Arctic Beech 3

[grouper52]

And here's the last, for now, in my series of Nothofagus trees (nothofagi?).

Got this three years ago from a regular nursery run by a Korean couple who specialize in Japanese maples, but the man has a few trees for sale that he has tried, quite unskillfully, IMHO, to bonsai, and this was one. If it was to be a bonsai, it was a very poor one, with a great deal of unsightly reverse taper and far too many branches that just sort of came out and formed a semi-circular bowl. I wish I had taken some photos of the original tree.

I cut off about half the branches to corrrect the reverse taper and give some openness and shape, and tilted it about 90 degrees to the right to its current slant. I've done some initial work on ramification as well.

The first was taken last year in a pot that was all wrong, but shows the attractiveness of the foliage. This past winter I potted it in an Erin pot that Vic made to order specifically for this tree, and there are several views, bare and when the foliage just budded out this spring. I've never been happy with the apex as it is, consisting of a single long branch that won't bend much and which I haven't yet been able to induce back budding on, but I'm just leaving it as it is for now. May try a thread graft in the future.

Comments welcome.

grouper52
http://www.bonsainut.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1434&stc=1&d=1182701792
http://www.bonsainut.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1435&stc=1&d=1182701792
http://www.bonsainut.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1436&stc=1&d=1182701792

 

[rlist]

Hey Will. I like this tree and pairing with the pot. I am not a fan of the moss on the trunk, though I know the issues you (we) have in the NW. PM me and I can tell you the secret sauce Walter recommends to permanently remove moss. If it is an issue of hiding poor nebari or taper, maybe you can plant a miniature fern in there...

I'm not familiar with this species, but it appears that it will bud and ramify nicely. If so, might I suggest a slight reduction in the height by removing said problem apex and begin to work on ramification to develop a better profile and balance to the tree??? Quick and dirty virt...

 

[grouper52]

Hey Will. I like this tree and pairing with the pot. I am not a fan of the moss on the trunk, though I know the issues you (we) have in the NW. PM me and I can tell you the secret sauce Walter recommends to permanently remove moss. If it is an issue of hiding poor nebari or taper, maybe you can plant a miniature fern in there...

I'm not familiar with this species, but it appears that it will bud and ramify nicely. If so, might I suggest a slight reduction in the height by removing said problem apex and begin to work on ramification to develop a better profile and balance to the tree??? Quick and dirty virt...

Thanks, Rich.

That virt looks like it solves the problem, but in real life it does not because that apical branch juts out to the rear, and the tree doesn't look nearly as nice if viewed from that side.

The back budding is prolific on fairly young wood, but falls off precipitously on older wood, especially if previous pruning removed the buds right at the base of previous branches. So far I cannot get even a hint of it on that apical branch, so I think a thread graft and a chop will be the way to go over time. Back when I first got the tree I tried wiring and bending some of the thicker branches, and they snap fairly readily, so although I've bent the apical branch a bit more where I want it, I am hesitant to get too agressive bending it down. I almost lost the entire apex on the little shohin doing that this spring, for instance.

Thanks for the virt.

grouper52