Crabapple

GrimLore said:

Japanese Cherry, Pears and MANY more are cherished in this art.

Grimmy

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Thanks for the heads up. Once I get to that point I will most likely start with a long list and do process of elimination. Care and such and being able to meet it's needs. Then...keeping a short list when I'm ready to search for one.

Cadillactaste said:

Saddens me to hear they struggle with bloom.

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Not for me....

JudyB said:

Not for me....

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When they are carved like that I am always awestruck...beautiful Judy.

So puzzled...so Vance's tree not blooming in over 20 years isn't part of the norm? Has to do with his growing from seed then? Your tree doesn't appear grafted to me Judy...so my thinking one must be grafted to bloom...also wrong?

Cadillactaste said:

When they are carved like that I am always awestruck...beautiful Judy.

So puzzled...so Vance's tree not blooming in over 20 years isn't part of the norm? Has to do with his growing from seed then? Your tree doesn't appear grafted to me Judy...so my thinking one must be grafted to bloom...also wrong?

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This problem only seems to occur with Crabs not all flowering trees and it is not a rule that all Crabs will do this just most of them. That's why I am considering grafting some bloom wood on to it.

Figure I'd share an update. I had to repot this one so I could see what the roots looked like. I didn't take pictures but the roots were a mess. I ended up removing a lot. I had a tough time deciding on a front. I think the top 3rd of the tree will have to go. It's just too straight, see pic 2. I can't really make up my mind with what I want to do with it, chop, air layer, carve etc...for now it grows. Thoughts comments appreciated.

Nybonsai12 said:

Figure I'd share an update. I had to repot this one so I could see what the roots looked like. I didn't take pictures but the roots were a mess. I ended up removing a lot. I had a tough time deciding on a front. I think the top 3rd of the tree will have to go. It's just too straight, see pic 2. I can't really make up my mind with what I want to do with it, chop, air layer, carve etc...for now it grows. Thoughts comments appreciated.

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My Crab Apple finally bloomed this year after about twenty years from seed. The only thing that has saved the tree is the trunk.

Vance Wood said:

My Crab Apple finally bloomed this year after about twenty years from seed. The only thing that has saved the tree is the trunk.

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Let's see a pic!

Nybonsai12 said:

Let's see a pic!

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OK, see what I can do.

The trunk worth working with. I have allowed this tree two or three years without any attention just to see what it might do. I have a really nice trunk more on that to follow when I can get some decent light on it. One measly branch with a bundle of flowers, and two photos of the parent plant whose off spring this tree happens to be.

Nybonsai12 said:

Figure I'd share an update. I had to repot this one so I could see what the roots looked like. I didn't take pictures but the roots were a mess. I ended up removing a lot. I had a tough time deciding on a front. I think the top 3rd of the tree will have to go. It's just too straight, see pic 2. I can't really make up my mind with what I want to do with it, chop, air layer, carve etc...for now it grows. Thoughts comments appreciated.

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I personally wouldn't chop or layer. I'd just start working on ramification of the branches. The 2nd trunk section could thicken up a bit more to blend with the lower one. You might leave one sacrifice on the 2nd trunk section to thicken it (preferably right at the base of the 2nd section.) The other branches just work on ramification. Crabs are beautiful with flowers so you want as much branching and flowers as you can get. Who cares if it has just the right movement at the base or just the right nebari? It's a crab. It's not a maple. And you already have some taper as the lower trunk section was grown out quite a bit. Just get it branching and you'll be happy come springtime.

Ian

My experiences with crab apples are:

Wire softwood early for shape. Lignified wood is tough to move and can snap if care isn't taken.
They like lots of water & feed - give them a moisture retentive mix.
Partially defoliate to keep inner buds strong - I do mine in late May. Don't expect a maple like image though - ramification isn't easy.
You can aggressively root prune when strong.
Every season I reduce the number of flowers by half, thinning more from the back or inner areas.