Hi there,

So I am just starting out. got my 1st tree Dec 2017 (a juniper) and nor got this black monkey thorn over the weekend from a nursery.
this is a very small tree (total height about the same as my hand) and 5 years old.

Curious to hear some tips on what to do with this tree.
I'm torn between keeping it this small, or maybe letting it get bigger to maybe twice the height - thus getting it into a much bigger pot to just get it growing.

anyone got some nice articles about monkey thorn trees I can look up?

Stella24 wrote:

anyone got some nice articles about monkey thorn trees I can look up?

I have no experience with this tree; I guess it's more popular in regions with the right climate. However, there are articles about it:

www.google.com/search?q=monkey+thorn+tree+bonsai

(skip the one from Bonsaiboy, their care guidelines are not useful)

after a lot of searching and reading and seeing some fancy planning pics on this forum. I am thinking of trying to do this with my tree.
going Pierneef style and creating 2 canopies - one for each trunk.

Question 1 - i have no idea how long this tree has been in this pot. should I re-pot first before wiring, or just try the wiring and leave the re-potting for the next season?

Question 2 - they one branch of the smaller trunk (blue line) goes through the branches of the larger trunk. which on one article I saw is not liked in bonsai rules. i would like to keep this branch as i like the look of it and it is already an established brance, not sure if triming it will be constructive towards reaching this look i'm aiming for. please give me some insight an tips on this

I can also "pull" the branch out a little to make some more space for the one branch crossing through the others?

I can also "pull" the branch out a little to make some more space for the one branch crossing through the others? following the red line

This plant needs more growth before any styling. If you must wire then no do not re pot first. If you are somewhere where the tree will lose leaves wait for re potting until spring. The style you suggest sounds odd, and \i am not sure it will work. Don't be too quick to do things that you might find are not good, think about it before doing.

Indeed. Let the plant grow a bit more, and ensure it is strong: A cut-back will be more effective.

Is this the only one of the species you have? Do you know how well they backbud & close cuts? This will determine how much you can let this grow. I suspect these can grow very strong when healthy and well-watered.

The style is a great one, as this is -afaik- the natural shape these trees take in savannahs. I think that you will have to prune the branch growing into the canopy, and take it off, or create space in the canopy so that it can fill its own space. This style is hard to create a realistic looking tree, and not end up with a topiary plant. As far as I understand it, each section of the canopy is growing out of an individual main branch. So the canopy is effectively a compilation of individual mini-canopies on a branch (Much like styling a juniperus pad, as shown by bonsai4me.com at bonsai4me.com/Images/AT%20Shaping%20Juni...20branches%20(5).JPG, below, but vertical and 3d of course).



I am not sure your plant is big enough to pull it off. I would aim for a bigger trunk.

This is a nice example, I find:

ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t16345-andre-...tyle-acacia-galpinii
i38.servimg.com/u/f38/17/27/55/53/pierne26.jpg

this was developed for african trees. tipically how some thorn trees grow naturally
see some of these: www.google.co.za/search?q=pierneef+bonsa...1517&bih=777&dpr=0.9

m5eaygeoff wrote:

The style you suggest sounds odd, and \i am not sure it will work.

The style is derived from an informal broom, adjusted for the natural spreading habit of some african trees

I think this is the structure