Royal Palm Bonai

Status - Missing

Palm Bonsai Under Training

(click on the image to see the bigger image)


Royal Palm - Something Different
You don't expect palm tree bonsai. I have tried to create quasi bonsai. Hope, it survives & is admired.

Pic will be uplaoded shortly:

Past, Present & Future Plans:
Past
The plant was in big pot (2.5 Ft high) for almost 6 Years when i had bought this. For the last 2 years i have been removing the deal leaf stalks & fibres gradually to expose the hard, cracked trunk. The trunk bulb is now 5 inches in diameter. The average leaf size use to be 3 ft by 4 Ft.

As on March 2009:
Re-potted in Feb, 2009. What I had done is over period of 1 month, i had slashed the earthen pot from middle in phase manner. Than removed the plant & shifted it in the bottom half of the pot that was intact. For the same i had to remove the mud from all the side & from the bottom of the uprooted plant. The plant has survived as it is still green & a new shoot is about to bloom in 2 weeks time as of 19th March, 2009. Earlier the plant use to weight about 30Kg along with Plant, pot & mud. Now it is under 10Kg. The plan has good nebari that is spreading in all direction.

As on 20th April
I have removed the leaf & now I expect the new leaf bud to take its place. I have removed the coir such that trunk is more clearly visible. The problem with Palm tree Palam bonsai is that it takes 2 months for a leaf to open up. And by the time the second one crops, the first one starts to turn yellow. Heavy wind also cuts the leaves, & hence the beauty of it is lost. Guess getting a foilage (5/6 leaves at a time will never be visible). I expect the new leaf to be under 1 feet from 3/4 feet size it use to be earlier.


Future Plans:
The current Pot size is under 1 Ft. I will reduce it by 5-6 inches after 3-6 month, once 2/3 new leaves appear, probably during monsoon. And if possible, shift it in a tray. I am waiting for the new roots to appear & cramp the pot. Post re-potting, it should weight under 5 Kg & I expect the new leaves to be under 1 Feet in size from 3 Ft earlier in lines with Office palm.

Care:
The plant needs no care. I don't recollecting changing the soil or fertilizing it. Now will be doing it regulary as I take care of other bonsai.

For more details read the following links

Growing Palm Bonsai
To know all about growing palms

Ramesh Sinha
Founder
Ahmedabad Bonsai Club
9924332267
ramesh.jsinha@gmail.com

Bonsai Wiring TIps

Mentioned below are some of the points to be kept in mind, when wiring a bonsai.
- Aluminum Wire: It is easy to bend, cheaper & does not chemically react with plants. Only professionals use Copper wire so learners are advised to use Aluminum wire when training their Bonsai.
- Shave: Remove the leaves such that the Trunk, Branch, Sub Branch is clearly visible & Bonsai desired position can be visualized before wiring.
- Sequence: Go in a sequence. First Wire Trunk, than Branch & than sub branches
- Aesthetics: Post wiring the plant, the wiring should add to the beauty of the plant, and hence do it in a symmetrical manner rather than doing it in a haphazard manner
- Maintain Distance: Keep distance between two twist common throughout the length of the bonsai plant, do not keep it too near & not too far
- Proper Guage: When wiring thicker branch/trunk use medium gauge wire twice rather than using thicker wire which are difficult to twist Select proper gauge/thickness of wire for Trunk, Branch, Sub Branch, etc.
- Wiring Angle: Wire at an Angle of 45 degrees. \
- Wire Position: When bringing the branch down, start wiring from top of the branch. When lifting the branch, start wiring from bottom of the branch
- Ancoring: Always anchor the wire for best wiring results. When wiring trunk, anchor at base of the trunk. To anchor branches, wire 2 branches using the same wire, cross anchoring
- Keep Check: When you see wiring sinking in the bark, it is time to remove the wire. Ideally a wire should be left for 8 weeks, for plant to be shaped in desired position. In young branches, it should be left for no more than 2/4 weeks
- Positioning: Do not twist the branch often, once or twice in a month is max allowed Bend the tip of wire inwards to support the leaf bud.
- Wire Length: The wire length should be twice the length of branch that needs to be wired because of wastage in twist & anchorage

- Ramesh Sinha, Ahmedabad Bonsai Club.Blogspot.com
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. 9924332267

Twin Turnk Tips

- The trunk should split from main trunk as low above the ground, as possible
- Alternatively, if trunk splits from below the ground, both trunk should be as close as possible such that they do not appear as 2 separate tree planted in a pot
- The branches, leaves should be such that from a distance it appears as one tree
- The two trunk should be clearly visible throughout
- No Branches should be there on the trunk below, from where the tree splits
- The first branch of both the trunk should fall to compensate for the height of the first branch such that long trunk appears short.
- The two trunk should be of different size
- No branches should be on the sides of the trunk facing each other
- Ideal styles are formal upright, informal upright, Slanting & Broom
- Between the two trunk, there should be single crown
- As the height of two trunk will be unequal, the slant of the crown towards the smaller trunk should be more than one on the side of the longer trunk
- Movement of both the trunk should be more or less similar

