Trident Maple Group planting

[bob m]

hey

Slow going in the bonsai world right now so thought I'd show a pre-bonsai Trident Maple Group planting that I acquired this winter. Will post some pics. later after some work and a pot (if I can afford one that big)

Robert

[dick benbow]

It's a nice group. Something you could work with. In repotting you may want to move some things around. usually optically the bigger trees are in the front center and the smaller towards the sides and back to give the impression of depth. Also the pot it is in is incorrect. Too Masculin. You want a nice shallowish oval. I could see a nice yellow to compliment the leaves as they break in the spring and again as they color in the fall.
or a nice neutral grey to match the bark might work as well. usually February is a good time before bud swells to repot. Don't want to mess with when sap starts running or they bleed and weaken. Let us see what you come up with. and thanks for posting.....

[bob m]

[QUOTE=WAC;1780417]Looks nice. I like forest-style groupings. Do you have a good source for Trident maples?[/QUOT

Hey,

I got these from a gentleman thats down sizing his collection in anticipation of a move. He has 2-3 hundred bonsai in his collection.

He lives in the Panama City area of Florida. Pm me if you would like his name/number. Should add that he does not ship, its pick up only.

Robert

[bob m]

It's a nice group. Something you could work with. In repotting you may want to move some things around. usually optically the bigger trees are in the front center and the smaller towards the sides and back to give the impression of depth. Also the pot it is in is incorrect. Too Masculin. You want a nice shallowish oval. I could see a nice yellow to compliment the leaves as they break in the spring and again as they color in the fall.
or a nice neutral grey to match the bark might work as well. usually February is a good time before bud swells to repot. Don't want to mess with when sap starts running or they bleed and weaken. Let us see what you come up with. and thanks for posting.....

Hey Dick,

Yes, I will move them around some at re-potting. I have not looked at the root system yet, may need to work on that for a season or two before the shallow pot. They have been growing in this large, deep plastic tub for quite few years. I may just put them in a wood grow box for now as this grouping is quite large (see pic) and a pot this large will surely be $$$$, ha ha.

Thanks for the laugh Dick, The part about February being a good time to re pot, I so wish it was true here, but in this part of the country (Iowa) the bonsai's are frozen solid in their pots.

Here's a pic. of another tree I picked out, an Azalea around 20 years old, just love the trunk on this one. Looks like two trees that have fused together over the years.

Robert

[dick benbow]

You'll have to look for a nice used pot to cut the cost down. Our tokonoma pots came in from Japan. very expensive, all the hand made ones ordered were NOT filled and the molded stuff looked like seconds as no attention to finish/detail. This was a hugh disappointment for a person that desired only japanese pots in one''s collection. I find the chinese quality price etc much more to my liking these days.

Sorry about the February suggestion, zoned out and was thinking only around here. We had such a warm spell recently that most maples and larches are swelling buds. You will need to be careful about timing cause once they start sap flow they're sure easy to bleed and weaken.

I do like your new azalea prospect. What i've learned is the smaller longer leafed ones are first on the repotting list while the bigger wider ones you want to put off till the end.

At the Pacific Rim Bonsai display, we did our first repot of a ginormous Chinese elm. They are in greenhouses so are even ahead of the rule of thumb repot time in february around here. I did learn something in thier mix. They have eliminated volcanic lava as a third of thier mix as when you repot and snip thru roots and soil, the volcanic stuff really dulls and ruins shears for root pruning. So I think for the first time this year I will also eliminate it and go with just a two way mix. We put down a base layer of perlite for drainage, and then the akadama and Kiryu for the mix. Wew have good rain totals around here so good drainage is very important for our wet springs.

[Robert]

You'll have to look for a nice used pot to cut the cost down. Our tokonoma pots came in from Japan. very expensive, all the hand made ones ordered were NOT filled and the molded stuff looked like seconds as no attention to finish/detail. This was a hugh disappointment for a person that desired only Japanese pots in one''s collection. I find the Chinese quality price etc much more to my liking these days.

Good day Dick,
I too like the Chinese pots and their price. Here's a video from Lindsey Farr, Did you catch his take on what the Japanese think about Chinese pots?http://www.bonsaifarm.tv/index.php?o...d=49&Itemid=37

And his video on the Japanese pots.
http://www.bonsaifarm.tv/index.php?o...d=75&Itemid=37




Robert

[dick benbow]

Thanks for posting the threads for us.

The pots the Japanese revere are ancient in nature and therefore sought after because of the age. Today's modern Chinese pots do not have the same reverence and they would prefer to use japanese pots.

I have potts from the UK made by famous potters as well as domestic ones in my collection. Derek Aspinal is long deceased but his UK pots still are held in high regard.

What was tough was getting them shipped here in one piece and being able to afford to do so.

But pots are something held in high regard and the correct one certainly can make or break a tree.

As you might imagine, most domestic pot makers or anywhere in the world are male. here in America Sara Rayner has earned the acknowledgement as being one of the best.
While i don't own one of her pots at the moment, I would like to find one that works with my native trees.

[Meg]

thank you Robert!!
went shopping today, my son picked out a Trident Maple.
Tom remembers you quite well, he has repotted his new aquisition and it is looking beautiful and happy. an amazing piece!!
I spent a bit more than I was wishing to so I hope we have choosen well. We did a lot of looking and listening. My son (16) is excited about working on the tree...who would a thought!
I will take some picure inthe morning for you.

but now I want a to bonsai a Cypress! did you see those? very cool

[Robert]

Good day Meg

Glad to hear ya got over to look at his stuff. Thought I would really miss my tree, but know it will like Florida climate better than my Zone 5 and it went to someone who will care and improve on it.

Yes, did look at his Bald Cypress, in fact was deciding between a Bald Cypress Forrest and Trident Maple Forrest. Went with the Tridents but still want a BC sometime down the road. He had the hard work done on the pre-bonsai BC, nice taper and new leaders. Maybe if he still has some left next winter,ha ha.

It's nice to hear of young people getting interested in bonsai. I think bonsai teaches many things that will help in life's journey. One being patience, and with that said the three most important things to remember about bonsai is patience,patience and patience . As Dick posts on here often, only one major assault per year.

Look forward to the pictures.

Robert

Robert

[Meg]

this one was sitting in his potting shed waiting for a bonsia pot, he just had not gotten to it yet.

what I saw as the tree front he did not, he liked the opposite side...lol. so much for what I know.
which do you all see as the front?

[dick benbow]

The first photo is the correct front. Based on the rootage and the fact that the top of the tree leans forward towards you ( not looking away)

You could however because of the scar, use the other side and lean the tree a little more towards the viewer. You'd then have to wire the top of the tree to get it moved forward, again to be looking at the viewer.

The problem with this tree is the middle internode between the first two sets of branches and the top of the tree is too long. It could be attempted to be assisted by grafting some branches, or if it is moveable enough to wire a bend in it to reduce the visual effect of length. That would help.

Not all of us can purchase a perfect tree, but a tree that has been carefully manicured and cared for has a beauty within itself and speaks volumns about the keeper.

[Meg]

thanks Dick, I am not up to grafting anything as that is way past my abilities I believe. However I think I am up to giving some bend with wiring.
thanks for your input!