Projects from Harts Backyard

[Hartinez]

Ive got quite a few trees and not all of them Are worthy of their own thread yet. Thought I would create one of these threads to help keep track of the progress on those trees that are thread less. This will also give me the opportunity to document my early process, as I'm not always great at taking early photos of trees in development. Hopefully I will be encouraged to do so now. Pics to come!

Danny Hart

 

[Hartinez]

Figured I’d start with a video and intro. Here is my current backyard setup. I’ve moved twice since March and I needed as “mobile” a setup as I could manage. There are several trees, 12 or so, large and small that i either, gave away, planted or torched in the last 2 months. So what you see here is my current line up. Everything from JBP seedlings you nursery stock to cuttings and collected trees. Some of them have threads others not yet. I’ll start documenting over the next few weeks.

 

[Hartinez]

So I was just realizing that I first began working towards Bonsai as a hobby/enthusiast since August of 2012. I happened to be in Oak Island NC for my birthday (which was yesterday) in 2012 and came across a stand at a farmers market full of bonsai from a local. They weren't your run of the mill nursery or big box trees. Some of them were really nice, or at least as far as I can remember. One oak in particular was phenomenal and marked at $1000 plus. I was blown away and as soon as I got home I researched like mad and I took $50 to a nursery and bought a Juniper and an oversized pot and went to town. My first tree though was from when I was 14 or 15. I had always fawned over the tiny trees I would see when going to the nursery with my folks. They finally gave in and bought me a little leaf Jade in a land/water pot. Within weeks that tree was a goner. It always stuck with me though and through my fathers love of gardening I always enjoyed tinkering with plants.

Now, 8 years in, 3 kids, a family and a design business that allows me to work from home, Im fully hooked. While many of my trees are just ok to good, some could be great with time and work. I really feel I've come in to an understanding of wiring and styling my trees though I feel I still have much to learn, especially in regards to horticultural sprays and treatments. I truly have a goal of having a tree in the national within my 15 year mark in the hobby. Im only 36 now, no reason why I can't make that happen.

 

[Hartinez]

Figured I’d start with a video and intro. Here is my current backyard setup. I’ve moved twice since March and I needed as “mobile” a setup as I could manage. There are several trees, 12 or so, large and small that i either, gave away, planted or torched in the last 2 months. So what you see here is my current line up. Everything from JBP seedlings you nursery stock to cuttings and collected trees. Some of them have threads others not yet. I’ll start documenting over the next few weeks.

You can see on several trees from this video all of the trees, tridents in particular with not so pleasant looking anthracnose. Ive applied daconil multiple times, but next spring and summer Im going to be far more aggressive with my treatment.

 

[Hartinez]

Most recent purchase. This little snowmound spirea with the best trunk I’ve ever seen on a small spirea. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. The rest were a mess of multiple branches come from the soil line. Chopped and budding out now. I’ll probably reduce more branches at some point. But may not. Trunk is about 3.5 fingers across. That bark though. With proper and slow root reduction this tree should a be a wonderful shohin/mame



buds a poppin

 

[Carol 83]

for my birthday (which was yesterday)

Happy Belated Birthday!

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

I like all the projects you have going. Man it looks hot and dry there in NM though!

 

[Hartinez]

Happy Belated Birthday!

Thanks Carol!! Yeah it’s cool to know exactly when I dove head first into this world. The trees I saw that one day all those years ago were just amazing.

 

[Hartinez]

I like all the projects you have going. Man it looks hot and dry there in NM though!

It’s awful Clay. We were getting some good monsoon rains for several weeks, but not so much lately.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

It’s awful Clay. We were getting some good monsoon rains for several weeks, but not so much lately.

The mad heat is starting to break somewhat here - we've been getting some rain at least.

 

[Hartinez]

Another tree with exceptional bark but a long ways to go. It’s a nursery Vitex or Chaste tree. Not sure the specific cultivar, but I’ve never seen a 3 gal nursery specimen with this rugged of bark. Great movement also. I’ve got a before pic somewhere. I acquired it last summer.

