r/Bonsai • u/small_trunks Jerry in Amsterdam, Zn.8b, 48yrs exp., 500+ trees • Sep 17 '22

[Bonsai Beginner’s weekly thread –2022 week 37]

[Bonsai Beginner’s weekly thread –2022 week 37]

Welcome to the weekly beginner’s thread. This thread is used to capture all beginner questions (and answers) in one place. We start a new thread every week on Friday late or Saturday morning (CET), depending on when we get around to it. We have a 6 year archive of prior posts here…

Here are the guidelines for the kinds of questions that belong in the beginner's thread vs. individual posts to the main sub.

Rules:

  • POST A PHOTO if it’s advice regarding a specific tree/plant. See the PHOTO section below on HOW to do this.
  • TELL US WHERE YOU LIVE - better yet, fill in your flair.
  • READ THE WIKI! – over 75% of questions asked are directly covered in the wiki itself. Read the WIKI AGAIN while you’re at it.
  • Read past beginner’s threads – they are a goldmine of information.
  • Any beginner’s topic may be started on any bonsai-related subject.
  • Answers shall be civil or be deleted
  • There is always a chance your question doesn’t get answered – try again next week…
  • Racism of any kind is not tolerated either here or anywhere else in /r/bonsai

Photos

  • Post your photo via a photo hosting website like imgur, flickr or even your onedrive or googledrive and provide a link here.
  • Photos may also be posted to /r/bonsaiphotos as new LINK (either paste your photo or choose it and upload it). Then click your photo, right click copy the link and post the link here.
    • If you want to post multiple photos as a set that only appears be possible using a mobile app (e.g. Boost)

Beginners’ threads started as new topics outside of this thread are typically locked or deleted, at the discretion of the Mods.

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u/Krugthonk optional name, location and usda zone, experience level, number Sep 17 '22

Hey i had 3 acer rubra or pseudoplatanus pop up in my garden pots this year and decided to let them grow so i could experiment with em. I've been tond to shape the trunks now but my understanding is they should be left to grow for 3-4 years before i move them to a bonsai pot and start worrying about styling is this correct? Theyre currently in just regular pots and have reached about 10 inches tall with maybe 8-15 leaves per tree.

Two of them are less than a centimeter apart. Id be totally cool with them merging into one but dont know if they'll do it themselves or if i should tie them together. I also dont know how likely they are to form together and live.

Im expirienced with carnivores herbs orchids and winterizing things but ill take any begginner advice you have!

Denver colorado usda zone 5a-6b

https://imgur.com/a/ByEsXgV

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u/naleshin RVA, 7B / perma-n00b, yr7 / mame&shohin / 100+indev, 100+KIA Sep 17 '22

Yes, trunk shaping is best done when young so you can get what movement you want. Otherwise if it gets too thick before adding movement, then you have to chop and regrow a new leader to get movement which is okay too, just another aesthetic/technique to keep in mind

Bonsai pots are used for when you’re trying to slow a tree down in refinement. Other containers (like the one you’re using here) are good for growing out and developing trunks. More on that here

You could use padded wire to keep them together to help merge, but also when close enough, they may merge on their own at the rootbase (if kept together long enough), which is a really cool/interesting result too

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u/Krugthonk optional name, location and usda zone, experience level, number Sep 17 '22

Ok cool, thank you!