Trainee bonsai

whatever it is is nice and healthy

Yes, I think it will make a good subject. Do you think it could be beech Sheila?..or maybe Birch?...who knows, I certainly don't!

Birch is a good suggestion, Karen . . . only because I have another "seedling" which is Beech, and they don't match. :))
Thanks Yorks!

looks like birch Sheila in the book

Thanks Paul. Now that I think about it, we have a Weeping Birch, which the birds love to nibble . . . that's probably where it's come from!

That's great if it's a Birch. There's one along the M4 westbound coming past Reading that was obviously revealed in a woodland cut back and left isolated. it's a complete bow shape with the top almost touching the floor. Contorted weeper. I bet so many people driving past think about offering money to the highways people for it...

The forest grows Sheila .. A birch would be great.

i thought birch too, be great if you did this as a long term blog and updated it each time it changed ~ how long to grow a bonsai???
how deep is the container please?

Thanks Pimm's and Sticki! The changes would be so few and far between, Sticki, that people would have dropped off to sleep waiting . . . it will be several years before it looks mature.
This container is about 2" deep.

ok thank you, thats helpful

i would love to see it though ~ can you imagine super-slow time lapse photography???

its the shaping i think may be the hardest but the key to it???

I see potential SB ! pinching out when each new growth reaches 2" or 3" ( approx) throughout the growing season will soon have it looking very 'bonsai' in a couple of years.

how do you get that 'asymmetrical' shaping they often have ~ i suspect you need an artists eye for that!! [do not take that literally]

An artist's eye would certainly help, Sticki. When I prune my bonsai (gently), I keep turning the pot round and round so that the tree looks balanced. I expect an asymmetical shape could be achieved with careful pruning (or luck)!

...and wiring.

ah, maybe if i put a photo of a real bonsai behind that could be the template for cutting/pruning/wiring??

Looks great Sheilabub....Sticki that sounds like a great idea!

do you think it would work???

I don't bother about wiring - such a fiddle! That's for the keen experts, and I just enjoy the pruning :))

I can't wait for Autumn and winter now to see what shape my acer is....and I have a few cherry seedlings on the way from Mums garden, see what you started Sheila.

I can't see how it wouldn't work sticki.....just sort of using an image as a template/pattern positioned up against a wall or something at the back of your plant when you prune. You would have to get a reasonable sized image though. Maybe I'm thinking too much into it - which wouldn't surprise me!!

perhaps i could use one of those logos from the karate kid!! loved that film!!

Use one of the pictures on my blog if you can blow it up Mrs Miagee:)

:-)
thank you!!!