This week, I'm going to show some clean up work and wiring I did on one of my two Forsythia trees. I grow them very small so they can be appreciated as an ornamental bonsai.
As you can see, Mr. Squirrel has already done some of the clean up work for me. It raked off the top layer of mulch, and now the surface roots are exposed. The soil is now closer to the level of the rim of the pot, and this will help water to percolate through better.
The photo above was from a few weeks ago.
I like this species particularly because of the bright yellow flowers it produces in the spring.
The hardest part for me was actually attempting to identify which of my photos were shot before I did the clean up work, and which photos were from after.
I think this is the first photo that shows what the tree looked like after I pruned off some buds and branches.
There was an upward shoot on the right branch angling up over the center of the tree that I removed.
Also removed some clusters of buds and shoots on the end of the front branch. It now has three end buds instead of five.
My branches are now all forking into nice Y-shaped divisions, with no X-shaped trident junctions.
The branches were so flexible, I decided to go for it, and apply some wire to the trunk.
Here you can see how much I opened up the center of the tree. Each of the three main branches can now get full sunlight and plenty of airflow.
Some gentle curves and changing levels are now visible. Over time the tree will grow firmer, and hold this style of shape on its own.
Looks like a little bit more wire can be used to curve the upper right branch to arch over a bit more.
Think that would get a good idea?
Small, but Growing!
Bonus
Sometimes I enjoy the shadow of the trees more than the actual tree itself.
No color, yet full of shape, texture, and movement.
Thank you for checking out my post. I am an amateur bonsai hobbyist, gardener, and artist, and I love trying out new things, making errors, and breaking a few traditional rules to learn how to do things in a way that works for me.
Please support my followers in the comments. Many of them post some surprisingly excellent photos and information about plants and trees that I think you will also enjoy.
Enjoy the beautiful weekend.