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Hi everyone

I'm brand new to bonsai and would really like to get to grips with it.

Though I intend to grow and find more attractive specimens, I found this little birch hiding in a corner of my grandmas garden I thought might be good to practice with.



It's an odd shape and it's missing the centre branch, I was wondering if the experienced amongst you could give some opinions/advice on whether I could make something interesting with it?

Thanks everyone!
Jay

Practice yes bonsai maybe not. It needs to be cut down a lot from were it's at. It seems to have two trunks and there both slinder and long. Needs some thinking up if you ask me. I would cut them back and work on a nice double trunk. It will take some time to establish but the end result will be nice.

Thanks Travi that's really helpful.

One more question, should cutting it back hard as suggested be done in the winter when the tree is dormant? I'm concerned that it would be extremely stressed by such a dramatic alteration as well as being repotted during the growing season.

Cheers,
Jay.

actually as a starter tree this one isn't so bad... you may want to consider putting it back in the ground... plus reseach birch trees... and try and find this particular type of birch.
have a look here for some inspiration:
not all of the images are bonsai, but some ideas about what can be done.

have a look at this: www.bonsaiempire.com/blog/bonsai-trunk-creation

one of the members here has a few good articles on how to grow a thick trunk:

The first key for bonsai is keeping the tree alive, growing and thriving... then you can style it... as styling puts strain on the tree. I would also recommend the courses offered here on the website.. they aren't that expensive, and contain lots of info plus, you can use them as reference material.

Thank you for taking the time to give this advice, I will give it a go!

After a quick scan of the tutorials I think I will put it back in the ground and use the grow and cut technique in late winter to encourage the trunk and the two main branches to thicken. Thanks again.

HI JD.
I am sorry to bring it up, but...birches do not grow much in winter.
Also you won?t fatten up the trunk but "clip and grow" technique.
It is for branches, trunks fatten up by letting them to grow wild.

Ah okay, I misunderstood the instructions then! If I let it grow wild in the ground, how would I get the size down when the trunk is a satisfactory size? should I clip the branches? Sorry as I said, I am an absolute beginner and appreciate the advice!

You should really check out the links Tubaboy posted for you
Usually you cut the tree ruthlessly down and leave just a stump and then wait for new buds in the spring, from suitable ones you can start building branches - thats what clip and grow is for.