tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1615100786320943903.post1281843189740617641..comments2024-03-27T19:59:56.174-07:00Comments on Succulents and More™: Collecting a Western redcedar for bonsaiGerhard Bock (Succulents and More)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17583583634141549759noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1615100786320943903.post-85764466525174312102016-09-20T14:51:15.638-07:002016-09-20T14:51:15.638-07:00Thank you SO MUCH for the information you posted. ...Thank you SO MUCH for the information you posted. I really appreciate it. <br /><br />My tree died; I don't think it had enough roots.<br /><br />I'm still into bonsai, but only theoretically. In other words, I've never actually gotten around to giving it a hands-on try. Life is just too busy. But my interest is still there. At least that's something :-).Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)https://www.blogger.com/profile/17583583634141549759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1615100786320943903.post-64356008115263270252016-09-20T14:47:40.756-07:002016-09-20T14:47:40.756-07:00and yes, i realize this is an OLD post. I am curio...and yes, i realize this is an OLD post. I am curious to know if you still have the tree and still are into bonsai! Creative Supply Co.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07323409598402309394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1615100786320943903.post-67501502560343176642016-09-20T14:47:15.174-07:002016-09-20T14:47:15.174-07:00Yea with bonsai you actually collect a much larger...Yea with bonsai you actually collect a much larger tree than you want and you start working it down to be small. If you go the other route (start with a small, young tree and help it grow into a bonsa) you are looking at 20+ years of work. That is because in order to get the desired "small tree that looks old" design, you need a nice ratio of trunk width to trunk height. (VERY generally speaking width is 1/3 the height). Since young trees have very thin trunks for a long time, you are best getting a bigger tree and working it to be shorter by cutting it down over time. The best collectable species have branches coming off the trunk as low to the ground as possible because ultimately you realize you are going to cut off most of the upper 2/3 of a larger collected tree. If there are no branches down low you are then left to HOPE that cutting the tree back will result in new branches growing off the trunk where you want them. This is why bonsai collectors dont just grab any random tree they like the overall look of. They look specifically for ones with nice wide trunks, a good taper (the trunk is wide at the soil surface than at the top), lots of branches to choose from, and lots of roots. <br /><br />The one you collected does not have many branches near the bottom and to get a good bonsai you will want to style it down to about 12" tall. That said, its not unusable by any means. There are LOTS of different styles and this one could be a "literati" style where the tree is tall, thin, and has small 'tufts" of foliage. You will need to encourage back budding (new growth on old wood) which, depending on the species, can be more difficult (tip: conifers are typically more difficult to do this with unless a landscape cultivar that is made for that). <br /><br />I actually might have gone for the smaller one to the left of your second candidate. That one would actually fatten up to the diameter of the desired one in about a year however since you will be able to control it's grow during that period, you can force it to maintain the lower branches and push the growth where you want it. It is also more pliable so you can bend it! <br /><br />Either way, enjoy the tree!!!!! Creative Supply Co.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07323409598402309394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1615100786320943903.post-1726371136063265052011-11-30T15:12:46.613-08:002011-11-30T15:12:46.613-08:00Very interesting! I would have thought the same a...Very interesting! I would have thought the same as Alan but I don't know anything about bonzai. Good luck and let us know how it goes!Candice Suter.....Sweetstuffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03439964856042558664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1615100786320943903.post-25408371543812541182011-11-26T08:21:07.672-08:002011-11-26T08:21:07.672-08:00Alan, I would have thought that, too, but when bon...Alan, I would have thought that, too, but when bonsai aficionados collect trees in the wild, they often take surprisingly large specimens that have the desired trunk diameter. I just came across <a href="http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATcollectring%20trees%20from%20the%20wild%20W%20Pall.htm" rel="nofollow">this long but very interesting article</a> yesterday.Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)https://www.blogger.com/profile/17583583634141549759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1615100786320943903.post-74685079123626787382011-11-26T04:33:15.195-08:002011-11-26T04:33:15.195-08:00Nice initiative! I'm wondering if those are a ...Nice initiative! I'm wondering if those are a bit too large for bonsai specimens already though? (I don't have any experience with bonsai.)Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com