Practice Trees - Post 'me Up.

ghues · May 6, 2017

Over on another thread there was a fair bit of discussion on the amount of trees that had died, which may indicate some form of experience.
Well I don't like to kill anything but in my ignorance and impatience to "get there" with this addiction I have seen the consequences of either poor yamadori collection techniques, or pruning roots too hard while in the same year trying to balance the loss of roots with loss of shoots, or poor winter maintenance on smaller trees...etc.
Well in that thread I mentioned the use of practice trees.......I.e. Trees (you have many of the same species) that allow you to practice the Bonsai craft. In my case I have many yamadori Mountain Hemlock (Hemi's) with a few special longer term projects.....(which I slowly with) while "practicing" on other Hemi's that aren't as special.
So the thought is that we/you can use this thread to share successes or routines that you may use which might be useful to others.............

ghues · May 6, 2017

So first up a Yamadori Mtn Hemlock that was collected some time ago (8 years)......it did well in the wooden grow pot then 3 years after collection I potted it up (in a cheap Chinese pot). The following year I gave it to my daughter and son in law to keep in there garden......I saw the tree a number times a year and did trimming and general shaping. One objective was to keep it alive in a pot environment, grow out many branches giving greater future styling options. It was wired 3 years ago (majority of all branches and branchlets......a little sloppy but it did its primary job- spreading the main branches and allowing light to enter).
As one can see, this winter saw the pot crack on both long edges, so it's time to bring it home, remove all wire, to repot, a little trimming and general maintenance...
The photos show it from a few sides and the trimming (just a small % of entire tree)....will post more after its repotted. It's a funny shaped small/medium sized and I haven't figured out the more favourable front/angle.
Let's see your Practice Trees and how they help you on your journey......
Cheers G

herzausstahl · May 7, 2017

My parents have lots of mature Hemlock on their land yet zero seedlings. Very frustrating. My brother recently got his masters & his dissertation was on the affects of invasive (European I believe) earthworms. He feels they are responsible for the lack of new seedlings. Would have to talk to him to get technical info to back up his assertion

I love hemlocks as a result but nowhere near me with ones to collect. Actually can't think of an area like my parents with so many around here. They live on the side of a valley on old farmland (his uncles).

Looks like a nice tree & I like the idea of your thread. I believe this is something @GrimLore believes in. Getting a lot of a new tree to learn its habits, etc.

defra · May 8, 2017

I killed two boxwood in the front garden
I choped them down hopeing that they would grow out again but no leaves where left so they died.... sooo

Never cut boxwood back to nothing !

sorce · May 8, 2017

defra said:
Never cut boxwood back to nothing !

I think you can get away with it in summer....

That Dude in Cali does....

But I'm with you!

Sorce

Anthony · May 8, 2017

@herzausstahl ,

tried airlayers ?
Good Day
Anthony

herzausstahl · May 8, 2017

Anthony said:
@herzausstahl ,

tried airlayers ?
Good Day
Anthony

No because they have a lot of straight branches. But maybe I'll pick one after I try a few air layers on my own trees to try it out with these.

M. Frary · May 8, 2017

All of my trees are practice trees.

Smoke · May 8, 2017

Mine too. I practice on all of them, just like professionals in Japan.

Soldano666 · May 8, 2017

I practiced on this mugo today. Actually this is the first mugo I bought about 4 years ago. So far it's stayed alive and looks healthy going into this year, thanks to vance and the mugo train. it's going to get it's first repot this summer, i expect a mess down there.

ghues · May 8, 2017

@M.Frary, @Smoke ......Mike, Al, agreed all tree are practice trees.....
I've heard that "practice makes perfect"...... not here.... however the practice does teach us many things.

With the majority of my collection being yamadori, I'd rather use lesser specimens to practice on, so that I take that experience (and lessons learned) and apply it to the gems.

With many of the yamadori trees that I've acquired around these parts (rain forest country) the base is most often buried under a matting of duff (humus), which can both inhibit and or enhance their features.
In this case Mountain Hemlock are susceptible to rot, especially with parts buried in the thick duff, so it's best to explore and expose them (dry them out) and apply a wood hardener or lime sulphur. The enhancing factors of this duff is that overtime the tree can send out roots assisting in its survival.....as did this one....looks like it could have been a multi stem in its past.
Back to this specific tree, all the moss was stripped off the base and upper soil layer, upper -1" of remaining duff was removed and rootball teased out to fit the pot. This also exposed the base where rotting portions of the base were lifted and supported by small rock slabs. Next treatment will be lime sulphur when the base fully dries out.
Lifting the base with the slabs provides a different look and allows me to explore future "front" options.
Cheers G. Maybe this will be a gem to someone in the future lol.

defra · May 8, 2017

ghues said:
@M.Frary, @Smoke ......Mike, Al, agreed all tree are practice trees.....
I've heard that "practice makes perfect"...... not here.... however the practice does teach us many things.

With the majority of my collection being yamadori, I'd rather use lesser specimens to practice on, so that I take that experience (and lessons learned) and apply it to the gems.

With many of the yamadori trees that I've acquired around these parts (rain forest country) the base is most often buried under a matting of duff (humus), which can both inhibit and or enhance their features.
In this case Mountain Hemlock are susceptible to rot, especially with parts buried in the thick duff, so it's best to explore and expose them (dry them out) and apply a wood hardener or lime sulphur. The enhancing factors of this duff is that overtime the tree can send out roots assisting in its survival.....as did this one....looks like it could have been a multi stem in its past.
Back to this specific tree, all the moss was stripped off the base and upper soil layer, upper -1" of remaining duff was removed and rootball teased out to fit the pot. This also exposed the base where rotting portions of the base were lifted and supported by small rock slabs. Next treatment will be lime sulphur when the base fully dries out.
Lifting the base with the slabs provides a different look and allows me to explore future "front" options.
Cheers G. Maybe this will be a gem to someone in the future lol.

Lol to me in my collection it would be a gem already

Realy like that tree !

herzausstahl · May 8, 2017

defra said:
Lol to me in my collection it would be a gem already

Realy like that tree !

Me too, unfortunately I can't regularly get far enough north to look for ones to collect. Around here all I'd find are white cedar & eastern red cedar. Even someone on Craigslist offering dig your own for x amount per foot on 20 acres but most likely those 2 species.

https://greenbay.craigslist.org/grd/6098713139.html

Underdog · May 8, 2017

M. Frary said:
All of my trees are practice trees.

yup

Wilson · May 8, 2017

Great trees G, I love the mountain hemlocks! I definitely hope to see them used by more west coast bonsai folks.

Paradox · May 8, 2017

M. Frary said:
All of my trees are practice trees.

same

Wilson · May 14, 2017

Here's a bare root hedge cedar I picked up for around $5, about 4-5'.

ghues · May 19, 2017

Wilson said:
Here's a bare root hedge cedar I picked up for around $5, about 4-5'.View attachment 145579

And where is the "after"? My dear Wilson lol.

Underdog · May 20, 2017

While most consider them not so good for Bonsai, I have a couple Corkscrew Willow I enjoy playing with. I consider them great practice trees as they grow so fast you can prune and wire several times a season. Pics from last fall. Amazingly fast growth. Should get current pics as they are getting trimmed and wired this weekend hopefully.

Underdog · May 20, 2017

From only last March rooted in water. Too easy...

Practice Trees - Post 'me Up.

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