Pretty cool reduction in leaf size.

this was a little mulberry(I believe it is a native red mulberry) that I collected earlier this year. The leaf beside it is from a similar sized plant as the one I collected. The coin is a nickel. The reduction wasn't intentional, but I've found it to be pretty neat.

Very dramatic.
Jerry

Do you pictures of the "new" matured leaves? Most of them seems to be young leaves and haven't reach its full size yet.

IMHO- proper branches should be developed first before trying to reduce leaf size, reducing the leaves at early stage of bonsai development hinders the fast development of the tree.

regards,
jun

Do you pictures of the "new" matured leaves? Most of them seems to be young leaves and haven't reach its full size yet.

IMHO- proper branches should be developed first before trying to reduce leaf size, reducing the leaves at early stage of bonsai development hinders the fast development of the tree.

+1

I'd like to see the foliage as it grows and matures also. Mulberry has a pretty big leaf size as is shown in the picture and I'm not sure I have ever seen a bonsai of one in the 36 years I've been practicing
bonsai.

Good luck.

Gary
Here is a Mullbery I have been working for 2 yrs now. This shot is it straight off the bench, I was going to defoliate and re-wire it tomorrow.




Mitch

jun wrote:Do you pictures of the "new" matured leaves? Most of them seems to be young leaves and haven't reach its full size yet.

IMHO- proper branches should be developed first before trying to reduce leaf size, reducing the leaves at early stage of bonsai development hinders the fast development of the tree.

regards,
jun

I said in my post that I wasn't intending to reduce the size of the leaves. This tree is a bit of a little stub, but it had about 6 different shoots growing, that were 2 feet tall. Those leaves were about a third the size of the big leaf. When I cut those shoots back, the plant budding off again, and each of the original branches has about 2-3 new secondary branches. These leaves have been about this size for two weeks now, so i don't see them getting that much bigger.

PeacefulArces
Mine rarely get larger than 1", and it flowers and fruits every spring.

Mitch

Here are a few pics of a mulberry that I am developing branches on. I really hope I can get the leaf reduction when the time comes. All critiques welcome.

Mitch Thomas wrote:PeacefulArces
Mine rarely get larger than 1", and it flowers and fruits every spring.

Mitch

What species do you usually work with? I've heard that the non native white mulberries tend to have larger leaves. I believe that this one might be a red/white hybrid, because of the size of the leaves and their texture. Also, I have another small mulberry which has reddish shoots, while this one appears to be all green. The leaves of the red stemmed one are also more lobed and have a rougher texture on the top.

PeacefulAres wrote:

Mitch Thomas wrote:PeacefulArces
Mine rarely get larger than 1", and it flowers and fruits every spring.

Mitch

What species do you usually work with? I've heard that the non native white mulberries tend to have larger leaves. I believe that this one might be a red/white hybrid, because of the size of the leaves and their texture. Also, I have another small mulberry which has reddish shoots, while this one appears to be all green. The leaves of the red stemmed one are also more lobed and have a rougher texture on the top.

I bought this one at a auction a few years ago, I was told it was a white Mullbery. The leaf stems are green if that helps I can post a leaf close up if you need. Mine is a vigorous grower and very thirsty.

Mitch

Mitch Thomas wrote:

PeacefulAres wrote:

Mitch Thomas wrote:PeacefulArces
Mine rarely get larger than 1", and it flowers and fruits every spring.

Mitch

What species do you usually work with? I've heard that the non native white mulberries tend to have larger leaves. I believe that this one might be a red/white hybrid, because of the size of the leaves and their texture. Also, I have another small mulberry which has reddish shoots, while this one appears to be all green. The leaves of the red stemmed one are also more lobed and have a rougher texture on the top.

I bought this one at a auction a few years ago, I was told it was a white Mullbery. The leaf stems are green if that helps I can post a leaf close up if you need. Mine is a vigorous grower and very thirsty.

Mitch

It's not really necessary. I think they all tend to be very fast growers and I know that this tree LOVES water too.

Here is a Mulberry I have been working for 2 yrs now. This shot is it straight off the bench, I was going to defoliate and re-wire it tomorrow.

Well now I have seen some Mulberry bonsai. Some nice trees if you can get the size of the leaves down in the future. Pretty cool.

I have had several mulberry over the years. When I first started in bonsai (knowing even less than I do today, which isn't much) I collected a 2 in. diameter mulberry from a fence row which I noticed had budded several weeks after I chopped it off clearing brush, transplanted it at the wrong time of year, moved it twice in midsummer from garden to garden, snapped it off dropping a ladder on it, improperly chopped it back twice (diagonal chops) and it lived and flourished. I potted it the fifth year after collecting and we enjoyed it two summers, it fruited the second. It parished in a midwinter garage fire 6 yrs ago. It was the first tree I collected, trained and styled, I still miss it.