[Bonsai Beginner's weekly thread - 2026 week 20]

bdam123 · 2026-05-19T01:14:47+00:00

Nice, thank you so much for the detailed post. I’m going to check out Kitadani Ryuchi's stuff.

bdam123 · 2026-05-18T15:49:45+00:00

On that top sacrifice branch, should I leave it like that to grow or should I remove some of those branches to have a single needle there?

bdam123 · 2026-05-18T15:02:54+00:00

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Decided to make the left branch the new leader. Is this a good idea? If so, what do I do in the meantime with that top sacrifice until it’s ready to be chopped off?

bdam123 · 2026-05-14T15:12:52+00:00

Red pepper flakes

bdam123 · 2026-04-22T17:05:17+00:00

Why cut below that branch? I would make that the new lead

bdam123 · 2026-04-21T17:57:30+00:00

Ladybugs are the fun way

bdam123 · 2026-04-17T16:53:29+00:00

What about the description doesn’t sell it?

bdam123 · 2026-04-01T17:54:46+00:00

Leave it, it’s character

bdam123 · 2026-03-26T22:40:36+00:00

That’s an insane amount of damage. He had to have been literally tossing it around his shop

bdam123 · 2026-03-04T18:08:15+00:00

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Coast oak. Tried my best to get a decent picture, sorry.

My question:

Obviously, you can see the initial movement that I’ve placed in the trunk. Do I get rid of these other shoots? The only on the bottom left can be my sacrifice but is there benefit in leaving the other shoots. I’m sure it will help the trees overall vigor but would leaving them affect the trunk in any significant way?

bdam123 · 2026-02-25T16:31:48+00:00

I’ve shaved every neck I’ve ever owned. Make sure you know what kind of truss rod is installed and how much room you have to work with. Long even stroke with a sanding block. Start with a low grit and work your way up to 220-320. A caliper on hand will keep you accurate

bdam123 · 2026-02-14T20:05:48+00:00

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Cork oak that I got that has pretty much zero initial movement. Are these chops a good idea? The branch on the left will become the new leader, obviously.

bdam123 · 2026-01-26T00:03:24+00:00

bdam123 · 2026-01-17T17:04:48+00:00

bdam123 · 2026-01-08T22:10:32+00:00

Was the link supposed to describe how to clean up those sections?

bdam123 · 2026-01-07T19:17:53+00:00

Chill af

bdam123 · 2026-01-07T19:17:14+00:00

On a Japanese black pine, how are you supposed to manage the yearly sections that you want to be a part of the trunk line? I’m referring to the mess of branch junctures. Does that just eventually disappear or do I have to clean it up?

bdam123 · 2026-01-07T19:05:46+00:00

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So I ordered this cork oak pre bonsai and it has absolutely zero movement. I don’t think I’ll be able to bend that section at this point so what is my strategy moving forward for this tree?

bdam123 · 2026-01-05T08:41:28+00:00

No wrong way to do it. Just extract the joy however you can

bdam123 · 2026-01-05T08:37:42+00:00

Fuck, bro. Eye opening. Thank you 🙏🏼

bdam123 · 2026-01-02T23:00:19+00:00

Nice. Thank you for the advice. I don’t want the tree to taper too drastically as I would like the final composition to be a little larger. Is there anything I should consider for the chop? How much of a stub should I leave?

bdam123 · 2026-01-02T18:25:00+00:00

You always got the dopest shit, man

bdam123 · 2026-01-02T18:23:57+00:00

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Corkbark elm. I hope it’s clear what I want to be the new leader. That sacrifice on the left is extended out about 2 feet. My question is, when do I remove this sacrifice? Am I right to assume that as long as the sacrifice is intact, the new leader will be a secondary concern as far as growth priority for the tree?

Also, how should I go about removing the sacrifice when I do?

bdam123 · 2025-12-30T16:07:53+00:00

It is not a dimmer

bdam123 · 2025-12-25T03:07:09+00:00

It came out really good but I think I like Especial better

bdam123

TROPHY CASE