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| Ash (?) Saved from the bin http://www.weetrees.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13993 |
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| Author: | Ian_k [ 05 Sep 2015, 18:03 ] |
| Post subject: | Ash (?) Saved from the bin |
 Hopefully the photobucket link has worked, as the picture above should show an ash tree. The trunk at the base is about an inch wide, and it has roots that grow horizontally as it germinated over a concrete block. I happened to pull it out the ground before it was throen away so was just wandering about it's suitability for bonsai. Any advice welcome Ian |
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| Author: | stymie [ 05 Sep 2015, 18:14 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Ash (?) Saved from the bin |
We usually find that the compound leaves and long internodes are not good for bonsai. Mountain Ash is a bit better. You should persevere with your's Ian and show us what is possible. |
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| Author: | Sven [ 05 Sep 2015, 18:22 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Ash (?) Saved from the bin |
I love Ash, and have been developing a garden rescue myself for the last year. I'm aiming for a 600 - 800 mm high tree to accommodate the leaves in a reasonable form, but I've got a long way to go. Look after it for now, and take a rain check next year after observing it for a while. I have a mountain ash (Rowan) as well, and I am less excited about this as a bonsai prospect although I'll keep growing it. Such a personal thing... |
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| Author: | paulpash [ 05 Sep 2015, 18:23 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Ash (?) Saved from the bin |
Personally, I see little merit in the species for bonsai when there are so many better ones to choose from. Large leaves than don't reduce v well, doesn't twig up well, bark and leaves not really that attractive are just some of the negatives. It's very hard to get a refined image and when your collection starts to improve in quality they do tend to stick out like the proverbial red headed step child. Things that regularly get seeded into gardens like cotoneaster, pyracantha, hawthorn, yew, etc are worth the effort of growing on for styling later. EDIT: I tried Ash and Rowan when I started bonsai - 5 years later I realised I had only so much time to develop my trees and gave them away. |
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| Author: | Sven [ 05 Sep 2015, 20:35 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Ash (?) Saved from the bin |
paulpash wrote: tried Ash and Rowan when I started bonsai - 5 years later I realised I had only so much time to develop my trees and gave them away. Paul, I bet you learnt a few things along the way with the Ash and the Rowan other than the negatives! I agree that we all only have so much time in our day, and have to prioritise... but I think a bit of free material to learn from is no harm, at least until other material arrives in your posession...and who knows, something worthwhile might develop! |
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| Author: | ironhorse [ 05 Sep 2015, 21:21 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Ash (?) Saved from the bin |
I have a few Ash trees grown from seedlings found in the garden - they will never be great but leaf size can be reduced and I think they are worth persevering with. I also have a few Rowan, but these I think are less promising, time will tell. Free stuff is good. Dave |
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| Author: | AlainK [ 05 Sep 2015, 21:54 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Ash (?) Saved from the bin |
Yes, Ash is far from being the best species for bonsai  Yet, it's a species worth trying: it heals very well even for large cuttings. It reponds very well to defoliation, you can defoliate a healthy tree twice or even three times a year if the weather is adequate. So the leaves can be reduced. You did well to plant it in the ground. If you uplift it every late winter, prune the roots, and prune the upper part hard in spring, you can prepare a very decent bonsai I think. It's a challenge, but if you have 5-10 years of bonsai passion ahead, the ugly duckling can turn into a nice swan  Don't give up! |
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| Author: | Bill [ 06 Sep 2015, 15:23 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Ash (?) Saved from the bin |
i almost gave up on them too but eventually got them growing in pots, which was the main issue i had with them. if they don't grow you can't develop them. i agree that the twigs will always be coarse but the leaf size does reduce. they can develop bark texture but not within this lifetime, unless some process for acceleration is discovered..  i grow mountain ash too and would agree they are a bit better. certainly easier to get growth out of, imo. Sven, one advantage with mountain ash is the autumn colour. a short-lived yellow is the best fraxinus will do but rowan can turn the craziest luminous reds and they tend to last longer before they dry up and fall. |
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