Wallace Fernspray Hinoki

[ForrestW]

If you are going to keep that lowest branch, I like front #3. If you end up getting rid of or jinning the lowest branch, I think front #1 has a slightly more interesting trunkline.

I am not sure what I am going to do with the lowest branch yet-- I want to do more bending on it later this year once it gets adjusted to a new pot. It was in a smaller round pot before so I do not see doing drastic work, but still going to wait until it has has a full spring growth before more work. But I am wanting more movement into that bottom branch -- the strait section bothers me. I also plan to shorten up the strait branch above it at some point. I may still grow it out to near there, but from an earlier point with a little more movement.

 

[ForrestW]

Number 2m
(I really like this tree.)

That is where I am currently at as well, and will probably use that as the front when I pot it up, but hopefully a few more years of work and a lot of the decisions will be made . Thank you for the kind words.

 

[ForrestW]

Looking at your very nice tree, I can´t avoid to think it has the same fernspray that my "teddy bear " hinkoki:

View attachment 588794

so maybe yours is also a "teddy bear".
It's a difficult tree to tame, and all I could do was this:

View attachment 588795

If yours is a "teddy bear" I can confirm a red color under the bark.

Thanks for sharing-- you may be correct. I will try and take a close up shot soon of the foliage for a better comparison but they do look a lot alike.

 

[NashsMan]

I also really like this tree!
My vote for a front is #3 because that fuller view of the lowest branch helps to anchor this tall tree. It does rotate the nebari off to the left, but then that balances with the low branch so you get this left/right tension with the powerful trunk just thrusting upward.
BTW, how tall is this tree?

 

[johng]

Hmm... I think you need a round pot with a bunch of feet so that you can choose which ever front suites you at the time. I'll be happy to take that pot off your hands

 

[ForrestW]

I also really like this tree!
My vote for a front is #3 because that fuller view of the lowest branch helps to anchor this tall tree. It does rotate the nebari off to the left, but then that balances with the low branch so you get this left/right tension with the powerful trunk just thrusting upward.
BTW, how tall is this tree?

Thanks for the feedback-- the tree is right at 3 feet from the rim of the pot.

 

[ForrestW]

Hmm... I think you need a round pot with a bunch of feet so that you can choose which ever front suites you at the time. I'll be happy to take that pot off your hands

I just picked up one from Preston I hope to pot up this weekend-- only 3 feet though... (I have a few in the kiln as well, but I think I like his better). The pot it is in is pretty special-- not sure if I can part with it. The truth is, I may never have a tree for that pot-- so I have to weigh that as well

 

[ForrestW]

New shoes from the amazing Preston Tolbert! I also reduced (jin) one branch that had good options back a little. Now I plan to just let this recover until late summer where I may do a little more pruning trying to get pads to develop and keep a fairly tight overall dimension. I will work to vary the lengths of the pads but for now I think I just need to get them to fill out.

 

[treeline]

One of my favorite things about how you styled this is that the downward-moving first branch has horizontal and upward-moving secondaries. This is really common in the big, old, battered conifers around here and makes for a very believable bonsai. Love how this looks and excited to see where you take it from here.

 

[ForrestW]

Just the pot-- the feet are set back so they will not influence the front -- keeping it easy to rotate 5-15% either way.

 

[ForrestW]

One of my favorite things about how you styled this is that the downward-moving first branch has horizontal and upward-moving secondaries. This is really common in the big, old, battered conifers around here and makes for a very believable bonsai. Love how this looks and excited to see where you take it from here.

Thank you very much.

 

[johng]

Delish!! Now that really looks like a mature and ancient tree! That pot is perfect! You are such a good bonsai artist!!

 

[ForrestW]

Delish!! Now that really looks like a mature and ancient tree! That pot is perfect! You are such a good bonsai artist!!

You are very kind-- always learning, hopefully growing