False Acacia Pre-Bonsai

Part I
Continuing where I left this Leucaena Leucocephala, what we call  "false acacia" here or sometimes white acacia.
I am still waiting for the flowers to confirm its identity but it can wait.
The tree has grown, rested and there are several signs that it is starting a new growth cycle.
The old branches has elongated and are starting to lignify ( turn into wood )
There are bud swelling and developing towards the apex.



There is this little section with the two branches. It has a high potential to create a reverse taper in the long run. So I'm removing one of the two branches now.




Several signs of the new growth cycle are all over the place.
If I leave it as it is, there is a high chance that most of the energy will be fed into the apex ( upper structures ).




I need to cut it back toencourage the tree to activate the bud closer to the trunk.
At the same time I will wire and give some shape to the branch.








I also took the opportunity to treat the deadwood with limesulphur.







After a few days the buds starts to swell.





Part I

False Acacia Pre-Bonsai

Not yet 100% sure what species this is but chances are that its what we locally call a "false acacia" a.k.a. Leucaena Leucocephala. I will have to wait for the flowers to be sure.

In the meantime I've decided it was time to start working on this little guy.

What I would consider to become the future front

Previous owner was trying to train a new apex but I disagree with this approach. When this branch will thicken later
I feel it would be too close to the deadwood already present. One has to go.

There's an interesting natural uro (hollowed out area) on the lower area. The wood look already weathered and might need some treatment sooner than later.

The old apex that dried out. I know lots of articles say that jin (dead branch, usually stripped of bark) is mostly for coniferous bonsai but being in a tropical context with lots of  deciduous and broadleaf species, I see natural jin and natural shari on lots of  deciduous / broadleaf species.

Sketch

It always helps when you see something in a plant and put it down into a sketch. You don't need to be a great artist and it does not need to be a drawing. I can be notes or a description of what you see in your material. 

In this case I see an african styled tree, slanted with the foliage pad growing away from the main trunk.

I also want to make use of that old dead apex .

Time to start working

Just for info I was working on the tree at night, that's the reason why the leaves are closed. Its not due to wiltering!

If I go by my sketch, then I need to keep this section of foliage.

If I go by my sketch, then I need to remove this section of foliage.

There are various bud that have started to swell. For me that means that a new growth cycle is starting.

The tree seems to display an apical dominance so I'll need to take this into account too.

Those two branches need to be removed. 

Cleaning up done

Carving the shari

Some of the wood carving tools I'll be using to create the jin.

I found a cavity at the back of the trunk. It was not too deep but I'm glad I did that carving early.
If I had waited another year before starting to work that jin this might have gotten worst.

Back side cleared of its bark.

Done for now

I'm done for now.
I'm going to allow the jin to be worked by the elements and keep a close eye on it.
The bark is rather dark, so I might use some lime sulphur on the jin and uro to make them come out.

Future front

Side of the tree

What I'd like to achieve in the future

Hem Collection : Juniper #1

Juniper from the "Hem Collection".

I don't know what juniper species it is.
It was a friend that gave it in my care because he does not have time anymore to take care of it.
It's been neglected for several years, moss had covered the whole trunk up till the ramifications.
During the initial cleaning up of the moss I found a rotten deadwood area at the base of the trunk underneath the moss.
Decided to go ahead a repot, clean up the rotten deadwood and open up the "dead zone".

Basically here are the main issues with the tree after I completed the initial cleanup:

• Rotten deadwood at the base of the tree.
• Formation of a dead zone at the junctions of the main trunk and the primary branches.
• Leggy growth

The leggy growth and dead zone is secondary and will have to be cared for later on.

The term dead zone refers to areas within the ramification, usually near the base of the branches that do not get enough sunlight and ends up without any foliage.
This does not mean that they are dead, just with dormant buds. Opening up the foliage to allow light to pass through is usually enough to promote new shoots.
But that will be a long term process.

The most urgent is the deadwood issue, I need to treat it asap. The base of the trunk was dangerously mushy and soft.

The previous front

Previous side

Back

The critical area. The wood was badly rotten and crumbling
at any slight pressure.

Foliage was mostly the mature scale-like foliage,
with some juvenile needle-like foliage scattered here and there.

That branch on the left is completely dead. Possible future jin.

The new front I would like to use. Much will depend on the root underneath.

Preparing my bonsai soil/substrate mix:
3 parts lava rocks or baked pellets

3 parts vermiculite

1/2 part slow release fertiliser pellet

I would normally add crushed pine bark but I ran out stock.

Removing the plant the pot. Carefully untangle the roots to check on the state.

Found a surprisingly good root structure.
Only one long lateral root that was later removed.

This thick root on the left seems to be an old tap root.
I was initially going to remove it, but decided against it at the last min.

Close-up of the critical area.

Repotting.

New front

Now to treat the damaged deadwood.

I needed to get to a healthier deadwood underneath the rotten one.

Used a small metal brush to scrape of the soft damaged wood.

End result

Will be using some limesulphur for the first treatment.

After first application of lime sulphur.

Now I address the second issue : The deadzone.
I need to make more light get into this inner area of the tree.

Before wiring : Lots of growth at the top.

After wiring and opening up the branches.

Side : This could become the future front.

With the slow release pellets in the soil mix, I won't have to fertilize for 1 month or so.
For now, no styling planned, only some aftercare to the tree back on track and get new growth in the deadzone for future styling.