AlainK

Michel,

I understand your point of view, and actually it could have been an option.

But the lower branches die-back very easily if you don't control the growth of the top ones, and since I couldn't, for personal reasons, take care of it properly for almost two years, it had to be pruned drastically at the top.

OK so far will you say, but I also decided to shorten it because otherwise the trunk woul have looked like a pole, and what's more, if you have a closer look at the last picture, you will see that the trunk was bent to the left from the point the shari begins. It will also help the trunk look more conical to help get the feeling of a tall tree seen from the ground I hope.

What's more, the proportion between the branches at the bottom and the ones at the top was very bad, so it was a way to of getting a more balanced design.

On top of that (if I might say), it is just an intermediate step : more foliage is needed of course, but when it is here (if everything goes well), the tree will look very much like it was in the fourth picture, but shorter. That high, it looked a bit like the sort of brush you use to clean radiators in the house, if you see what I mean. I trimmed the top branches rather short because I know that they will develop more quickly than the lower ones. I surely don't want it to look like a spruce like now

Finally, the dead wood at the top can be reduced, or even suppressed : this is actually what I did when I first chopped off half of it. I might well choose this option, it will depend on what it looks like in a few months of growing.

And anyway, there is not much info on giant sequoia as bonsai available, so this is kind of experimental : I strongly doubt it will ever be exhibited at Kokufu , but shaping such a tree takes time, it a trial and error process, one has to be patient...

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Alain K.
http://www.rdb45.fr
http://ak2.apinc.org/bdB

Michel

Hi,


Alain,
First of all, excuse me for having been rather harsh in my critics;
In general, it is quite difficult to get good images of what
these trees look like in real life. They go on and on and on . . .
Bottom half of the tree is void of branches, and then there are
few branches, increasing in frequency towards the apex.
Striking fact is that in general, lowest branches are of the same length
and about the same girth as all branches above them . . .

Difficult to get pics of full view;
In that respect, I can FULLY recommend the book

"TREE - A NEW VISION of THE AMERICAN FOREST" by James Balog
(ISBN 1-4027-2818-2, distributed in Europe (UK) by Chrysalis books)

Further info might possibly be obtained at www.jamesbalog.com
(You can check out the second pic (veiled tree) in his "portfolio" topic)

I bought this book over 2 years ago (at NT-VII) and I find it very inspirational
on Northern American giant trees and their appearance.
It contains many collages of photos ("centerfold-like") of these monuments
of nature, and it might well be of great inspiration to You.

Furthermore,
I can't but agree with that last remark You made;
It's a slow, agonising, uphill battle . . .
but what a view once You reach the top !

__________________
Greetz,
Michel

AlainK

Repotted it about a week ago. I only had a plastic pot that could do, but maybe that's not too bad, it likes having a moist environment. I also made a soil mix of about 1/3 composted bark, and the rest is pumice, pozzolane and "aqualit" (hard clay-like stuff for aquariums, enriched with 'oligo-elements') that should retain a reasonable amount of water and be rather free-draining at the same time

Surprisingly, the roots were not as tangled as they were in previous repottings.

It seems to like the hot weather that's becoming semi-tropical in the past few days here (27° C + showers of rain in late afternoon) for it's budding back very strongly.

Attached Images

sequoia01_080508b.jpg (65.7 KB, 26 views)

__________________
Alain K.
http://www.rdb45.fr
http://ak2.apinc.org/bdB

AlainK

The idea-r-ov-it :

Attached Images

sequoia01_080508b_v.jpg (78.2 KB, 17 views)

__________________
Alain K.
http://www.rdb45.fr
http://ak2.apinc.org/bdB

Phil

Looking good Alain but I can't for the life of me see how you can manage to keep your trees on the ground like that!
Most would find a multitude of problems from various critters if they were kept on the ground including me. Grubs, slugs, squirrels.....Lions and Tigers and Bears..."Oh My"!

~Phil

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Please, always keep in mind that the typewritten word does not always convey what you wish to say, and to always treat others as you would have them treat you. Think twice-submit once.
I started out with nothing....and still have most of it.
"Its hell out there, give them hell back." ~ Prowler/Victor Gray 12/31/1943 - 11/24/2008

AlainK

It looks healthy so far, and is beginning to thicken...

As a reminder, 8th May :


Today :

__________________
Alain K.
http://www.rdb45.fr
http://ak2.apinc.org/bdB

Mattbonsai

Looking Great Alain! It must like the conditions you have given it!

-Matt-

P.s. I split the Thread into the General Bonsai Discussions Forum.

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