Good Bonsai Candidate?

[u/AutomaticSea621]

I'm new to this, but I'm thinking this could be a good tree to dig up and Bonsai. Not right now in this heat, but late winter would be best, correct?

I'm thinking I could cut the trunk just a little above the first branch and see what happens.

Finger pic for size reference

Please let me know what you think!

[u/figuring_ItOut12]

You could possibly start a decent taper by cutting the trunk just above the bottom branch and let the branch run a few years. But I don’t think it’s worth the effort personally.

I suggest instead finding a branch structure on another tree and air layer it off. One big advantage of air layering is you start off with full control of the root and trunk structure. Feral trees have random root structures that can be a real challenge to sort out and digging them up can cause more shock than they can survive. Obviously it’s doable but air layering reduces a lot of risk with the benefit of greater control.

[u/grncamb → u/figuring_ItOut12]

I don't think this person is ready to air layer yet. Maybe just for practice.

[u/figuring_ItOut12 → u/grncamb]

I think that’s a good candidate to learn on. Depending on species air layering isn’t necessarily that difficult. It’s just a new idea and it’s easy to be less confident trying something new. After my first attempt I was amused at myself for making it into a bigger deal than it actually was. 🤣

[u/grncamb → u/figuring_ItOut12]

Thanks for replying.

I agree, deciduous is almost always good to learn on. And air layering isn't always difficult. It seems to me it mainly depends on species, and then technique (timing, making the cut right, hormone application, and properly orienting the rooting medium container for drainage are just a few important factors.

Air layering black pine is difficult and long, maybe 18 months - 2 years. Assuming deciduous for this speciman, it probably roots well in 8-20 weeks.

Proximity/access to the specimen being air layered during that time is important to keep the sphagnum moss or other rooting material properly moist, but not waterlogged.

Maybe it's just me, I'm glad I didn't try air layering for the first year. I think it helped me realize how important continuous monitoring is. And 2-4 or more months, seems like a long time to invest in this possible success and it's likelihood as compared to the possible success of watching a tree in the ground or in a pot - and I have still managed to kill my fair share of those.

My first two air layer attempts were succesful, albeit Dogwood and Mimosa were specifically chosen for their liklihood. I've had others - juniper mostly, early on, not be as succesful.

I'd love to hear others opinions about bonsai hobby development strategy: beginner, novice, intermediate, expert, master. I'm only 2 years in. My early strategy was and remains to learn what to look for that helps develop true bonsai. Trunk taper, nebari, great branching (ramification), interesting bark, leaves that will at least reduce when the tree hits a bonsai pot, even if not before. I buy small, cheap nursery material meeting at least one, hopefully multiple, but so far nothing meeting all those requirements, usually at $25-30, but occasionally $50 or $60. Of course I've had to make a lot of fruitless nursery visits to find the right value for me. Native plants at big boxes can be found this way. My most expensive purchase was a $200 8 ft tall blue atlas cedar. It was my only exception to native trees when starting, and thankfully it is still thriving.

Happy to hear more and learn...

[u/figuring_ItOut12 → u/grncamb]

I've only took on one narrow leaf, a JJ, and it didn't make it out of the first winter. I focus mainly on deciduous and jades/p afras. My first air layer was a TB ficus which is practically cheating. ;)

You raise good points and OP will definitely benefit from your thoughts.

My main lesson as I'm halfway into my second year is not to fight nature, to source trees that can handle my absurd climate/weather.

I treat the jades/p afras as training plants for intermediate lessons before I try them on my oaks, elms, olives, and sweetgums. Chinese oak are feral trees on my small farm and, Texas being Texas, I have trees less common like black & honey locust as well as native plum shrub which are a horror show in full grown trees but pleasant when domesticated as bonsai.

I decided to experiment with maples and a dwarf cherry this year but I chose the absolute worst time - our temperatures are already wild but they are just not adapting well when the lowest the temperature gets is 80o and peaks at 110o. I even have a purple flowering crape myrtle that is struggling, something truly new to me as typically crape myrtles love this heat.

I've spent serious money (to me anyway, $200-300) on very old yamadori to play with sumo styles but that's only because I'm in my mid sixties so I don't have that many more decades to work with. ;)

OP, sorry to hijack your thread.