Trident Seedling Work

Debbie shared two photos of another spring project.  She has been working on  Trident Maples
Roots over rocks and tying them with wire. 

She commented that it was a "Very difficult.  I was snapping off some of branches.  I need a class on wiring."
She hopes they will survive and have a productive growing season.

Lexi Trims Brazilian Rain Tree

Denny submitted this look at her new helper, Lexi, working on a Brazilian rain tree.  Looks like he's serious about his new day job, but I hope someone told Lexi that tree has thorns. 

More Spring Bonsai Projects by ACBS Members

With the whole state still on lock down, we are sharing some of our spring projects  here on our blog.  This week, I've gotten three more messages with pictures from our members.

First up, Debbie sent in this photo of her amur maples from last year's club dig. The maples are looking healthy and busting our all over. And just look at that rugged old trunk. 

She also sends photos of these two small flowering bonsai, a crab apple in a white hexagon pot, making that spring color really pop.

Plus this small azalea already flowering with some warm purple colors.  Very cool. 


Ken adds another spring project.  He says,
"When in doubt, get some Rocks out...?"
This is the same Root over Rock Trident Seedlings ON the Rock method we did the last couple years at my ACBS Spring Workshops.
Ken is using the Seedlings intended for our Workshop last night and making more Root over Rock for the next couple days . He is going to try some Virginia Pine today and have used Elm already too. Maybe Shimpaku next?

Root over rock before and after tie down

Additionally, Ken proposes a 2020 Root over Rock Challenge to Members to see their ROR on this Blog? Hopefully there are some from the last 2 years that we can see!  Amen Ken. That would be awesome.

Lastly, Emmett and Randy finished repotting a group of amur maples from last years dig, and these too have responded nicely with ample shoots pushing our all along their trunks, as can be seen in this photo they sent.

Ken Works an Erodium

Ken shared these before and after cutting photos of an erodium he pulled out of a growing pot this week. He describes it as "a roughly cut, erodium project just started."

For those of you who aren't familiar with these little guys, they are a lot of fun to grow and put out bright flowers throughout the growing season. Plus they make neat mame size bonsai.

As can be seen in the photos, he's potted it up and cut the plant way back.  But take note of that trunk and all its ripples and texture.  Nice.

It won't be long before the erodium puts out new shoots and leaves.  It should look great in a few weeks.

Spring Dig-- Eastern Red Cedar

This season due to the corona virus, and our club not actually meeting, we'll be periodically posting some of the projects club members are working on so that we can all share in each others projects, the excitement and energy that the trees bring. In other words, virtually, we can share some of what bonsai has to offer-- bonsai reveals the glory of spring.

Eastern Red Cedar Yamadori Just Dug Out

Nice trunk with lots of branches

Having just moved back to Ohio last year, AJ is  not only back in the ACBS club, but already scrapping out some new material for bonsai.  I guess tree work is just in the blood.

Check out AJ's new projects, an eastern red cedar just pulled out of the ground, and lugged out of the wild.  From the pics, it looks like it has a serious trunk and lots of branches to choose for a new leader and to dead wood.  

Plus he's already go it potted up in a big training box.  But hey, is that work position is hard on the back? Just kidding, I wish I could still do that.

Anyway, this we'll all look forward to see how that tree develops in the coming seasons.

Another Spring Project: Buckey Bonsai in Training

This season due to the corona virus, and our club not actually meeting, we'll be periodically posting some of the projects club members are working on so that we can all share in each others projects, the excitement and energy that the trees bring. In other words virtually we can share some of what bonsai has to offer-- bonsai reveals the glory of spring.

Buckeye literati-- sweet direction changes

Buckeye bonsai in training

Randy continues his experiment at using Ohio's famous state tree--the BUCKEYE. These trees have very broad umbrella shaped leaves, and because of the large leaf size, they are not used much for bonsai.

A couple of years ago, Randy gave a presentation to our club with multiple examples of buckeyes that he had been working with. Despite the leaf size, they typically have wonderful greens and red shades in their spring  foliage color.   In addition they develop some interesting direction changes with pruning--see our post from July 2018.  At that meeting, he gave each member a buckeye to work on, all were trees that he had grown from seed. (By the way, mine is still alive).

Here Randy shares some pics of this delightful little guy which, in time, should make an interesting literati style with lots of abstract movement. Just check out that lower trunk  It is already giving us some cool lower trunk bends and direction changes.

Check back to this blog later for more spring projects.
Stay safe.

Spring Pojects Potting Up-- Maple

by Michael Rusnak

This season due to the corona virus, and our club not actually meeting  I'll be periodically posting some of the projects club members are working on so that we can all share in each others projects, the excitement and energy that the trees bring. In other words virtually we can share some of what bonsai has to offer.

Amur Maples

Last year our club dug up more than 30 amur maples from a hedge row that was in front of the building where we were meeting.  These 50 year old trees all had thick trunks with lots of hollow and movement.

Several of the trees were healed in the ground to recover at one member's home.  This past weekend several of the maples were put in training pots.  Emmet and Randy shared the pictures below.  They report lots of healthy root, and the maples are already pushing out. It should be a good year of development.