Hello everyone!

My name is George, I am from Greece, and for about a year now, I am trying to take my first steps to the bonsai world. For now I do not own a bonsai, I am reading files, study technics, and I am growing some trees with the hope to make them bonsai someday. I am happy to see there are a lot of people in this forum with great trees and I would like to learn some things from their experience and improve my skills.

The first tree I want to start training is a pomegranate I found a year ago in the trash. I nurtured it back to health by putting it on a larger pot without disturbing much its rootball, kept it in the shade for the first months, and fertilizing it since spring. I think that I should proceed with a first pruning and wiring as soon as it drops its leaves and on the following spring I will change its terrible soil and start training the roots. Any feedback, positive or negative, will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much.
George

Hello! With all those trunks you have hundreds of choices to start from. Pomegranates backbud from the old wood so you shouldn't be afraid to cut low on the trunk. I think you already know it but it's always good to refresh some notions. good luck!

Pomegranate love to sucker and love to grow in a bush. I've cut my pomegranate to one trunk and 3 branches. That was in September and currently it is a mad house because I must prune it almost every 3rd day. You've got many options with your tree.

Thank you very much for your responses Gekkie and Drakes.

Maybe for an experienced grower having many trunks is a very nce thing, but to me it is a bit confusing .
Anyway, I tried to do my first styling and decited to give the tree a wider look. it was a bit tall and not all trunks were visible (I read that the observer should be able to see all trunks on a multy trunk bonsai) and the tree looks like that now. I am thinking to prune the tall branches and leaving the side ones for some time in order to get thicker. Do you guys think I am moving towards the right or wrong direction?

Thank you very much in advance
George

If this was my tree i would cut all the trunks except for the bigger one, then i would shorten it just above the bifurcation and let it grow for a year or 2 selecting the new shoots to develop branch structure. But it is only my opinion.

Because they can sucker so quickly I would do the same like Drakes. The is still way to many trunks at the bottom.

I would not cut too much. Go slow. The plant looks like the individual trunks may be individual plants: In spring, carefully try to separate them, and pot them in individual containers. Once they are settled, you can decide for each individual trunk which route you would like to take.

Nice trash

Hi again,

I do love the idea leaving just one tree because I was very confused working with all those trunks. Instead of cutting the rest, I will try to separate them as leatherback suggested because after closer inspection it seems to me there are different trees. Maybe further down they are connected but I will have to wait till spring to find out. In any case the old soil needs to be removed because it is hard as a rock. I do not think the previous owner ever repotted it. I will keep you posted with my results.

Thanks again for your help,
George

Try aerating the soil with a chopstick as re-potting it now can easily kill it.

BonsaiLearner wrote:

Try aerating the soil with a chopstick as re-potting it now can easily kill it.

I will not repot now. I plan to do it next spring.
I did not know the chopstick trick. Thanks for the advice.