my early potensai revisted (apologies for the images)

Hi, here are some pics of my bonsai (is the term potensai still in use?) that i started a few years ago. Unfortunately a lack of time over the past few years kept me away from them. trhis weekend i was inspired to revisit the ones that survived. so i dusted them off, prune, reshaped and repotted. Here are the current pics. as soon as i find them i'll post the early pics of the same trees. Thanks for looking.

(please advise how to rotate the images. They are the correct way around on my computer but get rotated when i upload them, cheers.)


Pyrocantha semi cascade style



English oak (looks a bit like a frog that has landed head first into the pot - oh well lets see what this season brings)



Ficus, exposed root windswept style

Like your "frog oak", that's a cool little tree!

Pyrocantha looks promising too, although I also have one which I've trained in a cascade style but it really doesn't seem to like it. Grows vigorously up top but the cascading bit just sulks. Obviously not how Pyroganthas want to grow.

Still, as you say, yours is more of a semi cascade so perhaps that will work better.

Good luck and keep us updated.

Cheers

Richard

Were your pictures taken with a cell phone/I-Pad? If so, someone who uses one of those infernal devices will have to explain. And if they can. maybe we can add it to the "pictures" tutorial.

If they were taken with a "real" camera, the software that comes with the camera or any graphics program will have some way to manipulate the photo.

Thanks Richard, heres a picture of it defoliated. a better look at the branch structure.
Yeah Jim it was done on my "smart" phone... for some reason this picture is the correct way around... baffling.

Use our lounge to experiment with pics taken with your phone held in the vertil position or the horizontal position and see what happens. ( suppose there may be an "upside down" position with pics taken in one of the two possible vertical positions.)

If you "prove" something, I'll move the thread into a more permanent position. <g>

johndeller wrote:Thanks Richard, heres a picture of it defoliated. a better look at the branch structure.
Yeah Jim it was done on my "smart" phone... for some reason this picture is the correct way around... baffling.

Go into your phone's settings and turn off Auto rotate. If you take a photo on a phone when its help upright the image is rotated to landscape portrait by default

aha, that makes sense. thanks

Here are some pics of my pyaracanth with new shoots after total defoliation. And My oak in leaf.

I feel that the pyracantha is going ok so far but not sure what to do with the oak. It always grows very long shoots and pretty large leaves. Ive triied pinching out in the past but that just seems to make the branches grow longer without encouraging any more budding. Im not sure if its possible to get decent ramification on this species.

Looking good John

I'm in love with that oak!

Thanks Larry, thanks George... i hope i can do it justice... im a bit stumped (excuse the pun ) as to what to do with it.

Can I make a naughty suggestion?
Send that oak my way.

lol. Only if you send it back when you've, made it look amazing

No,I would keep it forever.

So i reckon its about time to transplant this Pyrocantha to a proper bonsai pot but cant decide what style. any suggestion? thanks

Hi John, I guess a semi cascade pot for the Pyracantha, this link may help http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATChoosing%20the%20Right%20Pot%20for%20your%20Bonsai.htm  im not familiar with semi cascade, ive never owned one, but i think the top could be reduced a little and tidied up.

I like the Oak, if it was mine i'd be tempted to hollow that scar out and focus on a twin trunk, more upright design....depending on what the base and roots look like? depending on your taste of course, as not everyone likes to see holes in their trees

I have this old thread bookmarked, this is what i mean pretty much



https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t6140-shohin-english-oak#63744


IMG_9726 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
Your little Oak has all the right attributes, but i understand this is not everyones taste.

Thanks Bobby, that site is very helpful. I was planning to do a bit of wiring on the top branches to improve the shape once i had it in a pot.
that oak photo is great. looks like the perfect direction to go in with mine... ive been struggling with it for a while. thanks a lot.

Nice progression

Oak - love it! I'd also get it more upright and twin trunk. If it is well established and healthy them once the first leaves harden off I'd cut back hard and try and get it to start ramification. Do this on half the tree (so a quarter ber trunk) at firtst to se how it responds. It should be good.

After you do the chop reduce the feed and water only just enough for it to be healthy and you should get shorter internodes.

Pyracanthus - good work so far. I am not sure that it would not benefit from being about 20% shorter in the top? So much will change when you get it into the pot you like, and I think it will be a great semi cascade.

Ficus - interesting! Is this an indoor tree that you just carried outside for the pics?

Thanks Brendan,some great advice about the oak as whenever trim it it always gets too long and leggy and i wasnt sure how to prevent this (or if it was even possible)

Once i get the right pot I'll get a better idea as to the design of the pyrocantha, yes i agee the top needs sorting. (its just started flowering and is looking great)

Yes the Ficus is usually indoors, except for the summer. i currently have it wrapped in clingfilm to try to encourage more exposed root growth... seems to be working. im also encouraging the crown to develop a more balanced profile.

Heres my little exposed root ficus. New pot, and im slowly developing the crown to become more domed and with more volume on the left.

Heres my Pyracantha semi cascade with some autumn berries. I'll be buying a proper pot for it sometime soon ready for repotting in the spring