I follow a similar approach when I acquire coast redwood pre-bonsai. First I repot, then I let the tree grow for a year, then I can get to work.
In this case I let Adam Toth get to work. Adam helps me keep up with the work in the garden and he recently helped out with a future shohin redwood.
Coast redwood from Mendocino Coast Bonsai
If you look closely at the trunk, you can see that most of the foliage either comes from high on the main trunk or from suckers below the surface of the soil.
Trunk detail
As the goal is to make a shohin bonsai, most of the growth near the future apex came off and the suckers were removed. This left a single low branch to wire.
After pruning and wiring
In an effort to slow the tree down, Adam wanted to repot the tree into a smaller container. As there was a lot of wood below the surface, we used a reciprocating saw to reduce the root base.
After reducing the bottom of the trunk
Portions of the trunk that were removed
Root work complete
Doing this work will allow the tree to fit into a much shallower container, but Adam planted it in a training pot to make it easier to keep the tree healthy (and well-watered) while the main branches fill in.
After repotting – 6.5″
Although the tree looks sparse, I feel like I have a new bonsai in the garden. Before this work, the tree was in a large pot and I didn’t know exactly what could be made of it. Now it’s easy to visualize the (approximate) final form and it’ll be easy to fit the tree into a shallow pot – success on two counts!
I’ll let the main branches run a bit before wiring them, but I don’t expect it’ll be long before they reach the desired thickness. At that point the focus can move to pinching and building branch development, a process that may take one or two years to establish the basic silhouette.
Only two weeks left – prepare your submissions now for the 2nd Pacific Bonsai Expo!
We’re accepting submissions through the end of the month for the second Pacific Bonsai Expo so if you’re thinking of submitting, now’s the time.
Why participate in a regional event like the Expo?
- It’s a great way to learn how to prepare trees for exhibit
- It’s a great way to learn about display
- It’s a great opportunity to meet and learn from your peers
More than anything else, participating as an exhibitor in a regional event like the Expo is one of the best ways to support your bonsai community. Our jury members, Bjorn Bjorholm, David De Groot, Michael Hagedorn, Todd Schlafer, and Eric Schrader are looking forward to selecting the best possible trees for the exhibit. You can help them do this by sending photos of your work.
Learn more about creating your submissions at the Pacific Bonsai Expo website.