O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree

Anybody got some nice one in a pot? I didn’t get the chance doing so (maybe yet) but would like to encourage you sharing yours with plans of how are you gonna turn them into bonsai :evergreen_tree:
Go on! Inspire me :hugs:

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Blue spruce I picked up on a whim- not a lot of movement, so it may be a trunk chop candidate at some point, but for $30 it will be something to play around with😉. I tried to reduce the whirls to two branches for now.

This is my fist full winter at bonsai in the PNW, so I am still waiting to see what my trees will do in the growing season.

First post to a forum ever! Happy 2019!
Jason

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Nice one @Jhunsperger! Bargain for what you can turn it into in few years time indeed. Good luck with it and congrats to both - your purchase as well as first post :+1:
Happy 2019 to you too!

:slight_smile: I wondered if anyone would try tinkering with a xmas tree. Found a decently priced Nordmann fir and gave it a go.

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Oh yeah @ThomasUrban many do :slight_smile: I bought once a Christmas tree in March!! It was hidden perhaps forgotten in one garden centre and when I came to the counter to pay for it the guy looked at me saying ‘‘bonsai practitioner right…?’’ Sadly it didn’t survive more than few months due to me finding out that it was the worst possible specie to prune and when I gave up and put it in the ground it didn’t make it. It was way back in time I had almost 0 bonsai knowledge.
Good luck with your Christmas tree! Hope it will be strong enough to hold fairy lights next year :wink:

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I like what you got working there! i couldn’t bring myself to cut off the main trunk and form a new leader this year with all the branches i took off on mine – we should compare pics in June/July to see how we ended up! I feel like i am a bit of a softie when it comes to that first cutback. it feels safe, but i will probably set myself back a year by not being more aggressive.
-Jason

Thanks Jhunsperger, sounds good with the comparison pictures in early summer :slight_smile:

With the aggressive or conservative approach, it just depends on what you want to create and how healthy the material is. But, when you leave more, the tree will always survive and you can always remove later. I have been too aggressive on some material in the past and I hope I learned my lesson.

I bought this colorado blue spruce for 10euro.

first action will be planting the tree in a root control bag
Max

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That’s a cutie @Max and I like the gentle bowing trunk - movement :+1:
I love the idea of update! Even in a year time adding some picture ‘before & after’ (if we all remember this thread next year)
I am planning to find a time this weekend and see if there is some good looking ignored Christmas tree as not only you guys motivated me but at the moment I’m reaching the stage of jealousy :wink:

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Love all these Christmas tree bonsai. We have another thread going on here with some examples. Christmas Bonsai

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You’re going to stick it in the ground eh? That should fatten up a bit then

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Yes, that’s what I like to do:)

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Nice! Grew a bit right? Here’s an Update on the one from last year.

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Looks good. I think you just inspired me to go get one this season!

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Thanks! and Sweet! Glad that I could conjure up that feelin in you : ). I have a tip. Get one a couple days before Christmas = they should be cheaper :slight_smile:

Wait until 2 weeks after Xmas. Buy 3 @ 75% off.
Keep them warm until spring, unless they have been outside; or unless you don’t get below freezing. Then into the ground to bulk up!
.
Rem to self: … dig up and bonsai before they get 10 feet tall…
.

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I just need to determine where I can get one… South Louisiana doesn’t have a ton of live firs. Mostly just precut ones. I am sure I can find them somewhere.

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Hi Guys and Gals,
I too jumped on the Nordmann bus this year and set this first styling. There is way too many branches but no ramifications to set good secondary branches. So hoping the additional foliage mass with perpetuate some strong growth over the next couple of years. Sorry for the crappy photo a decent back drop is my next project so I can post photos and get help.
Would appreciate your feedback.
Cheers D

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Looks great! I might reduce the foliage on the lower left and pull the remaining branches on that side in toward the trunk a little. I’m envisioning Ryan doing his “I’m a little teapot” pose to illustrate.