Pussywillow: Developing a Young tree into a Bonsai design [Bonsai]
Allow me the pleasure to introducing the Pussywillow tree. In this article I'll be sharing a couple photos of this fantastic young tree from my self-made native bonsai tree collection.
From above, we can see the nice spread of leaves. Each branch is developing a pad of nicely clustered leaves. Although a few leaves are oversized, most of them are remaining miniaturized because so many of the smaller branches are supporting new leaf buds. All of these results are due to various choices I have made in maintaining it: pruning, pinching, fertilizing, wiring, watering, and pot and soil selection.
This tree is in a good state of healthy balance. All leaves are evenly green. Branches are all filled with life. Better still, the branches are beginning to reach out and fill the empty spaces around the center of the trunk to absorb maximum sunlight with the least amount of space required.
Historical Information
ID: 0008
Nickname: Eartha
Type: Pussywillow
Age: 4 years
Grown: cutting
Last repotting: 2017~ early Summer
Wired: 2019~ mid Summer
Past articles featuring this tree by @creativetruth
- The tree of cats is also very down to Earth
- Winter Tree Grooming
- Trimming the Curly Willow in Winter
- Fantastic Tour of my Spring Bonsai Collection
- Pussywillow: Transformers... Bonsai in Disguise
From the side view, it is more clear why I planted the tree with the other side in mind as the front. Here we see less of the more interesting wiggles in the trunk and branches. The pads of leaves do not look as spread out from this view. The trunk however does have an interesting design that could be termed as literati. Literati bonsai are trees with a more minimalist design, with much fewer limbs and leaves, and the design focus is more on the tall, thin trunk that takes on the image of almost a calligraphy letter symbol.
Example of a Literati bonsai design. Image found publicly on Wikipedia's bonsai styles page.
By Original by de:Benutzer:Neitram, edited into svg by Simon Eugster --Simon 20:19, 20 July 2006 (UTC) - Own «transformation» png>svg plus colors, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=969086
I have a few more pussywillows in my collection to share. Stay tuned this week, and you'll see some more.
Be sure to follow my work this week. I'm in the process of sharing the whole host of bonsai trees in my collection. There is over thirty trees I am growing. That means you can enjoy more than a month of fresh content from @creativetruth's back porch.
Share the goodness with me.
Photos in this post are all #originalworks by @creativetruth, unless stated otherwise.
Find me on discord and chat with other tree growers, bonsai enthusiasts, and gardeners. We have quite a few accredited experts filling out our ranks, and a helpful Spanish-speaking community.
Hola @creativetruth, a pesar de los pocos años que tiene el pequeño Pussywillow ya tiene buena pinta de un Bonsái, mis felicitaciones.
Hello @creativetruth, despite the few years that has the little Pussywillow You already look like a bonsai, my congratulations.
Hola @creativetruth , me gusta mucho trabajar en mi jardín eso es relajante, aun así no se si podría enfocarme tantos años en una misma planta, admiro tu dedicación.
Another epitomy of radiant health!
Thank you for alerting me to the Salix Cordata (right?), I was looking to plant a salix, but was not so sure about the Mackenzie (rigida): Eartha is an inspiration though!