I'm interested in getting this 6 year old "pre"-bonsai:


But the owner literallt cut off the main trunk a long time ago, which you can see in the picture.. Which I find to be a big waste.
I'd love to get a tree like this much later on:


Is that still feasible? Is it still possible to shape this into something straight?
And is grafting an option to get back that trunk as a second branch?

Thanks!

The shape is already there just needs growing and pruning.

carlove wrote:

But the owner literallt cut off the main trunk a long time ago, which you can see in the picture.. Which I find to be a big waste.

Don't worry about it. Remove the stump smooth with the barck or a little below it. Make sure the surface is nice and smooth. In spring, remove a mm of barck around the stump area and the bark will close the area. This is normal i ngrowing bonsai.

carlove wrote:

I'd love to get a tree like this much later on:
Is that still feasible? Is it still possible to shape this into something straight?
And is grafting an option to get back that trunk as a second branch?

Is it feasible? Yeah, but you need to do a few decades of ground growing. That is NOT a small tree.(www.growingbonsai.net/size-matters/)
No need to graft. The branch will get there.

leatherback wrote:

Don't worry about it. Remove the stump smooth with the barck or a little below it. Make sure the surface is nice and smooth. In spring, remove a mm of barck around the stump area and the bark will close the area. This is normal i ngrowing bonsai.

Cool, thanks!

leatherback wrote:

Is it feasible? Yeah, but you need to do a few decades of ground growing. That is NOT a small tree.(www.growingbonsai.net/size-matters/)
No need to graft. The branch will get there.

How will the branch get there? And wouldn't the trunk be split?

m5eaygeoff wrote:

The shape is already there just needs growing and pruning.

Really??? It's really hard to see how the shape is in there. It looks like a 45% angled trunk to me @_@. Do I need to wire one of the branches towards the right / where the stump in located?

the trunk of your plant needs to get 20 times as thick. That will be decades. The shape you have now will be smooth by then. Meanwhile, your tree will grow more side-branches than you know what to do with.

Read up on how bonsai are developed.

leatherback wrote:

the trunk of your plant needs to get 20 times as thick. That will be decades. The shape you have now will be smooth by then. Meanwhile, your tree will grow more side-branches than you know what to do with.

Read up on how bonsai are developed.

All right, will do, thanks!

The tree hasn't been taken care for, for the last 5 years. Do I need to look out 'cause of that? And it probably needs to be re-pot asap, right?

I think it possible, just pruning and take care your tree. Enjoy it!