I am hoping to create a more naturalistic style with these cedar elms as they grow pretty tall to complete with live oak and ashe juniper creating slender and elegant trunk lines.
I repotted and chopped back on these two after spending over a year in some plastic recovery totes. I was hoping for some more buds, but looks like I’m only getting apical growth. Is it possible to create convincing bonsai if I don’t get anymore growth along trunk?
Also, I feel like my training pots are not near wide enough?
Again I’m going for a more elegant style so don’t want to go too short, but advice for future steps would be greatly appreciated. Graft? Wait and chop down more? Any tips to encourage lower branching?
TIA
by Used-Record9901
3 Comments
I think your pots may be a little restrictive at this point of training. Best thing to do at this point is plant them on a board in a large shallow tray and let them just grow wild. If you’re looking for a naturalistic style, you’re best to let them grow unrestricted for periods and then hedge prune them back further and further out for finer and finer ramification. Walter Pall is absolutely fantastic at this style
TL;DR – I’d plant them into a wider pot and allow more branching to develop
Let it rip. Lots of bright light, supplemental nutes, water and love.
Don’t prune.