Hornbeams as far as the eye can see!

[berobinson82]

Hi there nuts!

Figured I'd share some of the stumps I've been digging so far this year. They all came from the woods locally and await (more consistent) warm weather when they can leave the garage. I've already made plans to erect a table for them where they'll receive dappled morning and afternoon sun. I potted them up in a pumice/turface/gran-i-grit/pine bark mix. The table these sit on is 20" (50.8cm) across for scale. Please pardon my picture quality.

I'll probably dig another 10 smaller, "one minute" hornbeams this season to tinker about with. Maybe develop them for a forest planting. I'm stoked for spring!

 

[Dav4]

I've just got one thing to say......wow! You've got some nice trunks there...good taper and movement...very nice...I'm jealous. I hope they do well for you. Update this thread when the start to push this spring.

Dave

 

[berobinson82]

A few big fellas!





I've attached some of my favorite ones here and the rest are in the following imgur album.

http://imgur.com/a/Qn1P5#12

There's also a random Lace leaf maple air layer in there because I wasn't paying close enough attention when I made the album.

Check out the slender "bunjin" looking trunk. It doesn't look like a hornbeam but the 2 leaves still hanging on when I chopped it assured me I was barking up the right tree. The twin trunk is actually two trees that were growing close together and fused at the base. The base is funky on that one. I like it.

I expect to be doing a lot of carving this spring.

*Fingers Crossed*

 

[Poink88]

Nice score!

If you decide to sell some later...please let me know.

 

[jeanluc83]

In general what has been your success rate for Hornbeam? How much root do you need to collect with hornbeam?

I have a few that I would like to collect so I’m trying to get smart before spring.

 

[Brian Underwood]

Good eye! Great taper and movement, as well as some decent nebari. Some of these will make fine bonsai one day. Can't wait to see how they respond over the seasons to come. Congrats!

 

[berobinson82]

In general what has been your success rate for Hornbeam? How much root do you need to collect with hornbeam?

I have a few that I would like to collect so I’m trying to get smart before spring.

My success rate is 100% with these local hornbeam. Now please allow me to clarify:

Last year, I dug a single hornbeam in January, barerooted it down to almost nothing and potted it up in unsifted turface and potting soil. I let it sit outside during 2 hard frosts because I was irresponsible. Understand, I'm very new to this game.

That one responded by throwing about 8 branches which I didn't touch and then found that they were impossible to wire down without breaking them after leaf drop. I wound up keeping the untouched new leader and three other smaller branches, cutting off the rest. I'm not upset about it. It was straight and boring and used as a proof of concept.

I promise to update when spring has come.

 

[mcpesq817]

Nice collection of hornbeams. I like the third one in your first post. I've wanted to collect some on my parents' property, but most of the trunks are ramrod straight. You have nice movement in yours.

 

[berobinson82]

Nice collection of hornbeams. I like the third one in your first post. I've wanted to collect some on my parents' property, but most of the trunks are ramrod straight. You have nice movement in yours.

Thank you! Most of these were picked from an incline. I believe erosion had something to do with their curvature. As if the ground shifted toward the stream where the water was flowing and then they turn back upwards towards the sunlight.

 

[PaulStokes]

no chance any are for sale?

 

[JudyB]

Nice trunks! That's a lot of projects....

 

[tmmason10]

Jeez what a nice couple of projects. Great eye, those are awesome starts.

 

[Stan Kengai]

Nice score. Hope you don't mind, but I'd like to share a few things I've learned about hornbeams the past few years.

- Hornbeams seem to like full morning sun (until about 1:00) and afternoon shade better than dappled shade all day.

- When selecting new sprouts for branches, always choose ones that come out horizontally from the trunk, unless you want arching branches. Sprouts that emanate upward can never be brought down, even when they're still green.

- Scars larger than 1/2" will likely never heal over, except at the new leader. So it's a good thing that the wood is very dense and resists rot.

- They are rather sensitive to fertilizer salts, so don't use chemical ferts all the time.

- Growth will not take off until roots have sufficiently filled the pot, so don't repot too frequently.

Good luck with your new projects, and keep us posted.

 

[JudyB]

Great info Stan. Does this apply to all the hornbeams, or American specifically?

If you have any tips about repotting, especially one that is rootbound to some degree in old soil, I'd love to hear them. (korean is the one I'm asking for, if that makes any dif.)

 

[berobinson82]

Nice score. Hope you don't mind, but I'd like to share a few things I've learned about hornbeams the past few years.

- Hornbeams seem to like full morning sun (until about 1:00) and afternoon shade better than dappled shade all day.

