Last year I had the hedge in front of my house taken out. It had been planted when the house was built in 1982, so simple math says this specimen is at least 40 years old. The base is 6″ across, and I knew there was bonsai potential when it came out of the ground. I’ve left it alone since the landscapers dug it up, and it’s done just you’d expect a hedging shrub to do.
The first order of business is to remove all of the shoots emerging from the base of the plant. Boy, were there a lot of them!
Here’s a back view, after a lot more clean up. I’ve got a triple-trunk specimen in the making. Lots of potential.
I started with the stout trunk in front. After reducing it to exactly three shoots (all I need to start), a little wire gave me the structure I’m after.
Same thing for the slender trunk on the left-hand side. Also reduced to three shoots, wired and shaped.
The main trunk took a little longer, but the key as always is to find the essence of the tree. There are about a dozen shoots altogether, and from them I’ve got the complete structure of a bonsai in the making. This specimen will end up about 18″ tall. Once it fills out, it should make quite an impressive Dwarf yaupon bonsai. I’d love to hear what you think about this one. Leave me a comment below.
That’s the way to trim a future bonsai.
Thumbs up! Will be interesting and fun watching this develope.
Thank you, Ron.