MY FAILURES


This blog is supposed to follow my learning process in the art of bonsai.
And that includes my failures - and failures are inevitable, because nobody´s perfect.


Most of what I know about bonsai I learned from Harry Harrington´s books and web, bonsai4me.com
Many times over I have read what he has written: Pines should be developed slowly. If you styled a pine one year, never repot it next year.
So what I did anyway? I repotted it this spring after I styled it last year. Why?
Well, many answers apply.
I am an IDIOT. IGNORANT. Or the least offensive explanation I can think of is - It looked ok and I believed it will make it, cause I usually don´t lose trees. I think I know what I am doing. But the truth is - I don´t have that much experience as this is my 4th year in bonsai and I have very little experience with conifers from a longer time frame viewpoint - as can be seen this year when I lost one overpruned and overstyled spruce that I placed in full sun when it was opening new buds, or as is case here - styling and repotting in only 2 seasons.
So here you can have a look at my folly:

Above mentioned dead spruce:

And to finish it off - my long term pine project failed too - after it survived heavy first styling and was going good in spring, I shouldn´t have messed with it again. And so the result is here:

I hope I learned my lesson and will take much much greater care with my other 9 pines.

While we are at this grim topic, lets update the yamadori section here too.

Cottinus seem to be dead.

Lilac´s new shoots died off and survived just the very low ones - thus ruining this promising material bigtime.

Last year´s gardendori japanese maple got fungus

At least recently posted wisteria is doing great and a precious cork bark elm too.

Finger´s crossed.

FIELD MAPLE DEFOLIATION


Second growing season, going very strong.
That allowed me to do full defoliation and look at the branches.
Some were cut, some wires applied.
More branches might go later on.
There are too many and it is hard to decide which one to keep and which should go.
Any advices welcome :)

The plan

MORNING SUN


I couldn´t resist to take a few snapshots of my trees bathing in first rays of light in the morning.
I am taking an online photography course so hopefully I will be able to make ever better photos for your viewing pleasures :)

PENJING NUMBER 7


Second partial defoliation this year.
Took me over 2 hours, but it is nice relax for me :)
Thanx to Maroš Belan for advices whether it is safe to do it already, since last partiall defoliation was done just over a month ago.

 

LITERATI PINE IN IT´S FIRST POT

Designed and made by Ivet Mikešová of Atelier Cascada.

and on it´s designated stand

SLOVAKIAN NATIONAL BONSAI EXHIBITION 2018

My video report from recent exhibition that took place in Botanical garden in Košice.
Including my penjing with blackthorn, pine and literati wisteria :)

PLANS FOR WISTERIA


and some extra pics from my yard.
Style of this future wisteria bonsai is inspired by works of Wu Chengfa.

Recently collected chinese elm growing strongly

Lilac is taking some more time, but looking good though and it should make it

This scot´s patient was moved to the front of the house to get more sunlight

Recently repoted juniper lost one of the main branches and will have to be restyled a bit, but the rest of them seems to be growing with nice golden tips.

                                                                  Field maple shohin

Mame Ficus from cutting

Scot´s pine twintrunk with new huge needles. Until I get a lot of backbudding I do not mind them and I feed heavily.

Penjing number 5 with massive amount of new leaves again - I cannot imagine any other work on it than the hedge pruning method.

Mother with twins - with new juvenile growth. The top of the left tree lost one branch. 2 more looked like they are going too, but recovered somehow.

Literati pine in a new pot by Ivet Mikešová. After I removed the guywire it sprang back right away and is pretty straight now. When I get a chance I will rewire the whole tree again.

"The Deer" lost few branches after repotting too, but not really important ones. They are still there and I need to cut them off.

Only one tree in my yard is not looking very well now, and it is yamadori spruce I styled last year.

After new growth came out, some of it started to turn yellow right away. I applied karate insecticide in case it is due to the insect attack, but I think that more likely it was a bit overstyled or overpruned last year. Or there is something going on with the roots as this is only tree I have not planted in pure zeolite but in whatever I had at home after collection 2 years ago. I need to look at this strange thing over the weekend, I am not used to loosing trees and this would be a pretty hard blow for me if it won´t get saved. Maybe full sun is not doing it much good too, I will move it in the shaded area tomorrow.

FIELD MAPLE XL


Collected last year, it is growing strongly it´s second year in zeolite too.
With all that foliage it almost look like a finished tree :)
And I had my baby Emma with me so, naturally, she had to pose with it for daddy.
But I had to teach her how to use camera in return.
I am glad that she is interested.

FRESH VIDEO FROM MY PENJING YARD

LABURNUM WATERERI AND WISTERIA SINENSIS

Posing together for a nice display :)