Please I need help my for my ugly Toyo Nishiki Quince

Charlo

Yamadori
Messages
62
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150
Location
Albuquerque, NM
USDA Zone
7B
I bought this Toyo Nishiki from a reputable Bonsai nursery site unseen. I was sent this plant with a horrible base. Looks like a weird butt. Maybe I have it wrong and I am supposed to make a clump from cuttings or what do I do with this fugly plant? Please help.
 

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It appears to me the straight section was retained as a sacrifice branch to thicken the base. I would start by removing it and replanting on a better planting angle. Grow out for several years to heal the scar and develop the trunk. Toyo Nishiki thicken slowly so it will take some time.
For best results be careful when removing the sacrifice trunk and seal carefully for best results. The line is not intended to be the finish cut just to suggest where to start. The actual cut should be planned to give a natural transition when healed. I would cut just before growing season in your location. IMG_4259.jpeg
 
*Sight unseen. Then you get what ya get. I call that brown bagging.

When I was small. The flea market sold brown lunch sacks with prizes. You upped the value of prize with monetary value. I was dirt poor growing up. I always seen it as a waste of good money throwing away at crap. My cousin would spend foolishly coming home with nothing that satisfied her.

That said...when I buy material. I want an actual image of what I'm buying. Same sense...growing up poor. I NEED TO SEE WHAT MY DOLLAR BRINGS.

So brown bag purchases ... even from reputable nurseries. Are just that. You get most likely a healthy tree. With questionable bones. Because you chose not to see an image before purchase. Value of purchase tends to reflect such purchases.

Agreed...cut that sacrifice branch off. It's straight as a poker. And work with what you have. I have two Toyo Nishiki. A root over rock and a neagari. I chose to build ramification over blooms. I'm almost satisfied where the neagari one is at structurally. That I'm going to ponder red blooms to graft onto it to make it more. Red toyo cuttings came from Brent Watson at Evergreen gardenworks...and sight unseen as I never intended bonsai..but for grafting. I got healthy material I can trust.
 
It appears to me the straight section was retained as a sacrifice branch to thicken the base. I would start by removing it and replanting on a better planting angle. Grow out for several years to heal the scar and develop the trunk. Toyo Nishiki thicken slowly so it will take some time.
For best results be careful when removing the sacrifice trunk and seal carefully for best results. The line is not intended to be the finish cut just to suggest where to start. The actual cut should be planned to give a natural transition when healed. I would cut just before growing season in your location. View attachment 581247
Thanks for the recommendation! This sounds as a great start.
 
*Sight unseen. Then you get what ya get. I call that brown bagging.

When I was small. The flea market sold brown lunch sacks with prizes. You upped the value of prize with monetary value. I was dirt poor growing up. I always seen it as a waste of good money throwing away at crap. My cousin would spend foolishly coming home with nothing that satisfied her.

That said...when I buy material. I want an actual image of what I'm buying. Same sense...growing up poor. I NEED TO SEE WHAT MY DOLLAR BRINGS.

So brown bag purchases ... even from reputable nurseries. Are just that. You get most likely a healthy tree. With questionable bones. Because you chose not to see an image before purchase. Value of purchase tends to reflect such purchases.

Agreed...cut that sacrifice branch off. It's straight as a poker. And work with what you have. I have two Toyo Nishiki. A root over rock and a neagari. I chose to build ramification over blooms. I'm almost satisfied where the neagari one is at structurally. That I'm going to ponder red blooms to graft onto it to make it more. Red toyo cuttings came from Brent Watson at Evergreen gardenworks...and sight unseen as I never intended bonsai..but for grafting. I got healthy material I can trust.
Thanks, for the works of wisdom. Hopefully, I can make it decent in a few years. Once I improve the base and change the angle I am sure my opinion on its looks will improve.
 
I agree with the above suggestions. I'll add this. Do the big cut, change the planting angle and plant it in the ground for 2-3 years. Do a trunk chop as you see fit. Someone in our club once said, "Every bonsai is a five year project.". The longer I'm in the hobby, the more that makes sense.
 
I bought this Toyo Nishiki from a reputable Bonsai nursery site unseen. I was sent this plant with a horrible base. Looks like a weird butt. Maybe I have it wrong and I am supposed to make a clump from cuttings or what do I do with this fugly plant? Please help.
Hey There!

Toyo Nishiki tend to strike well and backbud profusely if handled well. So don’t throw the cuttings with new growth away. You can strike these in the same container if there is room for the first year, or use another. We usually just put them in the same container to save space. Rooting compound can help.

Some Toyo Nishiki cultivars are miniature and very slow growing. We have both. Pretty sure this one is not. You will know for sure once you see the leaf size.

Rest regards!
DSD sends
 
I don’t think this is that bad really. As others said you can delete the straight portion (or you could bend it). As DSD said Chaenomeles strikes easily so you could save the portions you remove to start new plants. I think the base below the two trunks is quite interesting in its ugliness. There is a potential for an interesting neagari if you slowly remove soil around the base over time.

I purchased a Toyo Nishiki quince online as well and received a similar two trunk plant more than a year ago. Both trunks were arrow straight but I’ve found Toyo Nishiki to be quite bendy at least when young and has proven to be very forgiving as well. It was quite inexpensive and I’m having fun playing with it so don’t give up hope on yours.

When purchased in October of 2023:
IMG_4857.jpeg

As it sits now in the dormant season;
IMG_7120.jpeg

IMG_7119.jpeg
 
It's got a good vibe. I might tweak the left branches down a bit and maybe add a bit more movement above where the wire stops on the main trunk. Great start.
 
It's got a good vibe. I might tweak the left branches down a bit and maybe add a bit more movement above where the wire stops on the main trunk. Great start.
Ha! Thanks. I was pondering chopping the left trunk down to the upper of the two small branches that I was able to develop over last season. The goal was to start creating some taper but maybe I’ll keep the whole thing. All options open at this point.
 
Ha! Thanks. I was pondering chopping the left trunk down to the upper of the two small branches that I was able to develop over last season. The goal was to start creating some taper but maybe I’ll keep the whole thing. All options open at this point.
Always follow your creativity. Just my 2 cents that it could make a very credible piece with just minor tweaks for the next 10-20 years. Imagine this style down the line with trunks a bit taller and 3-4 times thicker. Impressive.
 
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