Which Branch Should I Keep For The Top

[molivella]

I'm with the others, the straight center section has to go. Although I do not own a Spinosa, I have been looking for "the right one" for a few years now. Anyway, I understand them to be tropical so heavy pruning/chopping would be done in the Summer. But, maybe I'm wrong.

They are definitely tropical. Cannot tolerate any temps approaching 40 degrees. But they are one of my favorite trees to grow/kill over the years. This is my third one. Pool guy killed the second one, I killed the first one.

Since our pool guy killed off the last one, I've been searching for a replacement and found this one, of all places, at the Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers GA while we were up in our cabin in Blue Ridge GA for the New Years holiday. The monks at the monastery grow/sell bonsai trees as part of their way of financing the monastery. It's very hard to find these trees priced reasonably with large trunks but this one was a steal. It's 2 1/2" thick at the base, very unusual for a pre-bonsai dwarf black olive. Oh, and I couldn't believe the stock of pots and supplies the monastery had for sale in their bonsai shop. I was told it is the biggest stock of bonsai pots in the U.S.

 

[Vin]

They are definitely tropical. Cannot tolerate any temps approaching 40 degrees. But they are one of my favorite trees to grow/kill over the years. This is my third one. Pool guy killed the second one, I killed the first one.

Since our pool guy killed off the last one, I've been searching for a replacement and found this one, of all places, at the Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers GA while we were up in our cabin in Blue Ridge GA for the New Years holiday. The monks at the monastery grow/sell bonsai trees as part of their way of financing the monastery. It's very hard to find these trees priced reasonably with large trunks but this one was a steal. It's 2 1/2" thick at the base, very unusual for a pre-bonsai dwarf black olive. Oh, and I couldn't believe the stock of pots and supplies the monastery had for sale in their bonsai shop. I was told it is the biggest stock of bonsai pots in the U.S.

They also have a great soil mix. I need to take a trip one day soon..

 

[Vin]

One of our members has one that I'd really like to get my hands on. Maybe one day he'll let it go.

 

[miker]

They are definitely tropical. Cannot tolerate any temps approaching 40 degrees. But they are one of my favorite trees to grow/kill over the years. This is my third one. Pool guy killed the second one, I killed the first one.

Since our pool guy killed off the last one, I've been searching for a replacement and found this one, of all places, at the Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers GA while we were up in our cabin in Blue Ridge GA for the New Years holiday. The monks at the monastery grow/sell bonsai trees as part of their way of financing the monastery. It's very hard to find these trees priced reasonably with large trunks but this one was a steal. It's 2 1/2" thick at the base, very unusual for a pre-bonsai dwarf black olive. Oh, and I couldn't believe the stock of pots and supplies the monastery had for sale in their bonsai shop. I was told it is the biggest stock of bonsai pots in the U.S.

I used to get a lot of my supplies (akadama) from the monastary when they had a website through which they offered a good selction of bonsai related products.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The correct botanical genus name is Bucida, and apparently when I wasn't paying attention there was a revision, no longer Bucida spinosa, but now called Bucida molinetii, I would change the tag on your tree to read Bucida. I'd probably keep calling it Bucida spinosa until I saw more references adopt the revised name of Bucida molinetii. Botanical taxonomy works by consensus, a name is proposed, and whether or not it gets adopted by several key organizations determines whether the change sticks or not. "Nomen nudum" is the fate of discarded names, and the name of the circle of hell reserved for bad taxonomists.

Bucida spinosa is in the leadwood tree family, Combretaceae, not at all related to the Mediterranean edible olive, genus Olea in the Oleaceae - the whole family with several thousand species was named for the edible olive. So the spiny black olive is not at all related to the edible olive. Completely different evolutionary tract, completely different families.

Myself, I would not chop it low. As in my original post, I did say, choose one of the branches in the cluster that you identified. My reason is that Bucida is a true tropical tree, you are growing it out of its natural range, which means it grows slower than normal. The low chops would get rid of relatively old wood, that would require years to grow a replacement. The Bucida I've seen grown in my Chicago - Milwaukee area climate, they really only have one or two months a year warm enough to get any active growth, first month of Wisconsin summer is lost just getting the tree to wake up, then next month is what little growth you'll get and by then it is September, where one cold night can slow or stop all that great growth. The rest of the time they seem to sit semi-dormant. They love warm temperatures. This is also the reason Buttonwood mangroves do not do well in the midwest. They too are very tropical trees.

So in Tallahassee you do have more of a suitable climate for Bucida than Milwaukee. You probably have 8 or more months where it will be able to grow. Which is why I asked you does it grow fast or slow? If it is slow growing for you then choose on of the larger branches, if it grows fast for you, then choose the thinnest.

I really would not chop it low, despite my esteemed colleagues suggestions, I don't believe they have much experience with the species. I know I don't have experience. I would definitely get to the Tallahassee Bonsai Society meetings and see if someone there has good experience with Bucida. Use the botanical genus name, so you don't end up ''down the rabbit hole'' talking with people thinking Mediterranean edible olive.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

As to the design, I heard your initial stated desire to produce a tall tree, as in your example pictures. You should follow your image for your tree. You can address the taper issue pointed out by others by allowing strategically placed sacrifice branches to grow out. The lack of taper can be fixed by getting the tree to grow, and allowing select branches to grow while keeping the branches that will be in the final design in check. The tree will look odd, but it will work. If over the course of development you plan on increasing the diameter of the trunk by 25% or more that is sufficient growth to allow the use of escape or sacrifice branches to do the work of improving taper. You will still have the issue of long straight segments of trunk, but with better taper, this would not be an obvious flaw. Additional branches interrupting the long straight runs can hide this flaw, and with good taper, even judges won't notice.

The chop it low and grow it out again is a good option for species that are known to grow rapidly in your local climate, and trees that are young. For example, in my area, all the native elms grow really fast, chopping low works great for them, Amur maples are another. Once you are looking at a tree with more than a decade or two of age, or a species that does not grow particularly fast, the chop it low is a remedy that should be used less often. With very slow growing species, should not be used at all. When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Think about other tricks of the trade. Escape branches and sacrifice branches can be your friend.

Last - why I can't say which of your branches in that knot of branches you should keep? You still have not posted better photos, I still could not make 3 D sense of that knot of branches, so I can not suggest which to keep or which to eliminate. I would need images from at least 4 sides to figure it out. Ultimately, it is always your choice of which branches, and style for your tree, but better photos would help others to offer better advice than just chop it down to the first branch. I know we all have busy lives, I'm not busting your chops, whenever you get around to it, add the photos to the thread and tag me with the @. I'll respond when I can.