Ignoring the other discussions, thought I’d share my willow experiment. Started in the early summer in water and then put in big pot with whatever soil I had in shed. Sacrifice branches at bottom to thicken lower trunk - as problem with hardwood branch cuttings is a lack of taper. Showed me that willow hardwood cuttings are just as easy to start and may look like a tree sooner, and grow in any old soil. Might try and even thicker branch next year and tempted to put some small cuttings in mame pots as I think mame may be easier if grown from start in a tiny pot. I’m just a beginner learning on whatever is around - expensive material or bonsai would be wasted on me as I’d prob just lop of wrong branches or kill it...

Very cool, I liked the idea of taking these little cuttings because they were just asking to be snipped from the base of the tree at that size (in my opinion) and they were still so flexible I figured I could probably experiment a little bit.

Thanks for sharing I sacrificed the lower branches on the wired cutting as an attempt to thicken up the "base" of the tree. I have no idea if it will work but so far I am enjoying my experiment. Looking forward to updates on your trees!

Mame size willow bonsai? Good luck

Mimo wrote:

Mame size willow bonsai? Good luck

Yes appreciate it’s a quick grower - i’ll Need more than luck... will post a pic!

Masterarms wrote:

I sacrificed the lower branches on the wired cutting as an attempt to thicken up the "base" of the tree.

hope this works for you. i tried sacrifice branches to achieve the same goal on my willow and all i got were huge knots that turned into reverse taper and made the tree look very unpleasing.

I got around to re-potting my two Willow cuttings, these pictures were taken on Wed. 9/19/18. Just in the few days since the transplant they are growing vigorously, I will post more pics sometime in the next week.

I did some strange things here, I may have half assed the techniques but this is what I did.

Tall straight willow was planted through an old CD (The Sims, to be specific), the way the roots grew on this Willow are a little odd, there is basically a group at the bottom of the cutting and then maybe a half inch of stem/trunk before another group of lateral roots begin. I placed the CD just above the bottom set of roots, so there is roots/cd/roots. I'm hoping this works to my advantage, so that maybe I can eventually chop the roots below the CD (but leaving them now to speed up growth) and the roots sitting on the top of the CD will become nice Nebari. I am a complete beginner and understand that it may not work this way. Here are pics of the my straight guy, need to come up with names still haha.


Oddly enough, there doesn't appear to be a tap root. Call me a noob, but I'm guessing it's because I started this from a cutting and not from seed?

Here she is happily re-potted.

The hunchback, let's call him Quasimodo, was planted on this flat rock that I found. I have seen people plant on tile or other things, so I figured this would work as well. I figure in the worst-case scenario, I have a root over rock scenario? But I don't believe it will work out that way, as the rock is rather large.


I planted Quasimodo in this orientation, roots spread over the rock and covered with some soil.


The rock


There's no place like home.

Feel free to comment and yell at me for doing it wrong.

Thanks for stopping by!

crent89 wrote:

Masterarms wrote:

I sacrificed the lower branches on the wired cutting as an attempt to thicken up the "base" of the tree.

hope this works for you. i tried sacrifice branches to achieve the same goal on my willow and all i got were huge knots that turned into reverse taper and made the tree look very unpleasing.

Still learning the forum, I tried to edit my last post but I can't seem to find the button now - I think too much to has elapsed since posting.
I posted some pics of said Willow and the orientation in which I planted it. Is this similar to what you tried?

Sorry for the double post.

Pics taken 9/28/18

Just a quick photo update. Should I start a second thread for these Maples or just keep adding them here? Do you guys think a moderator will allow me to edit this thread to organize it a little bit better and change the title? Just curious.

We had some torrential rain of the likes I've never seen before, trees look like they enjoyed it. Also, looks like my one Maple is sprouting a new trunk? It appears the new leaves are popping up from what used to be a tiny root that I have left partially exposed hoping something it would thicken up. I didn't think it would work.


Straight guy (still need a name)


Quasimodo (heh)


New green, hoping to get a 2nd trunk out of that?


I realize I should/may have to cut one or two of the branches on this tree since they are crossing, but I'm going to leave it for now. Considering wiring it since it's so small still.