I won a Large Ficus Bonsai in a raffle

I have a small idea what I want to do to it...

It's not a lot... but in three weeks I'm going to defoliate it and then I can plan better. :3


Also... this is a good compareson shot...

It's a beast.

I have no idea where I am going to keep this thing in the winter.

Mulberry Progression

Mulberry Progression

2010 Of the then front. this is after I massively cut back the roots. The squirrels dug into this like little feinds. and since I forgot to drill holes into the little box it was filled with water most of the fall. My dad put it into another pot for the winter and it survived.

2011 Front view. The leaves are very small so far this year. I'm really hoping they stay this size.

Back view

Close up of the trunk. The little branches are now twice their size.

Top veiw

This is sorta a side view...

This is an insane plant. it is cold hardy and grows very, very fast. Training wires will leave marks in a weeks time or less. How ever I think they grow out almost as fast because I could not find the marks when I looked. Both a good and bad plant for a beginer I think.

Since I thought this had dies last winter... I have no idea how I want it to go right now. XD

Giant Sequoya Progression

Giant Sequoya Progression

Winter 2008 I think. This was taken shortly after I first purchased/potted it. It was thinner then a pencil.

2009 I was so happy that a new branch had started. It grew very little this year.

 2011

 Scarring from cutting a branch over the winter.

 More scarring. I was trying to avoid revers taper by removing the branch.

I don't think it worked. Also the trunk is so thin here because it grew flat from the rocks. The rocks are there to keep the squirls from digging in it's pot.

Right now the trunk is about three times thicker then it was when I first bought it. I have pinched the branches back but this is a very aggressive growing tree. The tap root is still intact because I want this to grow as large as possible before I cut it. But because I have to move it inside for the winter I will be using the 'escaping root' growing method.

What is a Pre-Bonsai

What is a pre-bonsai? (or prebonsai or pre bonsai. However you want to spell it.)

A pre-bonsai is a tree that you are working on and trying to turn into a bonsai. They can be the ugliest of ugly duckling of trees or almost a bonsai but not quite. It is a stage that most tree's are in when you are working on them. This stage can and does take years.

But! It is very different then the growing stage. Potential bonsai (potensai) are found/bought and then grown for god knows how long to get a good trunk going. When the trunk is as big as they are looking for it is chopped down to a certian point and then left to grow again. This is repeated a few times to form taper. (Kinda like making a pyrimad) and this step can take very long. When you feel that you have gotten the taper & main branches your are looking for then you have entered the pre-bonsai phase.

Determining when your bonsai is no longer a pre-bonsai is very hard to know for a beginner. Bonsai are usually the 'finished product'. Since the goal is to keep them alive and growing this stage generally consists of upkeep more then training and styling. Comparatively. So if you are just doing minor touch ups then you have a bonsai!

If you are stuck your best bet would be to head over to a bonsai forum and get some advice. Take a picture of the front, back, looking down on it, trunk & how the tree is growing into the soil (aka nabari). Then figure out what you are trying to ask. If you also have progression shots of your tree add 1-3 to your post for reference. Either make your post in the newbi section or a section dedicated to bonsai progression.

I recomend going to The BonsaiSite Forums because they have a lot of knowlege to share. Be warrned that they can be a little snooty if you ask the wrong thing.

Bonsai Tools

So, I am starting to realise that I need to get the right tools to take care of my bonsai. And while I would love something like these:

















Because right now I am just really needing the concave and knob cutters. I do dream of getting the larger sets but right now my kill/live ratio is telling me not to spend too much before I can keep the trees alive for a few years. I can't wait to see what survived this winter.