 

[Hartinez]

No thread for this bougie. But I’ve posted it number times over the years. When inside this last fall and winter a house guest fell and broke off a few branches. The canopy was a bit wider on that right side. I tried not to freak out. And fortunately it’s recovered well and is going to town at the moment.

 

[Hartinez]

 

[Hartinez]

This is a Siberian elm my dad started 5 or so years ago. He wired it out from a small whip he dug up. He potted it in a MASSIVE pot and let it grow then clipped then grow then clipped. I wish I had a pic of his original tree. It was a mess. I love my dad but it was a mess. Multiple branches that formed pompom tufts of twigs. It was ramified well, but in this weird fantasy land kind of way. He asked if I’d do something with it.

I chose one leader andcut the rest and attempted to root. One of the other branches rooted. I also did a heavy root reduction and it was almost entirely NON feeder roots. It had formed a huge clump of gigantic roots. I reduced the ball by 80 or so percent. I cut back really hard then wired. Sealed the big cuts and began to let grow and clip. It’s starting to take form. Nothing spectacular but a fun tree. You can see thewire scars on the trunk from over 5 years ago.

 

[Colorado]

Great looking trees man! Love the garden tour.

What type of oak is that at 1:30?

I want to see that tall curvy spruce at the nationals one day

 

[Hartinez]

Great looking trees man! Love the garden tour.

What type of oak is that at 1:30?

I want to see that tall curvy spruce at the nationals one day

Hey TJ! Thanks man. Hard to start posts on so many different trees. Especially in the early stages when there is uncertainty. And when they are not much to look at! That tree in particular is a quercus Lobata or valley oak. I bought it from Lowe’s 5 years ago and planted it in my front yard of my old house. Before I sold that house this spring, I dug it up and it had at least tripled in size. It won’t be much for the next 5-10, but I think I’ve got something with good character. Loose bark fell off and it needs a good carving.

And yeah, that spruce is my best tree for sure. Needs a more time and some more character, but it may be worthy here at some point. Thanks for saying!

 

[Hartinez]

Ordered 3 different elms from Brent at Evergreen Garden works. Happy with my choices. All 3 will be up-potted and grown out for at least 5 years. More like 10 years for the smaller trees. I decided I would invest in my long term practice in the hobby and have some good deciduous to work with.

Ulmus Patvifola “corticosa”

Ulmus Parvifola “seiju”

Ulmus Parvifola “yatsibusa”

 

[JoeR]

Another tree with exceptional bark but a long ways to go. It’s a nursery Vitex or Chaste tree. Not sure the specific cultivar, but I’ve never seen a 3 gal nursery specimen with this rugged of bark. Great movement also. I’ve got a before pic somewhere. I acquired it last summer. View attachment 322719View attachment 322721View attachment 322722

Wow nice bark, and the leaflets are wider than the ones I own/have seen. I've only seen one vitex with that kind of bark before, it was absolutely massive-- owner wasn't willing to sell.

Elms are nice, I started with a seiju similar to that and have made several really nice trees from it. Root cuttings, airlayers, regular cuttings- should be alot of fun, they develop quickly

 

[Hartinez]

Great packaging from Brent. $90 for the 3. Shipping was fifteen alone. Really excited for the yatsibusa.

 

[Hartinez]

Wow nice bark, and the leaflets are wider than the ones I own/have seen. I've only seen one vitex with that kind of bark before, it was absolutely massive-- owner wasn't willing to sell.

Elms are nice, I started with a seiju similar to that and have made several really nice trees from it. Root cuttings, airlayers, regular cuttings- should be alot of fun, they develop quickly

Yeah I’ve looked now for awhile to find another vitex similar to no avail. With time I really think it’ll be a good one!!

I’m really excited about the Elms. It’ll be awhile before I do much to them other than growth and nebari work.