Bonsai / Penjing / Hòn non bộ

[Geoffrey Rea]

Hey folks.

Starting this thread for those of us on the forum with a general interest in Bonsai, Penjing and Hòn non bộ.

After some time away from bonsai, it’s come time to return and make space in the garden for a display. Thought it might be nice to share this return (albeit a slow one) with the community and to hear from others with a shared interest.

Starting the collection over starting with a Mountain Maple with some nice options:



Recently been defoliated due to some leaf scorch but will soon bounce back with fresh foliage before autumn arrives. The nebari (surface roots) need a tidy up but will have to wait for now in its training pot.

Hoping to potentially build a display stand using the Japanese Sashimono woodwork method (no nails or screws) as a side project. Been a while since doing any serious carpentry so may be a disaster, but fun to get back into it. From there can then work out which pottery matches the overall presentation. Anyway work to be done and trees yet to find…

Anyone else enjoy bonsai on UKAPS? Would love to see your works if anyone is happy to share.

 

[sparkyweasel]

I keep thinking about trying Hòn non bộ, but haven't taken the plunge yet. I'll watch this thread for inspiration, 🙂

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

I keep thinking about trying Hòn non bộ, but haven't taken the plunge yet. I'll watch this thread for inspiration, 🙂

The Vietnamese with their over one thousand year old scaping tradition… makes the IALPC look like a newborn 😂

 

[foxfish]

I have a few trees, I have owned hundreds over the years as I have been collecting and growing bonsai for around 50 years.
I have reduced my collection to around 20 trees and none of these are very valuable although I have looked after four of them for 45 years.
The shortage of hard cat litter is a concern for my local club members but, we have recently acquired 30 x 30l bags of old stock, however I am used to using that amount myself every year.
I did plan to leave my collection to my nephew but he moved to Scotland, so I decided to sell off most of them.
unfortunately it seems I have an addiction and since selling the majority, I seem to be buying more!

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

unfortunately it seems I have an addiction and since selling the majority, I seem to be buying more!

Bonsai for life, right? Must admit, didn’t expect to be back at it either @foxfish but here we are.

I have reduced my collection to around 20 trees and none of these are very valuable although I have looked after four of them for 45 years.

Would say this makes them the most valuable ❤️

45 years of care is to be celebrated.

 

[foxfish]

Our little club, like many other Bonsai clubs, dont encourage members to post pictures of valuable trees on line, as theft is a world wide issue.!
Most expensive trees are two heavy for one person to carry and most wont fit in a standard car so I dont feel the threat is very high where I live.
However I have lost dozens of trees through my own fault, lack of attention or too much attention!
Windy dry weather can be disastrous, I find I have to water two or even three times a day on occasions.
I am always searching for wild growing trees or searching the garden centres for half dead bargains!
This is the very first tree I started off with when I was 13-14 years old, I don't even know exactly what it is!
My mother bought a dozen or so fast growing hedging plants from a garden centre but did not plant them all and I ended up keeping this one for almost 50 years.

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

always searching for wild growing trees or searching the garden centres for half dead bargains!

Hmmm… know that one. Only went in for a new toolbox this morning and eldest son noticed a Katsura which had been cast to the side.

He’s basically teamed up with the only guy in the entire store who’s eyeballing everything that could be bonsai’s... Could only have gone one way, ended up coming home with a project tree for him:

Windy dry weather can be disastrous, I find I have to water two or even three times a day on occasions.

It’s partly why this time, a few smaller movable deciduous trees are the top candidates. Can move them easily between a few locations. Everyone wants a decent sized bonsai until they experience moving them.

This is the very first tree I started off with when I was 13-14 years old, I don't even know exactly what it is!
My mother bought a dozen or so fast growing hedging plants from a garden centre but did not plant them all and I ended up keeping this one for almost 50 years.

That’s really something @foxfish 😎

 

[foxfish]

I have always got a few earmarked wild trees, I will visit them once or twice a year, drop some fertiliser around and trim back the foliage. I even water some south facing ones every few days in a heat wave, it is not always worth the trouble as many just dont work out or die after digging them up but some work great…..
This beach was tended and field grown for ten years, then five years in a big pot before getting this pot.

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Just to put what @foxfish posted above into context, a bit of insight into the effort that can go into a bonsai.

