Clip & Grow Bonsai – No Wire Necessary

This massive Trident maple most likely started in a field somewhere and was allowed to grow quite tall (the fastest way to thicken the trunk) before it was cut back. This first cut was the beginning of clip and grow styling (see below). The owner/artist of this outstanding bonsai is German Gomez. Most large Trident maples and many other deciduous trees are started in the field and developed using the clip and grow technique. The result is usually a heavy trunked tree with gentle curves, often in a more or less S shape. You can see this basic shape in … Continue reading Clip & Grow Bonsai – No Wire Necessary

Searching for the Unusual

At a glance you might think this is just a stump with some foliage tacked on, but then as you look closer you notice the taper at the base and the way the texture of the wood creates movement and a feeling of age. Then there’s that little cave that enhances the story of time and place and natural forces that came together to help create this Dogwood by Franco Berti. From a post titled Reportage Vi Trofeo Bonsai e Suiseki Città di Poppi by Bonsai Romano. Searching for the unusual I spend a lot of time looking for unusual … Continue reading Searching for the Unusual

Field Growing #9: Fall Transplanting #2

Time to go back into the ground I moved this crabapple into this Tokoname pot in the spring. I wanted to photograph it covered in fresh little red apples, but the birds ate them the morning I planned on shooting. It’s not really ready for bonsai anyway; the nebari needs more time, the scar needs to heal and more branching needs to develop, so I’m going to stick it back into the ground in a couple weeks (I’ll post a photo). As an aside, I just noticed how the companion plant’s pot (by Wendy Heller) mirrors the color and texture … Continue reading Field Growing #9: Fall Transplanting #2

Field Growing #7: Clip & Grow Technique

These simple illustrations of the clip and grow technique are from a website called The Bonsai Primer. The left image shows the first cut, the next one shows the second cut, and so forth. If you go to the comments in our previous field growing post, Brian Van Fleet gives an excellent description of exactly what these illustrations are all about. Most large Trident maples (and some other deciduous trees) are started in the field and developed using the clip and grow technique. The result is usually a heavy trunked tree with gentle curves, often in a more or less … Continue reading Field Growing #7: Clip & Grow Technique