Forsythia

sorce · Mar 11, 2015

Another Craigslist Freebie.

About 3-4 falls ago. They had these 1.5 ft diameter clumps of about 15-20 2-3in rods. I separated a couple and they died inside!

This was a root that separated itself, it lived!

I let it grow pretty wild the last 2 years. It got pretty funky and a good solution has been evading me.

From above before and after.

Side.

That middle trunk is gonna go back to a bud for movement.

The roots are crazy on this thing. I still have live roots growing under the pot!

Live! That's my kind of tree!
What winter? Ice? It's the sock sweater man! Rock those socks!

That root on the right, grew like that unpruned, like a squid, it sheds back to where they all came from to reveal what seems like 5 roots growing in one. Weird!

Lotta root work, cutting back everything to a fork and taper. Getting that bottom flat before he gets in the basket this year!

Till Repotting,

Sorce

0soyoung · Mar 11, 2015

I got a freebie seedling too, but from Arborday.org a couple of years ago. I got a new stem (sucker) this past season and 3 blossoms this spring.

Young growth is quite flexible/'wireable'.

Bunjeh · Mar 11, 2015

Are you growing this in aquarium gravel? Not a bad idea as substrate.

sean f · Mar 11, 2015

i have a bunch of these im going to be digging up and cutting back this year, they root whenever a branch touches the ground. starting to get out of control if anyone in central pa wants any let me know

sorce · Mar 12, 2015

Bunjeh said:
Are you growing this in aquarium gravel? Not a bad idea as substrate.

That was just a topping over Oildry and one fines! You know, for aesthetics !

Though I have had excellent root growth in aquarium gravel and dirt.

I truly believe it's not the substrate, it's the watering !

Sorce

Cadillactaste · Mar 12, 2015

I've had one in my yard I've been wanting to relocate to another area. Planned on doing it this spring so it has time to settle in before our harsh winters hit. Might look into seeing what is down there at the base. This one sold on an auction...which made me pause and consider my yard shrub.

sorce · Mar 17, 2015

Bunjeh said:
Are you growing this in aquarium gravel? Not a bad idea as substrate.

Here's a pic of last year's repot.

Note. This was planted in rocks and dirt that year!

Watered daily.

4\6\2014

Sorce

sorce · Apr 2, 2015

Repoto'clock!

Here's the before.
And some materials.

Kept the aquarium gravel.

Using the sifted stones from the concrete for bottom.
Put the garden paper in for wind block, little nervous about things drying fast this summer in the screenpot.

A few roots grew last year.

A few got cut off.

Holiday cookie buckets, as valuable as Ice cream buckets.

I cut that big "red devil" root off. Hopefully it becomes more trunk. You can make out the replacement below on zoom. I may cut the top roots all the way around in favor of the lower plane next year. Maybe over 2 more years.

Till minutes from now...

sorce · Apr 2, 2015

I had a big center bud here. Cut it off to get growth lower and maybe salvage something here.

Here's a before and after of a bud behind there.
This is a trick I use to get the buds growing on a better angle.
I've used elm twigs and toothpicks, this is a root from the plant.
If you roll it counterclockwise at this view, it goes down itself and pushing the leaves in the right direction, saves the bud and achieves a better angle!

And how it starts the growing season.

Holy spring!

Sorce

sorce · Apr 18, 2015

Made that Cut on the straight one too close. Died off. F it. It started throwing shoots from below the soil line. I killed em. Hiyah!

Its making decisions for me!

Sorce

0soyoung · Apr 18, 2015

sorce said:
It started throwing shoots from below the soil line. I killed em.

They will be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.

Eric Group · Apr 18, 2015

sorce said:
Another Craigslist Freebie.

About 3-4 falls ago. They had these 1.5 ft diameter clumps of about 15-20 2-3in rods. I separated a couple and they died inside!

This was a root that separated itself, it lived!

I let it grow pretty wild the last 2 years. It got pretty funky and a good solution has been evading me.

From above before and after.
View attachment 69184

View attachment 69190

Side.View attachment 69192 View attachment 69193

That middle trunk is gonna go back to a bud for movement.