- When selecting new sprouts for branches, always choose ones that come out horizontally from the trunk, unless you want arching branches. Sprouts that emanate upward can never be brought down, even when they're still green.

- Scars larger than 1/2" will likely never heal over, except at the new leader. So it's a good thing that the wood is very dense and resists rot.

- They are rather sensitive to fertilizer salts, so don't use chemical ferts all the time.

- Growth will not take off until roots have sufficiently filled the pot, so don't repot too frequently.

Good luck with your new projects, and keep us posted.

Yes please!

Thank you, Stan, for your input. Far be it from me to dig a stump and call myself an expert. I appreciate your input greatly. Can you give me any detail on how you've fertilized your carpinus with best results? I did notice that most of the branches want to leave the trunk and shoot straight up. Is there a way I can combat that tendency?

Hearing that you've experience with this variety is most encouraging. I'll definitely be updating this thread.

 

[mcpesq817]

Thank you! Most of these were picked from an incline. I believe erosion had something to do with their curvature. As if the ground shifted toward the stream where the water was flowing and then they turn back upwards towards the sunlight.

Thanks, I'll have to check things out again. I mostly looked in the flatter areas, but my parents' property slopes down to a stream (in some areas, fairly steeply which can make collection a bit tricky).

Yours are fantastic - you'll be quite busy once they get going. I bought a couple of collected American Hornbeams from Don Blackmond a few years ago that I have been working on. In my limited experience, they can take pretty substantial root work, though they will be less vigorous in the few months afterwards. Then they can really get a head a steam and grow fairly vigorously, so you have to watch out for wire biting in (particular near the apex, as they seem to be fairly apically dominant). Like Stan said, scars take forever to heal, if they heal at all.

Good luck!

 

[berobinson82]

Would any of the American hornbeam owners be willing to post up some pics for discussion and admiration? The difference in leaf size between these and the Orientalis is noticeable. How well have you been able to reduce?

I wish I had some of that Texas/Cali weather right now!

 

[Poink88]

I wish I had some of that Texas/Cali weather right now!

Let us enjoy and gloat for a few weeks...it will be your time after and throughout summer...when we are literally baking here.

 

[Stan Kengai]

Yes please!

Thank you, Stan, for your input. Far be it from me to dig a stump and call myself an expert. I appreciate your input greatly. Can you give me any detail on how you've fertilized your carpinus with best results? I did notice that most of the branches want to leave the trunk and shoot straight up. Is there a way I can combat that tendency?

Hearing that you've experience with this variety is most encouraging. I'll definitely be updating this thread.

To get more horizontal branch sprouts: Let the tree grow away the first year, but pick a leader (or 2), and remove everything else at the chop and anything overly strong (around June). At the end of summer (mid Sept. here), cut off everything except the leader. You'll get a few new sprouts, and some of them may die over the winter. Most of the energy is now focused on the leader, do not cut it yet. In late winter, remove all of the new fall shoots. You should get some horizontal, slow-growing branches, along with very strong leader growth. When your leader has thickened sufficiently, chop it in late winter. If you don't have enough branches at this point, remove any you don't want, and shorten all others. You're branches should now grow more vigorously, and the new leader less vigorous.

Here is my fertilizer regimen: I use this all year in tea bags with some peat (except winter of course). The peat keeps the tea bags from drying out and promotes microbial activity. I give 2 foliar feedings of kelp extract (liquid seaweed) 2 weeks apart when they first leaf out, and again in fall before the leaves change. Give them a shot of fish emulsion late Apr., May and June.

 

[berobinson82]

To get more horizontal branch sprouts: Let the tree grow away the first year, but pick a leader (or 2), and remove everything else at the chop and anything overly strong (around June). At the end of summer (mid Sept. here), cut off everything except the leader. You'll get a few new sprouts, and some of them may die over the winter. Most of the energy is now focused on the leader, do not cut it yet. In late winter, remove all of the new fall shoots. You should get some horizontal, slow-growing branches, along with very strong leader growth. When your leader has thickened sufficiently, chop it in late winter. If you don't have enough branches at this point, remove any you don't want, and shorten all others. You're branches should now grow more vigorously, and the new leader less vigorous.

Here is my fertilizer regimen: I use this all year in tea bags with some peat (except winter of course). The peat keeps the tea bags from drying out and promotes microbial activity. I give 2 foliar feedings of kelp extract (liquid seaweed) 2 weeks apart when they first leaf out, and again in fall before the leaves change. Give them a shot of fish emulsion late Apr., May and June.

Stan, can I ask you for clarification on one thing:

You said to let the tree grow away the first year, pick 1 or 2 leaders, and remove everything overly strong... Is that the second year I start cutting back? The first year I should just let them do what they want?