Hi everybody,

I'm new to this forum. Though reading before, now decided to post cause I thought it would be fun and maybe catch a few tips

Basically my bonsai experience is nihil. I'm a fan though. In 2014 I came home with a small Sequoia giganteum and since then I've been growing it and hoping to turn it into a bonsai.

It's been looking quite well. Growing fast and developing a nice looking trunk. My previous house had a better place in the sun but now it is in an ok place, rather windy unfortunately, but sunny after four pm.

Now, my recent move, i'm not sure about. I realized in height its getting at target but i would like the trunk to grow out a lot more. I learned recently for this its important to grow the tree a lot bigger, and then scale back to the preferred size. Also that growing it in the ground might be best for this.

So i thought two things. One, maybe I've been bonsaiing it into a small pot to soon. And, if u cant put it in the ground maybe i should just put it in a really BIG pot.

So there it went! Not sure though whether i made a mistake. The tree has been doing great so it would be a shame to loose it over this. I thought today maybe theres a big danger of rot since the roots cant occupy the big pot fast enough.

Like i said, total amateur. As far as soil goes it has had bonsai soil from the garden centre and regular standard feeding in summer. The current pot has a big layer of pot pieces at the bottom, 70L regular soil, 10L bonsai soil on top and around the roots, turf and Wood pieces on top.

So haha, what do you think guys?? Will he get fat or miserable..?

Thanks for any interest or comments!

Bonsaiping wrote:

Hi everybody,

Basically my bonsai experience is nihil. I'm a fan though. In 2014 I came home with a small Sequoia giganteum and since then I've been growing it and hoping to turn it into a bonsai.

You can put that tree in the garden and forget about making it a bonsai. There's no lower foliage, the foliage is too high, so there's not much you can do with this anymore, apart from just enjoy it as a normal, pruned tree.'

The junipers have years of growth to go.

Well, no garden here

The foliage is only gone because I took it away. I read the sequoias foliage should be at about this height.

I don't might about whether it is a perfect bonsai. I would just like it to stay alive, healthy and with a big trunk

Bonsaiping wrote:

The foliage is only gone because I took it away.

Yes, that I understood. You needed that foliage to get the trunk big.
Next time better ask questions first.

Oh learning by doing..

There is is still foliage springing out all the time. Will that help?

Bonsaiping wrote:

Oh :(There is is still foliage springing out all the time. Will that help?

Yes, that will help. Keep lower foliage until you decide which will be the first , second and back branches.
Besides that, lower branches, even if sacrificed later, will make the trunk thicken.
The big pot is very risky.
Small plants generally are drowned in very big pots. That is why people move to bigger pots in increments (pot n#2, pot n#3, and so on).

Ok, thanks!

I'll keep a very close eye on it and maybe go back to a smaller one then.

Also thanks to both for the foliage remark. I guess I lack knowledge about what stage I'm in exactly :')

Bonsaiping wrote:

Ok, thanks!

I'll keep a very close eye on it and maybe go back to a smaller one then.

Also thanks to both for the foliage remark. I guess I lack knowledge about what stage I'm in exactly :')

You're not in any bonsai state, currently. Cutting the lower branches has set you back a couple of years. You 'll have to regrow the branches, but you don't know the techniques so it's going to take even longer. I would probably give this tree up - that is, for bonsai. It can still be a nice topiary tree on your balcony.

I learned recently for this its important to grow the tree a lot bigger, and then scale back to the preferred size

Nope. You grow the tree and then scale it back to much LESS than the preferred size. Then you grow it again, and repeat the process. This way, you grow a tapered trunk. Look it up, there's an article on this website about it.