I started this forest from small clippings placed in a pot 6 years ago. I separated out some of the trees to develop as individuals along the way, but maintained a core group as a forest, wiring, pruning and repotting them into larger pots as they developed. Today I potted them up once again into a yellow Japanese pot I bought from Wigert’s nursery. They are overpotted for now, but I expect they will rapidly grow into their new space!
The trees today.
Beginning their bonsai journey 6 years ago as a pile of cuttings.
A year’s worth of growth.
Two years of growth. I occasionally clipped them back in the first two years but otherwise ignored them.
Time to start working on them.
Tightly packed roots.
I removed each tree from the pot and wired it.
The wired trees back together in a new pot.
Entering summer as a bush.
Removed the wire. Most of the trunks bounced back into semi-straight lines.
Rewired some of the trunks.
Pruned.
A small forest forming.
Time for a repot. I separated some of the trees into the small terra cotta pots at the lower left.
I left the remainder as a smaller forest.
The following summer.
Earlier today at the start of repotting.
beginBonsai 