Alnus Incana (Grey Alder) #1

[sorce]

The color is great.

I want to rub those low trunk buds off sooooo bad!

Sorce

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I was debating that but I am going to use them to further fatten the trunk up. I dont want super low branching on this. Im going for 3-4" of trunk before first branch. 2" between first and second branch 1" between second and third, and 1/2" from there to apex. I'd like to keep this small for the time being to see if the leaves will reduce enough to keep this as a Shohin. The winter color looks beautiful though, as you said. Mature trees have smooth grey bark with these reddish twigs. When they fruit, the cones are a nice deep brown.

I was planning on trying to grow more of these this spring but the trees where I collected my seeds last tear had no cones on them. Must be an off year. I'll check again next year I guess. Last year mustve been a mast year for these trees, there were so many cones. I found some winged elm trees in the same area and am going to try cuttings of those next year. Would love to work with a native elm.

 

[leatherback]

well done! Looks beefed up for a one year old.
I can see a chop comung up in its future !

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Thanks @leatherback. A kudos from someone experienced like you I feel is quite quite a compliment! I think this will get a grow box this spring, Ill do some branch selection and wiring in fall, and then next spring chop/prune to my decision on what will be the first low branch.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I like the large number of branches you got on a sapling, in only one year. Nice. Keep doing what you are doing.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I think its because i started it inside. I feel like I got a third flush of growth on the thing. Instead of germination+flush, I got germination+flush+2nd flush.

 

[0soyoung]

I'm confused, @Orion_metalhead . You had a bunch of seed in water. Is this the only seedling you're left with? The latest series of pix look to be of just one.

btw, you've gotten me interested in growing some alders as minis. Red alder (alnus rubra) is very common in the forests around here, but I've yet to find any seeds. Supposedly they hang on like cones thru the winter and drop in spring. My problem is that the trees here are 20+ feet tall and have few or no branches within my reach. Those in my reach don't have seed thingies. What's you secret for gathering alder seeds? Are all grey alders about 6 feet tall in Jersey?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I'm confused, @Orion_metalhead . You had a bunch of seed in water. Is this the only seedling you're left with? The latest series of pix look to be of just one.

btw, you've gotten me interested in growing some alders as minis. Red alder (alnus rubra) is very common in the forests around here, but I've yet to find any seeds. Supposedly they hang on like cones thru the winter and drop in spring. My problem is that the trees here are 20+ feet tall and have few or no branches within my reach. Those in my reach don't have seed thingies. What's you secret for gathering alder seeds? Are all grey alders about 6 feet tall in Jersey?

Yes, I only had space last year to take about 7 of the water-germinated seeds and sow them in my indoor situation. All but 1 dampened off. This is the "survivor" which is why I changed the name of the thread to reflect it is about this tree. In nature, the seeds fall into water - as the trees grow in flooded areas - where the seeds germinate and are then deposited as they have started to grow already. My failure last year was to use tap water. In future, I will boil or microwave to kill pathogens. I think I would have about 6 of these trees now had I done that. I would like to get a forest going to be honest with you.

The cones hang on the branches in clusters of three or four. I collected mine in February last year from the edge of a field that aligns to a swampy, marshy area. The seeds are tiny. The mother tree for this was a clump-styled tree about 35ft tall with a lot of low branches which hang out into the open field. Clumps are common with the species as they readily shoot from the base - as evident in my tree's low branching - and those lower branches are ideal to get seeds. This year, there were no cones so it may have been an off year. I didn't see a single cone. The trees are monoecious so in spring check to see if there are any catkins.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Repotted. Very pleased with the development of the nebari so far.

Out of pot.


Cleaned root ball...


Im thinking of chopping to the low right branch. Thoughts?


Completely pruned. Tons of fine feeders close to trunk and some nice thicker radial roots.


Repotted. Maybe I will do some branch selection mid summer. I want to study some alder trees in nature to get an idea for growth patterns and styling. Pleased with progress so far.

 

[0soyoung]

Im thinking of chopping to the low right branch. Thoughts?

YES! I am all for that and staying small. But it you want to go big later, go big later.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

For being only 13 months from seed, this alder has come a long way. Well done.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Thanks Leo. This little tree is a beast for sure.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I had a mouse in my greenhouse and he preformed magic on no less than 50 English Oak acorns before I noticed they were missing from a flat under my tables. It took me quit a while to catch him, but in meantime I went back to my source which was of course too late in the season and everything on the ground was cannibalized by the local squirrels except a few that looked pretty bad. Some were cracked open and some had fungus and some both. I managed to scroung up 19. I didn't want to put them in the greenhouse because I didn't know how many boarders I had, so I left them in a plastic bag hanging on a hook in the garage. A couple days ago I noticed some of them had a stem a couple inches long, so I unwound them from each other and planted them all.

I have some surplus seeds of several varieties that I'm going to throw in a glass of water just in case I can learn something.

 

[leatherback]

You have done great on this one! Promises to become a nice little tree. I think I would not go for very small, but rather develop this as is.

I ... something.

Why would you post this here?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I had a mouse in my greenhouse and he preformed magic on no less than 50 English Oak acorns before I noticed they were missing from a flat under my tables. It took me quit a while to catch him, but in meantime I went back to my source which was of course too late in the season and everything on the ground was cannibalized by the local squirrels except a few that looked pretty bad. Some were cracked open and some had fungus and some both. I managed to scroung up 19. I didn't want to put them in the greenhouse because I didn't know how many boarders I had, so I left them in a plastic bag hanging on a hook in the garage. A couple days ago I noticed some of them had a stem a couple inches long, so I unwound them from each other and planted them all.

I have some surplus seeds of several varieties that I'm going to throw in a glass of water just in case I can learn something.

Good luck! I would put them in regular seedling pots. I dont know how acorns would fare though ive seen them grown hydroponically.

Alder naturally rely on rivers and water to disperse them, because they are so small. My method for these was intended to recreate their natural germination environment. My mistake was using water that had not been sterilized.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

You have done great on this one! Promises to become a nice little tree. I think I would not go for very small, but rather develop this as is.

Thanks. I see what you mean with going big. As this tree is furthest along for me of the trees which I personally have grown, i think I can have it looking showable as a shohin in a few years for our local club if I keep it small. Maybe after then Ill let it grow to a medium or large.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Good luck! I would put them in regular seedling pots. I dont know how acorns would fare though ive seen them grown hydroponically.

Alder naturally rely on rivers and water to disperse them, because they are so small. My method for these was intended to recreate their natural germination environment. My mistake was using water that had not been sterilized.

I'm not putting acorns in water, just seeds that are surplus to this year's needs to experiment. I intend to pot up immediately any seeds that stick a radicle out.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Buds popping on this.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

What comes of buds... tree seems destined to be my little buddy...

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I like the texture of those leaves.