名媛直播

This is an American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana, and one of several trees I collected for a club workshop (6 years ago). The better trees were used in a forest planting, but after the demo, no one wanted this one. I kept it and started working on branch structures, ramification, etc. It's not ideal material, but it was the first hornbeam I had to work on.

When I look at it now, I see loads of fault, and want some input from everyone for future work. My thoughts: the sharp bends seem unnatural, though not uncommon for the ones in my area, and the trunk sections are also very long and straight. It's too tall for its girth. As it stands, I don't see this material developing into a convincing bonsai unless I make major changes. I'm debating two options to start over:
1. Cut the top long section of trunk (image attached), and develop from there.
2. Stick it in the ground and see what happens in the coming years.

What are your thoughts on these options, and what other thoughts would you suggest? For scale, the base of trunk is ~2" (50mm). Current height without pot is ~16" (40cm).

brkirkland22 wrote: As it stands, I don't see this material developing into a convincing bonsai unless I make major changes. I'm debating two options to start over:
1. Cut the top long section of trunk (image attached), and develop from there.
2. Stick it in the ground and see what happens in the coming years.

What are your thoughts on these options, and what other thoughts would you suggest? For scale, the base of trunk is ~2" (50mm). Current height without pot is ~16" (40cm).

Hey brkirkland,

In my humble opinion I?d go for both of them. I?d cut that section off the trunk, right where you marked it and try to turn into the future appex, the small branch left at the cut level. Then I?ll go for option number 2 too to speed up the process, keeping always the lower branch growing to fatten up the trunkbase. In the mean time, of course, periodically prunning of the roots and green would be done.

By the way, by chopping that upper part of the trunk, how tall would the tree be then? Oh, and how far up in the tree is the first branch? Desireble to recalculate the proportions

Alain

New apex, as is from top of pot, would be ~ 10" (25cm) and first branch @ ~ 4" (10cm).

Here's another photo of the other side from last fall before repot. You can see really bad scars that would benefit from some strong ground growth. The first branch was originally left as a means to help close one up.

Thanks Alain!

i would cut the long straight section mostly off. Cut to 25 of that section (about the point with the little hole). Then start building a crown and/or ground grow.

Here's an update: May 8, 2016

I cut off the top in early April & decided to root it for a future tree. I'm letting both grow for now. Plenty of decisions to be made to parent tree, but I've got time. Thinking I may even cut it down to the first limb since the trunk continues so straight above it. Thoughts?

Nice trees, love the green pot.