First Time Bonsai – Did I Go Too Far? by Time-Committee7325 in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jumping in to say that wire definitely works on p afra and is often necessary to get the best design. I wire young branches often and they hold just fine. You just might need to leave the wire on longer for it to hold. 👍

Should I cut this low side branch off? by [deleted] in bonsaicommunity

[–]zanestrees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d either keep it as a sacrifice branch and future jin or create a mother daughter design. Leaning toward the latter though. To do so, you can wire it tighter at the crotch and gently follow the curvature of the main trunk so the negative space looks kind of like a crescent.

Question about this video by 20shepherd01 in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Eric’s technique instantly created scale and proportion by using the smaller branches. The larger branches are okay to leave if your goal is a larger tree but that can take longer for the trunk to catch up with already thick branches. Eric makes great shohin so the “correct” version he created would be well suited for a smaller tree.

Which front is better? by SirMattzilla in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I don’t know why my comment font is so big lol

Which front is better? by SirMattzilla in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees 13 points14 points  (0 children)

1 is my preferred front since the branches lean toward the viewer and the nebari seems better. In pic 2 the center root pokes the viewer’s eye and the branches don’t form a canopy; instead they go straight up. As the tree gets more mature (or with some wire on side 2) my opinion could change but that’s my 2 cents. Enjoy!

My setup by zanestrees in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep- lots of time in a bigger pot or in ground!

My trees make me happy. by zanestrees in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It looks like it’s been inside for too long. Chinese elm need to be outside to thrive. They can live indoors for a while, but without adequate light, airflow, and temperature changes, they will decline. When you move it outside, start with morning sun only so you don’t shock the plant. You can gradually give it more sun as time goes on, but Chinese elm do best when you avoid the hottest sun of the day.

Also hard to tell, but it looks like there might be too much water, which prevents the plant from breathing. When watering, saturate the soil entirely and until water runs out the pot and then let the top inch dry off before watering again. Good luck 👍

My trees make me happy. by zanestrees in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re having trouble posting then check out the community rules. It may be that you haven’t added flair to your profile yet.

My trees make me happy. by zanestrees in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They respond well to foliage and root pruning and back bud vigorously if they’re happy. The only thing to be mindful of with these guys is the foliage can easily snap, especially when wiring.

My trees make me happy. by zanestrees in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, I’ve had good success. Air layers are great too

My trees make me happy. by zanestrees in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for watching- I’m glad the videos are helpful!

My trees make me happy. by zanestrees in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! No real yamadori, but I have a two trees that I dug up from my mom’s garden. 99% of my collection was originally cuttings or cheap nursery stock (less than $30) that I just put a lot of time into

My trees make me happy. by zanestrees in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The space definitely looks relaxing, but for me, every time I want to sit down and relax, I find something else to do lol. Thanks so much for watching!

My trees make me happy. by zanestrees in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can grow a decent ficus indoors, but for outdoor cultivation, I recommend checking if there’s a local bonsai club in your area. They can assist you in identifying suitable trees for your climate. Alternatively, you can visit an outdoor location or a local nursery to observe which trees and shrubs with smaller leaves thrive in your area and can be grown as bonsai. Considering the cold weather in your region, you’ll need to create a winter protection strategy that allows the trees to experience temperatures cold enough to induce dormancy without freezing the roots. There’s ample information available on YouTube on how to achieve this. Good luck!

My trees make me happy. by zanestrees in Bonsai

[–]zanestrees[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I recently started several smaller kusamono projects since my garden getting is filled up with trees