Think this Bonsai will make it?

[simplypete]

Nick I think it's a goner. Might as well baby it through the winter and see if the buds open up. But what do I know. I fail constantly with little trees in pots. Currently I have a maple

that was my first success with root pruning. Although it has no new growth for the summer I am hopeful of next spring.

 

[NickfromWI]

...baby it through the winter and see if the buds open up.

I bet it releafs this summer or early fall. I've seen younger (newly planted) Valley oaks do that during or right after transplanting, then immediately releaf.

My fingers r crossed that happens here...

 

[woodworkingboy]

I'd give it a shot of compost tea. Pretty darn good elixir for plants and things.

 

[Porkbrick]

i have a little valley oak bonsai. when i dug it up mid-summer on a job site it did the same thing. keep it shaded and watered and it should be fine. and in the future, try to resist the temptation to root prune in summer. i have a bunch of bonsai (or little trees im trying to train into bonsai) and so far the hardest part is resisting the urge to mess with them all the time. jaime

 

[No_Bivy]

root pruneing should only be done in early spring....just before bud break. same time to collect too

 

[sotc]

That explains my utter failure a few years back

 

[NickfromWI]

Status update. About 3 weeks have gone by. All leaves have fallen off. Twig ends are all green. Tree has been moved from mostly shade to a mostly sunny position.

Closer look shows buds opening.

 

[flushcut]

 

[CurSedVoyce]

It's like watching grass grow ain't it....

 

[NickfromWI]

Pretty much

 

[flushcut]

Not grass, but a tree.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

waiting for the unfurling of a leaf..............................................................................

 

[pantheraba]

Good thread, Nick...exciting...and I am being serious (are you?)

 

[woodworkingboy]

It reminds of the old movie starring Ray Miland, 'The Premature Burial'.

 

[simplypete]

I wonder if a little mycelium inoculation would be good for it. I have been wondering about a little maple I planted in spring. It still has it's leaves but has shone no new growth since I washed and root pruned. It is a starter tree. Basically a small Japanese maple. I wonder if putting some soil from older planting of same species could help?

 

[top_notch]

Glad to see your tree is doing well Nick. Isn't it the wrong season for leaves to be dropping and regrowing, or does it have something to do with it being a bonsai?

I saw these little trees on my Yampa Canyon trip a couple weeks ago. Thought they might be naturally occurring bonsais, since they were growing in small crevices in the rock. I think one is a juniper and I'm not sure what the other pine is. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[MasterBlaster]

VERY cool.

 

[NickfromWI]

Those are sortof naturally occurring bonsai. A bonsai is not a bonsai until it is living in a pot. But the whole concept was inspired by trees just like the ones you posted pics of. Trees stunted by nature.

I have a pine that is very similar looking to the one pictured