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Hi,

First post and a bit new to bonsai, at least in getting plants and shaping them myself. So to my questions, after a bit of background:

I have admired Calliandra-species and thought of getting a plant to shape as bonsai, just as an experiment. Found a commercial?seller with a quite inexpensive plant that was going to be 40-60 cm when delivered. Got a very healthy one, but almost a meter?long?excl pot! Some fine branches and flowers, but very long.

I got the idea that a cascading style would be nice, with the fine leaves and flowers of a Calliandra surinamensis, but I later understood that it is quite hard keeping a non-juniper as a cascade? So I am thinking a semi-cascade, I think the Calliandra will be quite boring as a formal upright.

Except style, on to the next thing, I got a double trunk. First I thought I should keep them and cut one away later, when I see the development of the two, Then it struck me I could also try to pair/twist the trunks together. Or just keep both. Hard to know which way to go and they all are quite definitive.

I have already went ahead and wired both main trunks, before I got my ideas (and questions). But I have cut no branches or leaves.

Does anyone get any ideas about this project?

Attached are pictures of plant after unpacking,



examples of the flowers



and then the wired trunks as it is right now.

In my teste cascading trees should have the first branch cascading, not the trunk. And most definetely not two.

If I wanted to turn this into a cascading tree I would start in spring by getting the top soil off and look for where two trunks split. If there are a common trunk below, I would use one of the twin trunks as the main trunk and one as a cascading branch. If there are no common trunk I would give up the cascading tree idea. Not all specimens are good for all styles.

But it is your tree. Only you know what you like.

Any suggestions about what style would be good? The calliandra has such branches and leaves that spread out "downwards" in a cascading style, I think.

If I had the tree in picture one I would think go with the nature of the tree and make a formal upright twin trunk tree.

If I had the tree in picture three, I would think. Darn, too bad it has been bent, and I would keep on developing it as a cascading tree.

There are no way I would stress the tree more and change from the current style to anything else.

That is why we tell people to ask before performing the work, not after. Before you had a blank canvas that could be turned into anything. Now you have a twin trunk cascading tree and you are stuck with it. A style never been heard off before. And how long did it take to make that decition? I guess less than a week. I look on my trees and consider my options for months, sometimes years before I make a decition. Most of the times I make decitions that keep two or more options open for the future.

Calliandras are not that easy to make bonsai with, it's branches gets stiff early, so you have to get the timing of wiring.
It also struggle to heal over cuts, so you have to avoid big cuts, so it's hard to see them with insane tapper.

I love the size of their leaves (they get a lot smaller than what you see there)?and that a pro, however people make them big, because of their flowers...

First you have to consider the size of the tree you want to make, for example, if?I would go for a small twin trunk, about 20-30 cm tall,?for that I would maybe cut them with less than 10cm and start working it from there, even less if you want to put some movement on the new trunks, otherwise you won't be able to bend the trunk enough at this point, so the movement is to scale.

You could also keep them as sacrifice branches and study about air layering for the future, that species accepts it very well.
It also backbud very well, so you don't have to worry about that.

Also, it tolerates very well low light environment, but it would be better if it can sit outside there, maybe not in the winter if it snow there, but mine here even took some frost this winter and are fine.

Btw
At this point I think that if you want, you can?just remove the wiring?it carefully, it would probably go back into shape.
it's popular name around here translate into "Scythe breaker" because of how hard they get, so it's ideal to wire early.

I'm not sure what are your goals into the hobby, I mean, if you want to make more trees or only this one...?Learn how to make it or just mantain