Recent content by MinnesotaKirk

UPDATE: Here is where this tree sits as of this spring. It has come a long way from that first picture and still has a journey ahead. The shari will be extended down this summer to meet up with a large one you cannot see on the right hand side. I will reduce the top further as well eventually...

I feel ya Crust. That burst of warm weather we on Saturday had buds swelling in my cold frame, especially the tridents. I keep it between 35 and 38 all winter when it is cold out and everyone stays dormant. Things should be quiet this week but are going to heat up again this weekend.

Yes Judy, the tree will ultimately sit a bit lower. It was in a much deeper pot when it came out of the ground. This was as low as it could go this go round. The roots will develop further this summer and I will hopefully be able to lower it next spring. PinyonJ, thank you do your thoughts and...

Great observation Grimmy, the apex hasn't really been worked on much, at this point there are a number of small branches up there that are all pointing up. They still need to all be wired into place.

Bringing the branches in even tighter and exposing a jin branch on the left that was previously hidden by branch placement.

Time for an update! It's been two years since I posted about this tree. Things are moving along nicely but I'm also taking it nice and slow. This first photo is just after putting it back on the bench from the winter. I did a little more work with the jin at the top. I am working on very slowly...

Here in Minnesota I use a heater to warm my trees but the goal is to get them UP to 34 degrees. It is 2 degrees outside right now. :)

Here is the pot. I'm trying again to upload off my phone.

My wife bought me a pot for Christmas from BonsaiOutlet.com. She was trying to buy me a Sara Rayner pot and the site shows several they have for sale. The pot she have me though doesn't look like one of Sara's pots. The signature on the bottom isn't her regular SR. I can't seem to upload photos...

I haven't logged in lately so I missed this thread. Did you ever hook up with the MBS? It is one of the largest clubs in the country and there are lots of people to help you out. The beginners classes are a good place to start. You can grow almost anything in Minnesota but our growing...

Ha, 7a-b sounds tropical! I'm up in 4b! Last winter was pretty brutal.

Nope, not evergreen. They have pretty soft leaves. I can tell you the small shoots really hate the cold. It will be getting a little more winter protection the next year.

It has been a year so time to show some progress! Here's the tree as it stands now. We had a brutal winter here and there was a branch that didn't survive so I've chosen a new front. So great to have all these blooms! I'm letting it get a little shaggy to enjoy the blooms and will tighten it up...

Buckthorn is incredibly tough. You can literally rip them out of the ground with no digging and if you set the bare roots down on the surface of the ground they will often re-root. I've been curious to give one a try. I think the biggest challenge is that they naturally have a long internode...

Looks like a Nick Lenz creation.