Karin

This is my first and only Chinese Quince I’ve ever grown. This tree was originally trained using the clip and grow method from a cutting by Luigi Trapani. I believe the cutting was taken from Bill Pfeiffer’s parent tree, growing in his landscape. It has a very small leaf, making it ideal for bonsai. No large trunk on this slant, but nice subtle movement in the trunkline. This was the tree’s first growing season in the Midwest and it grew like a weed. I was trimming constantly just to keep the branch diameter in scale. When the weather cooled in early fall, there was another flush of growth, some of which is yet to die off even after freezing temperatures. The bark also peeled exorbitantly this summer shedding its skin from the root base all the way up to the apex. I believe some of this can be attributed to transplanting in spring and a consistent dose of fertilizer during the growing season. Wiring this tree was a cinch since the branches are extremely flexible. I decided to incorporate some jin-I thought the deadwood provided a nice variation in color, especially when paired with the bark. It will be a fun one to pick a container for eventually, but the branches held by the guy wire will need to sit for at least one growing season.

Before and after photos…

My bonsai assistant, Cali