- Ramesh Sinha, Ahmedabad Bonsai Club.Blogspot.com
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. 9924332267

Ficus

Name: Ficus
Age: 4/5 Years
Under Training - Since 2007, 3 years
Style: Formal Upright
Height; 1.5 Ft.
(click on the image to see the larger picture & to enjoy the jinned area)
The plant has a beautiful wavy trunk, which you can enjoy by clicking the image. This is naturally achieved, without any wiring.

Plant History:
As on 15th September, 2009

The plant is doing good in rectangular tray. It is not picturesque but I am sure it will make a good bonsai. It is being developed in slanting style. Growth is slow, so need 2 years to get the basic shape right after which i can work on ramification.

As of 1st May, 2009.
I have sold my place & have to shift. There is no way I can carry this big pot from 10th floor to new caretaker. So I have shifted it in a tray. The plant reacted poorly initially & I thought it had died. I kept watering it, and now I see 2 new leaf buds. I am sure it will survide, if summers are kind on this ficus. I have kept this in a shaded place.

As of 6th March, 2009
- Master Suggested, I reduce the height by cutting the taper because it was as thick as the trunk itself & grow the next branch as taper. Instead of cutting the earlier taper, i Jinned it & looks beautiful to me. Now I am growing the branches & making pads there.

As of December, 2008
- Plant was growing in a big cement pot for last 3 years on my terrace.
- Had wired in 2008 & build a beautiful crown with few branches. Unfortunately pics are not there.
- Had done no treatment till December 2008 but had allowed it to grow, it had reached a height of 5 feet.

Ramesh Sinha, Ahmedabad Bonsai Club.Blogspot.com
Ahmedabad Bonsai, Gujarat Bonsai, India Bonsai. 9924332267

Ryan

Status: Missing

New Pic - April 2009

(click image to see full size image)

Old Pic Jan 2009

(click image to see full size image)

Plant: Ryan
Style: Informal Upright
Height: 1.5 Foot
Age: 4/5 Years
Under Training - Since 3 Years
Last Updt- 25th March, 2009

Post wiring, the plant takes a lot of time to get into shape. Has a milky sap & bears yellow sweet edible fruit called Ryan. In wild the plant can grow to 20-30 meters in height.

The leaves grow very slow & hence only after 2/3 pruning will the size of leaf reduce. Ideal time to prune is Spring between March-April.

Future Plans:
- The tip branch on the right hand side will go up towards the sun & form Leaves pad.
- The first left branch will be bought down to form another leaves pad.
- There is a branch on the backside at same level as first left branch.
- The plant has beautiful taper, which its long leaves over shadows. Once leaves sizes are reduces, it will stand out too.

20 March, 2009
- Pruned 70% of the leaves. The new leaf buds are visible as it's spring time. Once the new baby leaves appear, will prune the remaining 30% of the leaves.

15th September, 2009

I don't know where this plant is.

Ramesh Sinha, Ahmedabad Bonsai Club.Blogspot.com
Ahmedabad Bonsai, Gujarat Bonsai, India Bonsai. 9924332267

Cascade Style Tips:

My Tips for making Cascade Style Bonsai or Kengai Bonsai:

#1: Remember, the main trunk does not fall & make bonsai.
#2: It is the first branch, ideally on the left hand side that falls & make cascade.
#3: The trunk tapers & forms a crowns. If required, for balance purpose there can be a second branch on the right hand side & the crown on the top.
#4: The Tip of Trunk Crown & Tip of Branch Crown should be in one straight line.
#5: Ideally tall rectangular pot should be used.
#6: The movement of branch that cascades should be visible
#7: Remember when you look at the cascade branch Reverse formal or informal upright tree should be visible, though it is not mandatory.
#8: It is difficult style & hence draw as may Cascade tree as possible before you wire your plant into Cascade style.
#9: In cascade branch, the individual sub branches should form a crow, facing up toward the sun.
#10: The tip of cascade branch can go even below the bottom of the pot.
#11: Height of the main trunk should be max 25% of length of the branch that cascades.
# 12: The first branch on the branch that cascades should be at rim of the pot or below, but never above it
# 13: The mouth of the pot should be narrow such that trunk of the tree stands out and the pot should be slender & high to complement the height of the tree
# 14: The cascade branch should have 7 branch crown or more

Ramesh Sinha, Ahmedabad Bonsai Club.Blogspot.com
Ahmedabad Bonsai, Gujarat Bonsai, India Bonsai. 9924332267