Bay Tree?

ABCarve · Jan 21, 2013

This is a bay tree grown entirely in a very large clay pot. It was given to me when it was about 8 ft. high a few years ago. Last spring I chopped it down and wedge cut the right branch close to the trunk to pull it down. The some of leaves are starting to reduce well (#3 pic) on that branch. The wired new growth is one season (zone 5). Will those new branches ever catch up in caliper (if left to grow) to the chubby original one on the right. Or...should I just cut it off and hope for a new one. It a great tree to prune when cooking.

JudyB · Jan 21, 2013

If you cut it off and start over, it will just put you further behind.

What you should do is let the left branch grow unimpeded, and try to slow the right one. While the left one is still pliable, you should wire more movement into it. The left branch should perhaps be cut back to a few inches or so beyond the trunk (as long as bay bud back well, I think they do, but don't cut back further than the foliage if not). That right branch needs to have some taper, just like your trunk needs taper, so do branches. It's too thick for too long, with no visible taper right now. When it starts to grow another section onto it you can wire it and get more interest on that side too.
Hope this helps.

ABCarve · Jan 21, 2013

If you can see the slingshot in the pic...I was going to cut across the red line. I was leaving it on to help it heal where I took the wedge out to pull it down. How long before it's safe to remove the guy holding it together.

MrFancyPlants · Jan 21, 2013

Great tree with some flaws that you are on your way to fixing. I am sorry I don't have experience with the wedge method but I would imagine you should wait until after the wound has sufficiently calloused before removing the guide.
Can I ask about your winter care? I always heard they were Mediterranean so I've put mine under floresent lights near a window when the weather gets below freezing for the past 5 years or so. I've had slow but sure luck w back budding. I like to remove all but the most vital buds on the tree in the spring and again later in the growing season as long as there is new growth.

ABCarve · Jan 22, 2013

I have two glassed walls as an attachment to my barn that's heated 50-60 deg. It seems to like to chill-out for winter. The person that gave it to me kept it in a colder place 35-45 deg. They can take a frost well. When I wacked the tree last spring it put buds out all over on the trunk. So many, I had a good choice to pick from for new branches.
The wedge thing is used to raise or lower the angle of a thick branch in relation to the trunk. I sawed a small wedge out from under the branch so it's thin enough to bend. The legs of the angle should be equal length so that when its pulled down with a guy wire the cadmium lines up. Clean up the saw cut with a sharp knife. I also remove a small amount of heartwood from one side of the cut with a very shallow carving gouge. This allows a nice tight fit for cadmium. I did it on a number of trees last spring but I don't know how long it takes before it's strong enough to support itself.
What is your experience with healing on this tree? You can see mine has some large wounds.

MrFancyPlants · Jan 22, 2013

My experience with wound healing has been positive, although I doubt my wounds were as big as yours since my material is not as developed. It was one of my earlier experiments with bonsai this time around(since I moved to VA), so it is not the highest quality (grocery store) material. When I got mine it had number of large suckers as well as an unsightly pair of "knees" in the lower trunk that probably used to be suckers. I carved back the knees and the suckers and over the past few years the bark has completely rolled over the wound leaving only a slight discoloration of a scar. I'll try and post a closeup later.

berobinson82 · Jan 22, 2013

Where in VA are you?

ABCarve · Jan 22, 2013

Actually, I'm in NW- PA. Erie and the snow is a blowing today!!!

MrFancyPlants · Jan 22, 2013

Not quite as seamless of a heal as I remembered.. Oh well.

edub9 · Feb 5, 2013

Your wood carving

David, I know off topic but your wood carving is the best I have seen and having been a professional artist for 21 years I have seen lots. Just beautiful work.

Eric

ABCarve said:
If you can see the slingshot in the pic...I was going to cut across the red line. I was leaving it on to help it heal where I took the wedge out to pull it down. How long before it's safe to remove the guy holding it together.

ABCarve · Jul 2, 2014

There is not a lot of info out there on this species. So here the full progression to date.
I'll ask, does anyone know about defoliating these?? It may help with leaf reduction. Is there any criteria on what species can be defoliated?
They are a very vigorous growers. The small top you see wired up in pic 2 (Jan. 2013) is now over an 1" in caliper. The extended new top (pic 3 Jan 2014) was cut off this spring to 4" in height and has regrown in a few months (pic 5 July 2014). Smaller branches will set from wiring in 2 weeks during season. I have approach grafted a branch above the first left branch to fill in.

ABCarve · Jul 19, 2014

Tired of white deadwood!

The large wound left from styling is never going to heal, so I'm going to enhance it into shari. The white lime sulphur look doesn't go well with its grey bark. Nothing a little paint can't change.

1. original look...lime sulphur wearing off
2. laying down darker acrylic colors to enhance the recess' of the carving.
3. blending those colors and highlighting with a brittle sander.

ABCarve · Jul 19, 2014

Each layer of color is dried with a hairdryer so as not to mix with the underpainting.

1. orange (blues compliment) is over painted for a more vibrant weathered look.
2. yellow ocher added over that for highlights.
3. new look in daylight.

It's a very overcast day so I'm not sure if its done yet. I will coat the finished shari with WEST epoxy to lock in the color and to protect the wood. The easy to clean epoxy will be abraded with scotchbrite to remove the shine.

ABCarve · Jul 19, 2014

The overall look. If you look at the wiring the tails of the copper are left on. It's growing fast enough it can be used to keep the tip from turning up.

ABCarve · Jul 19, 2014

Leaf reduction....although some people won't like that for making sauce.

ABCarve · Mar 15, 2015

View attachment 69386 Update...Finally in a shallow pot! Gonna try to make a top.View attachment 69386

ABCarve · Jun 16, 2015

Filling in. Its taking its good ole time. This got really slowed down by the small pot! But 2 years ain't bad!

ABCarve · Jun 6, 2016

The crown still has to fill out a bit more......a little too pointy for my taste. I think I can start working to ramify the bottom branches now and hopefully start getting some consistent leaf reduction. Some leaves are 1/2" in length and some internodes are 1/4" now. I was pondering some kind of defoliation. I tried it on another plant which didn't have good results. What I have noticed is that the leaves are only viable for one year. They start getting progressively uglier as the growing season moves on, so they are cut off when they're no longer tolerable. Makes wiring much easier. This pic has approx. 1/3 of last year's leaves removed. The rest will be gone by September.

Vin · Jun 6, 2016

I have many at my disposal but have been resistant to collect them because of leaf size. I think for now I'll just watch you develop yours. You've brought it along nicely.

drew33998 · Jun 6, 2016

It has come a long way. Looks like it's on a good path. Nice base on it.

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