Forsythia composition

The first shot is when the tree was initially potted up after having been grown in the ground for 18 years from nursery stock....the second photo., after a good bit of dieback that was not anticipated over the first couple of years...I am attempting to try and make the composition look natural, given what I am left with.
Tom

With another stone...

The second one would be my choice.

IMHO The stone is too large as is the container. (Does the container need to be that large for the health of the plant?)

Jim...thanks for your input. I prefer the second as well.

Billy....the tree is still undergoing training after initially potting up just a couple of years ago....hence the large container.

I was just at H. Depot this weekend and they have a bunch of 12' Forsythia for sale in full bloom. I was wondering if they made nice bonsai. Thanks for sharing Tom!

TOM,,, Great work !! i like the second one also.. in time maybe you could put something on the rock for some contrast??? nice tree...take care john

Any Idea (tho unexpected) why you had problems with this tree? Do you think it was just the way the subject responded to treatment, or other conditions beyond your control (weather, soil mix etc? )

I'm sorry--I have a dirty mind. The second one looks a bit naughty.
Oliver

Fore...you are welcome...I wish you luck with your forsythia...in my experience, they take some time to acquire thick trunks...in that regard, maybe consider growing them out in the ground for a few years...also, branching is a bit course...

John...thanks for your input...good suggestion regarding a planting on the rock down the road sometime...I will think about that for sure.

Dick...good question....I am perplexed as to what happened regarding the dieback with the tree...I would ascribe it to climate, as I was pretty good about fertilization/watering after initial potting up....hope that helps.
Actually, in retrospect, I may have left a little too much of the original root mass (mostly clay) intact at the time of repotting....this may have incurred some root rot.

Regards,
Tom

I'm with Oliver on this one....

had a very good laugh, thanks Tom

Tom Simonyi wrote:Fore...you are welcome...I wish you luck with your forsythia...in my experience, they take some time to acquire thick trunks...in that regard, maybe consider growing them out in the ground for a few years...also, branching is a bit course...
I was pretty good about fertilization/watering after initial potting up....hope that helps.
Actually, in retrospect, I may have left a little too much of the original root mass (mostly clay) intact at the time of repotting....this may have incurred some root rot.

Regards,
Tom

FWIW, I uprooted a large forsythia clump in favor of a good-sized laceleaf maple. When I was done planting the 300 lb root ball of the maple I noticed an interesting shape of forsythia root on the pile, so I grabbed it an stuck it in some potting soil. It had been landfill bound for about half a day before I planted it, and it never missed a beat. That was probably 5 years ago and I sold it at auction last year. I find forsythia almost as hardy as wisteria. Must be that they both end in ia.

Following a nice flush of growth this spring, I have begun some wiring and branch placement in anticipation of repotting next year into a more suitable container.

Regards,
Tom