Very tough to ID them when they are sprouts. My oldest ones are about 8" tall and have several spindly arms. I’ll try and get a pic.
The Botanical had a Bonsai show. I got to watch a lady turning a cheap juniper into a grove of little trees. She called it a “Rack.” Pretty interesting. Then I got to talk to a guy who had the most beautiful little arbor vitae grove growing on this big piece of volcanic rock. He says he’s killed a few plants learning to do that. He suggested I try a cheap Ficus as I could keep it inside during the winter.
I think the idea of pruning the roots and putting it in the little Bonsai bowl is to keep it from growing bigger than you want it. They say to keep it in a regular pot until it reaches the trunk diameter you like, and keep it from growing taller or bigger than you want by nipping any buds off.
Tom Ruby said:That's the main idea all right, but it's a bit short if you want to keep your nanified trees in good health. For example, if you prune all the buds on deciduous trees or junipers, they will respond quite well IF the species allows for heavy pruning (like in hedges) but if you apply the same technique on conifers, you'll more than likely kill them in no time.
I think the idea of pruning the roots and putting it in the little Bonsai bowl is to keep it from growing bigger than you want it. They say to keep it in a regular pot until it reaches the trunk diameter you like, and keep it from growing taller or bigger than you want by nipping any buds off.
I’ve been involved in bonsai for more than 15 years, starting from several types of plants such as container stock, trees from the wild, imported bonsai from Japan, even from seed. To keep them in good shape over the years, switching between regular bonsai pots and large growing containes (be it wooden crates, large ceramic pots or even in full ground) is mandatory. Generally, I work on a 4-8 year cycle according the needs of each tree.
For those interested in more details, I have put quite a lot of tips on my website www.bonsai-in-belgium.net Follow the “Evolution” and “Techniques” sections.
Thanks, Frans.
Very informative web-site you have on Bonsai. I’ve bookmarked it for future reference.
Ralph
Home Depot had a 50% sale on plants this weekend. Picked up 6 more 1 Gal. Arborvitae for $3.45 each and have them all trimmed up. I plan to plant the around the top of the tunnel opening in a week or so.
Finally got a picture of the new Arborvitaes in place…
Ahh that “Vault” is looking good (The bit I can see of it). I hope you still have my reservation, for it to be my final resting place. !!
…grinning…
So Jon will that grow to a solid hedge? Any concern on the roots?
Ric Golding said:No, I'll keep it trimmed to separate small trees. The roots shouldn't be a problem, directly under them the tunnel is that corrugated PVC pipe.
So Jon will that grow to a solid hedge? Any concern on the roots?
And Fred; your reservation for “Sot 1” in the vault has been fully paid for 
They look good John. I’ve used several of them in my railroad.
I want to be one of the boys! Here are a couple of new plants.
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/Bonzi005jpg-1.jpg)
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/BONZI03jpg-1.jpg)
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/Bonzi004jpg-1.jpg)
Three alberta spuces,one holly,a mugo pine,one maple… Should be interesting. Sean
I found a dwarf Blue Spruce at a nursery. So I bought it. Used to find junipers that were good to bonsai, but have not found any good ones lately.
Jon & Sean,
Just looking for an update. What worked? What didn’t? Any tips?
Herself and I joined a bonsai club with the idea we’d grow them on the railway. With the garden addition 6 months ago I double potted the bonsai trees thinking I’d have an air gap and could rip roots out with ease.
Ha! That didn’t work!
Here’s 6 months or so of benign neglect.
And back into the ground….
I just play with the dwarf Alberta spruces … I have trimmed mine in a while though
Wow, digging deep Bill - 2010! 
I fixed the picture link in my posts. This thread goes back to the days when I posted one low-rez (800px) and one higher rez (1280px) for every shot, with links to the hi rez embedded in the low rez shot. I got rid of all that and trimmed to just the higher rez since LSC now automatically sizes them.
To answer some of your questions; The Arborvitaes have gotten large enough that now trim them with a power hedge trimmer to keep them rounded. I lost most of my Dwarf Alberta Spruce trees about 5 winters ago. The few that remain don’t grow much and haven’t been trimmed further. And with the Boxwoods, I am fighting a blight of some sort. I finally cut down the huge one (5 ft tall) last summer and lost a few of the small ones. The rest I’m still trimming bad branches off so they are looking a little ragged.
The volunteers I spoke of turned out to be Hemlock. There is a hedge row of them on my West lot line and the seeds plant themselves all over my lot. Two years ago I started trying to shape them and so far, they look OK. I’ll get some recent pictures today.
In the thread I was asked about the group I planted above Fred’s Tomb. I said I was going to keep them trimmed as separate trees. I did not. They have grown to make a nice hedge row view block at the East end of my RR.
As promised, some current pictures some 14 years later. Here is a before and after shot of the view block at Fred’s Tomb (AKA Deep Cut Tunnel). From 2010…
And 2024…
Above, at left, is a volunteer Hemlock that was topped and trimmed last spring. Here’s a few more that I’m trying to shape…
Two of several Boxwoods that are struggling to survive…
At left above is a tree that is almost as old as the railroad and has never been trimmed. Very slow growth. The ID card has long since disintegrated so I don’t know what it is. Was sold at a local nursery labeled 'For Garden Railroads".
There is a lot in this shot. Behind the hotel is a Boxwood. There is another between tall rounded Arborvitae trees. I left behind the trunks of several Dwarf Albert Spruces that died thinking I might someday rig them as a spar pole system for logging…
From the other side…
The same area, but in this shot is one of the few Dwarf Alberta Spruces that survive at center of frame in front of the hotel…
And finally, a new stand of Arborvitae planted in the 2022 season that have struggled to grow. I think I lost all of one and half of two…
On my maybe list for this season is to replace the landscape blocks in the above shot with natural rock. I have plenty of rock, just need motivation!
Thanks for the update Jon. They’ve done quite well.
You having a local nursery labeling plants “for garden railways” is amazing. I’ve found two other g-scalers in SA and I’m the only one building outside. So no chance of seeing special nursery labels here.
Our trees are olives, ashes and elms mainly dug up from the nearby national park as they are considered introduced noxious species. They all want to reach for the sky unfortunately. Will keep an eye open for arborvitae.
…and that wall you’ve built in the background of your last photo is a
Tetris masterpiece!
That is my neighbors yard. One of his tenants built it from rocks laying around the property. All dry stack.