simplysaid wrote: Do most bonsai hobbiest train trees while the tree is in the ground?
My new house has great property and I have plenty of pots.
Dilemma's
you can do this..
it has a lot of benefits..
I read so many things about soil being too much like mud, and it strangles the roots of small trees.
Would it help the tree if I added certain soil to the ground where I plant the tree? It thrived in sandy soil in my old house.
You can add bonsai soil into the mix. Never hurts.
As for training in the ground, it depends on what aspects you wish to grow, and sometimes species specific (I'll get to that).
Basically, let a strong leader shoot grow to thicken a particular area, whether it be the trunk or a branch or both. An apex that's allowed to grow wild will increase your trunk size. A side branch that keeps extending outward will thicken that branch. Multiple shoots all over the place will add to this. Be advised, all those new shoots you don't wish to keep in the future (a.k.a. sacrificial branches) will leave pruning scars. How big those scars will be depends on how long/large you let them grow.
Species specific is really a difference between deciduous & coniferous trees. Most deciduous will break buds all over the place under the right conditions, but coniferous can be more difficult. A way to avoid this is to strip a section of branches away from a future cutting point. This will allow sunlight & air movement over the areas you wish to keep alive and green.
For example, that bald-ish area on your juniper could be stripped of those particular branches. The remaining upper section could be thinned some for more light. Leave the apex to grow grow grow. The lower branches will receive benefit from this, and can even be maintained in some training while the rest of the tree thickens up. The training will help keep buds close to the trunk, because it becomes more problematic the further away they get. Hope that makes sense.
An example of that growth question can also be seen a few posts down the Uploading Photos to Forum thread.
The trident maple has a long sacrificial shoot that will be pruned away, and the branches above that cutting point have been taken off to let in sunlight.
www.bonsaiempire.com/forum/general/8176-...ding-photos-to-forum
brkirkland22: I understand about the strong leader shoot and making an apex to assist in the style I want it to grow. Thank you.
I'll keep the scaring down to a minimum. And I'll plant her in a month and let her grow under my training. From what I've read, this red cedar is pretty hardy and common in my area of the USA.
I'll post some pictures of the pads and get opinions on pruning. I have some good books but I like to share with other enthusiasts.
simplysaid wrote: Do most bonsai hobbiest train trees while the tree is in the ground?
My new house has great property and I have plenty of pots.
Dilemma's
you can do this..
it has a lot of benefits..
I read so many things about soil being too much like mud, and it strangles the roots of small trees.
Would it help the tree if I added certain soil to the ground where I plant the tree? It thrived in sandy soil in my old house.
i have several projects growing in the garden, and every year when i repot my other trees, i take them out of the ground to check the roots, do some root pruning and if necessary i even wire roots..
mostly i plant them on a concrete tile to ensure a wide base with radial roots..
than it's the same.. let some leaders grow for thickness.. and prune in the right areas and even wire the main branches ..
advantage is, in the ground, the tree will grow lot more than in a pot..
once a tree has reaches the wanted thickness (and usually at the same time, a good main branch structure, i put the tree in a pot and start refining for the next 5 or so years..
also, good growth will close up cutting wounds quite easily..
simplysaid wrote: I read so many things about soil being too much like mud, and it strangles the roots of small trees.
Would it help the tree if I added certain soil to the ground where I plant the tree? It thrived in sandy soil in my old house.
It might best to check a few of the local garden centers, and see what other gardeners in you area do. Might as simple as adding pea gravel, or raising the bed.
soil in pots is different from your garden. unless you have very heavy clay, just plant them in the ground. trees have been growing in soil for quite a few decades..
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