Ghost Civilizations
Seed
Earlier in the year I collected this Eastern Red Cedar (with permission). I feel it has been doing really well since. This is an outdoor tree, but I did take it inside under my viparspectra for pictures included in this post. I’m starting to think about its long-term design and would love some input.
My initial thought is to train it as an informal upright (Moyogi), using the old leader as a jin and incorporating the scar as a character feature in the trunk. There’s a strong lower branch that’s already helping with trunk thickening, and a new leader is emerging above the scar where the old one died.
A few questions I’d like feedback on:
- Does the tree’s natural movement lend itself best to Moyogi, or would another style work better?
- I’m planning to move it into a 9×9×9 pond basket with a mix of pumice, pine bark, and akadama. Would this be a good choice for promoting root growth and trunk thickening? (I have limited ground grow space and can’t plant in the ground).
- Should I wire the new leader straight up now to establish the trunk line, or wait until it’s stronger?
- For taper management: should I allow sacrifice branches lower down for now and delay balancing upper growth until later, or should I start reducing apical growth sooner to prevent bulging?
My long term aim is to double the trunk size before transitioning to a bonsai pot, while highlighting the scar and jin as character features. Feedback is appreciated and thanks everyone!
My initial thought is to train it as an informal upright (Moyogi), using the old leader as a jin and incorporating the scar as a character feature in the trunk. There’s a strong lower branch that’s already helping with trunk thickening, and a new leader is emerging above the scar where the old one died.
A few questions I’d like feedback on:
- Does the tree’s natural movement lend itself best to Moyogi, or would another style work better?
- I’m planning to move it into a 9×9×9 pond basket with a mix of pumice, pine bark, and akadama. Would this be a good choice for promoting root growth and trunk thickening? (I have limited ground grow space and can’t plant in the ground).
- Should I wire the new leader straight up now to establish the trunk line, or wait until it’s stronger?
- For taper management: should I allow sacrifice branches lower down for now and delay balancing upper growth until later, or should I start reducing apical growth sooner to prevent bulging?
My long term aim is to double the trunk size before transitioning to a bonsai pot, while highlighting the scar and jin as character features. Feedback is appreciated and thanks everyone!