The roots are crazy on this thing. I still have live roots growing under the pot!

Live! That's my kind of tree!
What winter? Ice? It's the sock sweater man! Rock those socks!

That root on the right, grew like that unpruned, like a squid, it sheds back to where they all came from to reveal what seems like 5 roots growing in one. Weird!

Lotta root work, cutting back everything to a fork and taper. Getting that bottom flat before he gets in the basket this year!

Till Repotting,

Sorce

Sorce, your posts trip me out, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but we have got to do something about this potting in tipper ware with aquarium gravel stuff you got going on man... Better materials ARE available in your area! I know it!

0soyoung · Apr 18, 2015

Eric Group said:
Sorce, your posts trip me out, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but we have got to do something about this potting in tipper ware with aquarium gravel stuff you got going on man... Better materials ARE available in your area! I know it!

So, are you saying that 'one should not bonsai if one cannot afford to bonsai', like one must have proper running attire to jog around the neighborhood?

Maybe it ain't pretty, but what Sorce is doing is rather inventive and horticulturally sound. I admire his doing bonsai with the materials he's got instead of the one's he might want (i.e., practicing Rumsfeldian horticulture).

Eric Group · Apr 18, 2015

0soyoung said:
So, are you saying that 'one should not bonsai if one cannot afford to bonsai', like one must have proper running attire to jog around the neighborhood?
Maybe it ain't pretty, but what Sorce is doing is rather inventive and horticulturally sound. I admire his doing bonsai with the materials he's got instead of the one's he might want (i.e., practicing Rumsfeldian horticulture).

I don't recall saying anything like that. I never said he shouldn't be doing what he is doing, I am just encouraging him to upgrade his pots and potting medium. Whether he has experienced health declines from his "creative" techniques or not, the ART of Bonsai is eventually abo aesthetics as well and clear plastic tupperware...? If it is an affordability thing Sorce- let me know. I will at the very least get some tree/ black plastic bulb pots out to you! They are WAY cheaper than Tupperware. In my area, you can usually get them for free when nurseries repot stuff they will discard hundreds every year!

As for the aquariums gravel... I have been tempted to use it myself in the past, but the COLORED stones? Come one man!! Who knows what they were painted with? Is it a health risk for your tree? Who knows? Is it an aesthetic blemish- certainly it IS!.. I would not discourage anyone from practicing Bonsai and NEVER did I say anything close to that in my original post... My point was he can easily find better options that cost the same or less that will produce better results and look better in the process.

Eric Group · Apr 18, 2015

All that said, I almost got a forsythia today! Love the blooms on them...

Wound up with a Barberry instead! Damn, I cannot stop buying trees!

JoeR · Apr 18, 2015

sean f said:
i have a bunch of these im going to be digging up and cutting back this year, they root whenever a branch touches the ground. starting to get out of control if anyone in central pa wants any let me know

Dissapointing to find this out, I pruned a monster one in my brothers yard this spring before I even know what species it was. Could have kept some cuttings. How about large diameter cuttings?

sorce · Apr 18, 2015

Eric Group said:
the ART of Bonsai is eventually abo aesthetics

I didn't take it the wrong way, but I got everything out of Tupperware this year!

When that eventually comes, if ever, I assure you my displays will be meticulously crafted.

Sorce

M. Frary · Apr 18, 2015

Eric Group said:
All that said, I almost got a forsythia today! Love the blooms on them...

Wound up with a Barberry instead! Damn, I cannot stop buying trees!

And I can't stop digging them up. My collection has gone from 60 trees to 134 in the last week! I'm sick man.

Eric Group · Apr 19, 2015

sorce said:
I didn't take it the wrong way, but I got everything out of Tupperware this year!

When that eventually comes, if ever, I assure you my displays will be meticulously crafted.

Sorce

Well good, no offense intended I assure you my friend! You do it however you like, but if it is funny looking Ima tell ya!

M. Frary · Apr 19, 2015

There's a huge forsythia on our old property. I thought about digging it up once upon a time. That plant was the signal spring was here. It got blooms before most everything else started to even move. Very pretty actually.

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