And her is the picture :)

And this is what I ultimately want to achieve. Is it possible?

Robin,

I don't know. But if it were mine, I'd get another one to make into that second picture - it's a fairly available plant (and I think the second one's been trained). Your own plant has a certain charm already that chopping won't improve, but it's your plant, so hack away if necessary. I'd do it in the spring, as these are winter-dormant, IIRC.

I have two in this size and two much smaller plants. I grew them from seed that I ordered from south Africa. So I am not too keen on doing something that would kill them :) I'll leave the two big ones alone and train the small ones.

Thanks for your input! :)

(I neglected these plants this summer by putting them in the corner of my yard in the shade. So they are a little leggy. I hope that next year they can get full sun and get plump :)

not a plant im experienced with, but bonsai i am, you plant will never have that twisted trunk, that requires training from a young age.

There is still tremendous bonsai potential in your plant, trim that crown regularly with the intent to make it more full, more numerous small branches, this would be acheived thru careful, deliberate removal of the crown branches, forcing them to branch more, makeing a much more natural perspective of a tree. With the right trimming, the right pot, and few years of training, and you could have a very stately large (tall) bonsai in a wonderfully small pot.

They are notorious for gnarled twisty roots at the base, it may look very unnatural, and not at all right for the type of bonsai i described, but they maybe be gorgeous buttress roots evenly spaced under the soil too, just begging to be exposed and admired.
I would love to own the plant i described, or the one in the picture!

A lousy picture, but this shows the base of the other uncarina I have. It is fatter and you can tell that there is something under the soil. Wouldn't you want to start digging with your fingers there?? :)

So these two large uncarinas will be my large bonsais(/small trees). I have been doing some bonsaing over the years and feel somewhat comfortable trimming them into shape. So far the branches have been growing pretty much straight up. Perhaps I needs to wire them next year.

Thanks so much for your input.

/Robin

So how is it doing this summer? Did you cut it back?

Dear Robin, I am from India. Here, it rains in July. During this rainy period, I safely cut Uncarina. While the main plant will produce many branches, the cut-off portion can also be rooted after applying some root harmone and drying for a week. If you cut in Spring, it will give only one or two branch which will grow very fast. Keep the plant after pruning away from rain water.

I actually moved to a warmer part of the city to a bigger property and decided that I wanted to plant them in the ground instead. So they are both in pots still and not cut at all. They love the full sun. Maybe next summer they will go in my dry desert garden (if I can get to landscaping at all this year). Thanks for asking.

Robin,

Good to see you back. I owe this group some pictures of plants in your pots. Have you taught the twins to fire the kiln yet?

Haha, not yet. Maybe in a few years :) I don't even have the kiln wired yet for 240 volts so i haven't been able to do anything for many months. The new house is a big project. And the summer heat, although record low, is still too hot to do pottery. Once I am more settled I will get the spiderweb off the kiln and fire her up ;)

Some pics would be nice and appreciated.