Escollnia fradesii from a 40 year old yard tree.

I saved this tree from a landscape job 4 years ago. When the landscape crew took it out they cut it down from 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide to a stump maybe 10 inches tall with no roots and no branches. I planted it in a 70% organic bonsai type of mix and waited to see what would happen.  The first three branches lasted about 6 months and died off. Then another couple sprouted out and one of them survived.  I bent the branch upwards to create the main trunk I have been doing some pinching and trimming back since then and trimmed the top a few times to keep it lower. This past year I wanted to let it grow out so I did very minimal trimming and pruning allowing it to thicken up and develop on its own.

I figure it will still be another 5 years before it starts taking on a true bonsai shape.
The first photo is from a year ago.



The following photos were taken tonight one from each side. I haven't really selected a front or back I am still waiting to see how it goes.

Wow no replies or suggestions?

tozankyaku wrote:Wow no replies or suggestions?

it didnt look like you were asking for suggestions.....

It looks like it's recovered, get a good plan for carving the deadwood before you cut into it and make it a feature. I wouldn't just taper it to match it in.

john blanchard wrote:It looks like it's recovered, get a good plan for carving the deadwood before you cut into it and make it a feature. I wouldn't just taper it to match it in.

Yes John, so far carving ideas have not really come to me so I figure it is best to leave it alone for now and just continue to grow out the tree.

kevin stoeveken wrote:

tozankyaku wrote:Wow no replies or suggestions?

it didnt look like you were asking for suggestions.....

I agree.  I have made the mistake on  this site before, of making suggestions on a tree when none were asked for.   If you are asking for suggestions you need to chose the front based on the nature of the base of the trunks.  It seems this tree grows on a stump rather well and you can probably grow out the upper portions of the tree as your will.  The base on the other hand is not so easy to make or change. You also need to keep in mind that it is generally considered bad form to allow branches in a design that are horizontally accros from each other, called bar branches. In the development of a bonsai if you don't know where to start you need to read a lot and start eliminating elements that you know are not bonsai.

Vance Wood wrote:

kevin stoeveken wrote:

tozankyaku wrote:Wow no replies or suggestions?

it didnt look like you were asking for suggestions.....

I agree.  I have made the mistake on  this site before, of making suggestions on a tree when none were asked for.   If you are asking for suggestions you need to chose the front based on the nature of the base of the trunks.  It seems this tree grows on a stump rather well and you can probably grow out the upper portions of the tree as your will.  The base on the other hand is not so easy to make or change.  You also need to keep in mind that it is generally considered bad form to allow branches in a design that are horizontally accros from each other, called bar branches.  In the development of a bonsai if you don't know where to start you need to read a lot and start eliminating elements that you know are not bonsai.  

This tree is not growing on a stump the stump is the tree I guess you missed that part...   So far as deciding on the exact front this is a tough decision so far I think putting the main 4 inch trunk towards the front is the only logical way to go but exactly where that is will be determined later.  I was really interested in getting more comments from someone with experience in Escallonia who would know their branches grow out this way.  It takes time for the branches to develop between each other. The first photo has a lot of bar branches but later photos show they are slowly being removed as the tree develops.

In my 40 years experience doing bonsai this is the first escallonia I have tried and it does not respond to many of the techniques I have used in the past.  At this point I am thinking of just letting it grow a little wild for a season or two then revisit it and do a first design and major pruning when more branches have filled in.

Dynamic lower part and static straight top. Two types of lines that tells me two different stories and in my oppinion do not blend well. One can deal with branches later on but the trunk line is the starting point to be fixed now without too much effort later on.

Vlad wrote:Dynamic lower part and static straight top.  Two types of lines that tells me two different stories and in my oppinion do not blend well.  One can deal with branches later on but the trunk line is the starting point to be fixed now without too much effort later on.

I agree with such a large trunk I would love to continue to work with this tree but, deciding a front and direction to work on is the main question. Next year I plan to re pot and see just what the new root system looks like. When I planted this there was no root system at all and no branches it was just a little chopped off stump. The poor plant went from a 40 year old 6 foot or so wide and tall yard plant to a chopped out stump about a foot tall tossed into a dumpster. After a few years growth this is where it is at.

You say you need someone with first hand knowledge of the species, sorry I haven't, however if these are anything like pyracantha firethorn, don't let it grow too much before styling. The branches probably will become very stiff and easily snappable as they mature.

john blanchard wrote:You say you need someone with first hand knowledge of the species, sorry I haven't, however if these are anything like pyracantha firethorn, don't let it grow too much before styling. The branches probably will become very stiff and easily snappable as they mature.

Yes john, the branches are very brittle and moving them must be done very slowly just a little at a time. In some of the better examples I have seen they were allowed to grow a little wild then trimmed back and shaped.