My 2nd Bonsai attempt

Here is my 2nd attempt. I have had it for about 4 years now also. It was a little boxwood from Lowe's. I know my Bonsai aren't much of anything compared to some of the other fantastic trees I see here on the site, but hey, they keep me out of trouble (for the most part).
Seeing some of the trees here that people post.....makes you just slobber all over yourself.

Thanks for putting up with me!

tbarkley wrote:I know my Bonsai aren't much of anything compared to some of the other fantastic trees I see here on the site

i am in just my 5th real growing season and i felt the same, but so what ?
share em if you got em...

and we just keep reminding ourselves, that with every growing season, we learn more...
and hopefully our trees will be visual reminders that what we are learning is actually working

tbarkley wrote:Thanks for putting up with me!

shit man... the good folks of the IBC have put up with much much... much worse

glad you are sharing

Thanks for the comment Snake!

Thanks for sharing. The first and hardest things to learn in this world of bonsai are patience and keeping your trees alive. You seem to have passed both tests. Clubs are an excellent way to learn and talk all things, including bonsai. Both Raleigh and Wilmington have excellent clubs. You would be most welcome at either or both. OH and the Wilmington club has a show on Saturday June 4th. PM me if interested.

DougB, thanks for the comments and info!

I love sharing! I have a bunch of sticks in pots as well. It's always cool to see what people are cooking up in their backyards. It's fun to share something you have taken the time to care for and get thru a few growing seasons. Worry about horticulture first. After awhile, "styling" a tree will get easier and you'll have a vigorous tree that will absorb some of your missteps.

And always remember....if it ain't fun, I don't want one!! oh...and if you can't drink it or smoke it...f@#k it!! But that's another story.....

ENJOY YOURSELF!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the comments Lance, I agree with you mostly.....but I don't want splinters (if I can't drink it or smoke it)!!!  

Yeeeeeeaaaah......probably would have been better referred to as "forget it".....heheheee. It's an old Ronnie Van Zant line.

It looks good to me. Burt now you havbe to decide what the design of this tree will be.

Have you read this:

http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Buxus%20Indepth.htm

I think you need to get a clear design in mind for the tree, else it will just look like a hedge in a pot.

I think you need to refine the branch structure and get it looking more like a "tree". Problem with these is they are always in leafe so you can't really see what goes on underneath. I am sure there are a few good lines you can use to create the image that will shift this from bush to tree in just a few snips and with a bit or wire?

Hey, thanks for the link, looks like good info to me, lot of stuff I didn't know. Thanks again.

I have started to defoliate as suggested in the link that BrendanR sent. And GOOD GRIEF!!! There are a LOT of leaves on a Boxwood!!!
I might be done by next growing season......might.

Nothing wrong with your boxwood, enjoy your bonsai.

You could reduce the foliage, make it more compact and reveal some of the branching, more tree-like than topiary.

Some folks are trying to make their boxwoods look like old oak trees, I think it's a good look. You can prune them back pretty hard and they will back bud. Make sure to retain a few leaves on each branch and pay attention to the apical growth habit by leaving less foliage on the top and more foliage on the lower branches.

Also, you will get better response from your training and pruning if you repot into a larger container next time around. Bonsai pot is fine just make it bigger and deeper.

Augustine, thanks for the info. I'm about half way through with the defoliation..... lot of branches in there. It only stands 13 inches above the soil. Once I'm done, I will be able to see the structure a lot better. I haven't done anything to this in about 4 years.... oh I might pinch off a little new growth here and there, but nothing else. I guess it's time that I do something with it. I want it to look more like a tree and less lollipop. Know what I mean? Thanks again for the comment and info.

This is the first bonsai I started working on after I got out of the Army and got married, in 1969-  got bonsai again in 1972 when I found this tree.  All of the tree I had prior to 1972 died while I was in Viet Nam.  My mother was just not equipped to handle their care in Tornado country.  She chased them all over the corn field behind our house in Des Moines Iowa while I was over seas.

Vance, very nice pine, but one question for you, what does that have to do with my trying to get help on a boxwood?

tbarkley wrote:Vance, very nice pine, but one question for you, what does that have to do with my trying to get help on a boxwood?

The name of your post is "My second Attempt" or am I wrong. This was my second attempt after believing I would probably never do bonsai again. If it still offends you I am sure we can find a way to take it down.

Vance, Sorry.. no, it doesn't offend me. It's hard to believe that's your second attempt. Very nice tree!! I like it! I know my title is 2nd attempt, I guess it just turned into my asking for advice.
Again, Sorry.

Apologies are not necessary from you,it is I who needs to appoligize for being such pedantic show off. As to your Boxwood; the first thing you need to do ts to thin out the growth so that you can see the branching. You can go from there in establishing a foundation for styling the tree into a serious bonsai.

Here is the boxwood defoliated.... whew.. there were a lot of leaves on this.  
I only lost a few minor branches during the process, and have cut out a few small branches growing towards the inside.
I think that I would like to wire it to be a little wider, and trim the top a little lower and more rounded. I also think that I need to let a little light through but I.m not sure where yet. There are lots of branches in this, and if this process will promote more..... it's going to be very thick!
Any serious ideas / suggestions / thoughts will be most appreciated!