eeeealmo
Mame
Hi everyone! I was recently lucky enough to pick up a collected redwood from the Mendocino Coast Bonsai guys (Bob, specifically) at the REBS 2018 show. It is the first unstyled redwood I've purchased, and it is a doozy. I was hoping everyone would provide their opinions on what the right direction would be just in case I was missing some awesome opportunity/direction.
Many of the branches obviously need to be reduced in length, but I am waiting to do that until the right time of year (winter). I also have not finished wiring/positioning much of the apex because I'm unsure where to go. I'm hoping people can help provide input on some of the more major structural decisions.
First decision is obviously the front, of which there are 2 obvious choices (that I flip-flop on constantly) :
A) Exposed deadwood
B) Bark side
For Front A, the exposed deadwood is an obvious appealing feature that you would want to show off, but because all the foliage is originating from the top of the tree, it has some awkward spots that I am unsure how to deal with. There is a 'knob' growing outward near the apex with many branches growing off it that I'm unsure how to handle given that it is coming straight outward. Part of me thinks simply cutting it off could be a solution, but maybe someone else has a better idea?
Front B has branch positions that are easier to manage (at least for me), but the apex is still a mess. Short of removing much of the existing growth, I'm not sure how to move the branches at the apex without it looking cluttered.
Thanks for reading this far! Any input would be fantastic. This is my most substantial tree, so I really want to do it justice! Thanks again!
Many of the branches obviously need to be reduced in length, but I am waiting to do that until the right time of year (winter). I also have not finished wiring/positioning much of the apex because I'm unsure where to go. I'm hoping people can help provide input on some of the more major structural decisions.
First decision is obviously the front, of which there are 2 obvious choices (that I flip-flop on constantly) :
A) Exposed deadwood
B) Bark side
For Front A, the exposed deadwood is an obvious appealing feature that you would want to show off, but because all the foliage is originating from the top of the tree, it has some awkward spots that I am unsure how to deal with. There is a 'knob' growing outward near the apex with many branches growing off it that I'm unsure how to handle given that it is coming straight outward. Part of me thinks simply cutting it off could be a solution, but maybe someone else has a better idea?
Front B has branch positions that are easier to manage (at least for me), but the apex is still a mess. Short of removing much of the existing growth, I'm not sure how to move the branches at the apex without it looking cluttered.
Thanks for reading this far! Any input would be fantastic. This is my most substantial tree, so I really want to do it justice! Thanks again!