Wild gathered (yamadori) Sabina Juniper getting a work over:

 

[Myrtle]

I'd never heard of the latter two, but after googling I'm wanting to combine hòn non bộ with my new pond. Until now I was happy with a wooden rectangle 🙄
I admire anyone with the patience for bonsai though, not something I've been blessed with!

 

[sparkyweasel]

If rocks and plants aren't challenging enough, you can always make a scape out of cake;
Cake

 

[LondonDragon]

If rocks and plants aren't challenging enough, you can always make a scape out of cake;
Cake

 

[Myrtle]

Doesn't look very appetising, though!

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Bonsai for everyone apparently…

Both kids are involved now. There were a couple of Katsura Maples in the local B&Q, on their sides and pretty neglected. As above, took one home for the eldest and had to go back as his little brother wanted to get hands on too.

Eldest cut and wired his into a more formal upright:



Due to the flower pot they came in, had to do everything to protect the roots. Really the worst time to mess with root systems (should be done at the dawn of spring) but he’s gone for it. Bonsai is about making decisions and sometimes risk.

Teased the bottom half of the root ball outwards, packed the roots with sphagnum moss in an open basket and topped with pine chips. Excellent drainage and aeration, just needs decent watering to get it through. Two weeks on and it’s doing just fine.

Youngest wanted a taller tree 🤷🏻‍♂️ It’s his project so not going to argue. Helped him cut his in a mother and daughter (dual trunk two heights) manner:



There will be a gamble to take further ahead:



There’s an opportunity to peel back the trunk just below the split. Can air layer to create new roots so it will become a true twin trunk with the trunk divergence at the base. On top of that there’s the potential to grow out a third, to make a tri-trunk as there’s budding appearing right where the new base would be:



Next years decisions for him.

Both kids just have to be patient now and get into the routine of checking, watering and feeding.

As mentioned earlier, decided to completely defoliate the Mountain Maple. Not mucking about, weather is shaping up nicely for August and would be a missed opportunity:



Leaf burn rendered the old foliage useless. Just waited for a sign it wanted to go again and got one:



Ton of buds already there just waiting to go:



Everything off. Will have new foliage soon and the tree can show off its autumn colours with healthy leaves.

The substrate stank of cyanobacteria, pot had inadequate drainage. Pot slipped the tree into a basket, packed the perimeter with sphagnum and topped with pine chips and a few pellets for feed:



Smell disappeared over the next few days. This one will be getting properly potted in February into a decent pot and a favoured substrate mix that works better in the local Cambridgeshire climate.

Still handsome even without it’s coat on for now:



The hunt for a nice Deshojo continues…

 

[foxfish]

This one is around 40 years old, it has been in the old mixing bowl for two years as I am trying to add a bit more hight.

 

[foxfish]

Our club put on a display at one of the summer agricultural shows.

 

[foxfish]

At last and only just in time for a mega re potting this weekend, our club managed to secure 44 bags of cat litter, here is my own haul of a mere 4 bags!

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Spring is definitely on the way if the maples are anything to go by:





Trees have been removed from aerated baskets and sphagnum moss. Served them well over the winter sunk into a bed of soil. Roots were full but not pot bound, teased them out slightly replacing a quarter of the soil and put them into proper pots in February.



See where we get to once spring kicks off proper.

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Spring is here. Only five days since the last post and we are off to the races:







Katsura’s late to the call, but beginning to unfurl their leaves:

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

The recent prolonged rain ain’t all bad. Mountain Maple created a huge first crop of leaves already and required bringing back to form:



Fair amount off but will hopefully pay dividends with the second flash of growth this summer:



Do love the ferocity of growth of a mountain maple. They’re mongrels genetically, which is an unkind way of saying they have assimilated the most successful and robust genetics.

However, thoroughbreds do delight with their colours and leaf forms:







Lot of work to go with these lot and love the way bonsai is absolutely pointless. It’s only product is enjoyment and pleasure, the growth will continue beyond your life time if you are a thoughtful caretaker. You’ll be pushing up daisy’s long before they give up the ghost, strangely reassuring.

Two more cheap and cheerful seedlings added; Sonkootgre (‘Going Green’) and ‘Orange Dream’:



10 to 15 years and they will be workable. Nice reminder that the growth isn’t the goal and there’s no point fussing or being impatient. A decade is nothing in the scheme of things so enjoy each moment of every season.