough (or use a guy wire to bend if you can't wire effectively) and just let it grow. Ginko is a slow grower so this tree will need years of growth. In the spring you will want to work on developing good root structure. Great species to work with though.

should i create taper or wire first? i don't know if i should wait to create taper until the trunk grows thicker because i hear ginkgos don't heal well...

 

[Shibui]

Ginkgos are also very slow to thicken and ramify so I hope you are still young. Pruning early may reduce scarring but will also add years to your development time.
We can get bends in a trunk by wiring or by pruning. In my experience pruning bends look far more natural than bends made by wiring and bending the trunk.
If it was mine, I'd probably repot in Spring, sort out the roots and replant at an appropriate angle for the first section of the trunk then grow it for a few years. When the trunk is a bit thicker chop where you want the first bend and regrow a new trunk from a suitably placed branch or new shoot.

 

[shark]

Ginkgos are also very slow to thicken and ramify so I hope you are still young. Pruning early may reduce scarring but will also add years to your development time.
We can get bends in a trunk by wiring or by pruning. In my experience pruning bends look far more natural than bends made by wiring and bending the trunk.
If it was mine, I'd probably repot in Spring, sort out the roots and replant at an appropriate angle for the first section of the trunk then grow it for a few years. When the trunk is a bit thicker chop where you want the first bend and regrow a new trunk from a suitably placed branch or new shoot.

Apologies for the late reply

I'm actually 16! And I did consider the time it would take to grow them so I'm starting young

And thanks so much for your input! I will def try bending via pruning then. Your help is much appreciated

 

[PA_Penjing]

A 16 year old kid in Nepal growing a ginkgo bonsai from seed?! that's so cool! welcome to the site

 

[Cadillactaste]

Find your front...and prune so scars are hidden.

A PH level between 6.5-7 produced branches.

My own was ground grown before I purchased it. That truly is a good way to thicken them up.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Ginkgo make great bonsai and become very interesting as they age. They don’t follow the “rules” and traditional training techniques aren’t always reliable. They bud back easily, but buds doesn’t always produce branches, cuts are slow to heal, and they don’t get bark the same way in pots as in the ground.

Make sure you have a few more trees to work with that can keep you interested, since the ginkgo isn’t going to give you much to do on a daily basis. Find some species that do well naturally in your climate. Welcome!

 

[ponderingsage]

I would consider putting young trees like this in the ground to develop if that’s an option for you. Even if it’s for just a few years