Rodrigo
Shohin
Any updates on these clumps?
Show Off Your Bjorn Seedling Clumps
- Thread starter Tidal Bonsai
- Start date
Blksmth88
Sapling
This is my red maple Bjorn clump last fall. I used 9 seedlings and some rubber to keep the wire from cutting in.
This thread is very special to me, because a couple years ago while thumbing through YouTube. I stumbled onto Bjorn's first maple clump video. I had zero interest in bonsai till I seen that video... I couldn't believe that was possible! I had to try it myself. It was the video that got me into bonsai! It was a very slippery slope and I'm still falling and sliding
. It's been a fun journey and now I'm on my 3rd year. I wonder how many others like me started because of that video.
SeanS
Omono
- Messages
- 1,691
- Reaction score
- 5,716
- USDA Zone
- 9b
Here’s one of mine, 15 tridents through a metal washer. 3 seasons old from seed
Last season when the seedlings were starting to fuse above the washer
Last season when the seedlings were starting to fuse above the washer
Rodrigo
Shohin
Looking good!
Is that how thick you want the trunks to be and that's why you already chopped the trunks? Or are you just trying to avoid larger scars?
SeanS
Omono
- Messages
- 1,691
- Reaction score
- 5,716
- USDA Zone
- 9b
That’s roughly how thick I want them. It’s going to be shohin size. Here’s a tree I’m trying to emulate
bonsailevel:master
Mame
Got my cherry trees out from cold storage today. Thought it was time to remove wire and yikes! Did not realize how much those trunks grew last year. Collected as seedlings in spring of '22 and clumped last spring '23. Since I won't be repotting this year I built up more soil around the base and covered in netting to help keep soil in place better when I water. Also keeps birds out.
Attachments
pandacular
Masterpiece
Bjorn’s original clump made its way to Seattle and I got the chance to see it. It’s an outstanding tree, but I didn’t take any pictures.
I’m planning to start one with some Styrax seedlings, one of which I’ve been growing out and starting to shape a bit for the past year.
I’m planning to start one with some Styrax seedlings, one of which I’ve been growing out and starting to shape a bit for the past year.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
Bonsaidoorguy
Chumono
Gert
Mame
- Messages
- 196
- Reaction score
- 568
- USDA Zone
- 8b
Update from my JM clump started in 2021 from post #3 in this thread. Just spread some bonide granules and peppered it with some more osmocote. In a JB Weld kintsugi-esque repaired pot.
I will need to wire out some of the smaller trunks this month. I'm wondering if I may even need to remove a couple.
I will need to wire out some of the smaller trunks this month. I'm wondering if I may even need to remove a couple.
Tidal Bonsai
Omono
Four years since I strapped these cork bark elm cuttings together, and it's starting to look like something!
This Erin pot was around the same size as the training pot I was using. I am going to let it run for the trunks to thicken, before cutting it back hard again.
This Erin pot was around the same size as the training pot I was using. I am going to let it run for the trunks to thicken, before cutting it back hard again.
Johnnyd
Shohin
Very cool!
Dav4
Drop Branch Murphy
- Messages
- 13,531
- Reaction score
- 32,539
- USDA Zone
- 6a
I was surprised to see these were/had broken dormancy despite the calendar saying it’s still March and they spent the winter outside… in Michigan 
. The last repots 2 years ago were done April 10th and they weren’t as far along then as they are today. Oh well… they have all been up potted into Anderson flats now.
. The last repots 2 years ago were done April 10th and they weren’t as far along then as they are today. Oh well… they have all been up potted into Anderson flats now.
Thatguy85
Sapling
In the video Bjorn uses aoki blend for his seedling clumps, which has quite a lot aladama in it. I often read however that this blend is mainly used for older trees further in refinement and is also quite expensive... Do the benefits weigh up against the costs here?
Tidal Bonsai
Omono
Ask 20 bonsai people what soil they prefer, and you will get 20 different answers, haha!
I encourage you to try both and see what works better for you.
Wood
Chumono
Pretty sure that he used that out of convenience. He would order multiple pallets of it, and there would always be extra bags of soil sitting in the driveway whenever I visited Eisei-en.
He's also said in many videos that using regular potting soil (Miracle Grow or whatever your big box store carries) is fine for super young material. It's intended as temporary soil. Basically all of these trees will eventually have some kind of hard restart of the nebari eventually
bonsaiwood
Mame
Here's an update on mine...
Winter 2024: Two of the four clumps made using Bjorn's method.
Summer 2024
Fast forward to winter 2025
![IMG_1591[1].JPG](https://www.bonsainut.com/data/attachments/574/574495-1668cf1bfda0aaf54a33000aa7713ee7.jpg?hash=eud0qo0SVV "IMG_1591[1].JPG")
The little runt of the bunch.
Close ups showing what's was going on near the trunk base of the largest and most uniform of the four showing pretty decent trunk fusion and root spread.
View from above of the aforementioned clump.
I should give each a number to keep better track of them. Any helpful suggestions are welcome. Thanks!
Winter 2024: Two of the four clumps made using Bjorn's method.
Summer 2024
Fast forward to winter 2025
The little runt of the bunch.
Close ups showing what's was going on near the trunk base of the largest and most uniform of the four showing pretty decent trunk fusion and root spread.
View from above of the aforementioned clump.
I should give each a number to keep better track of them. Any helpful suggestions are welcome. Thanks!
Adamski77
Chumono
stone method ... love it!I was surprised to see these were/had broken dormancy despite the calendar saying it’s still March and they spent the winter outside… in Michigan
Adamski77
Chumono
on the topic though... here is couple of japanese maple clumps I created last year... fully fused by now. I screwed up the approach little bit last year so had to start ground layer hence the middle part in the pot with raised soil level. Think it's still fixable. Other than that put few wires to give it some initial shape. So far every one of them is 9 trees I started with.
