Thursday, April 16, 2020

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.



Wednesday, April 1, 2020

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.