Backyard development

[WavyGaby]

I got bored, the 10 day forecast has no low Temps below freezing, and I have means for protection. Therefore, I checked on two of my surviving Japanese black pine cuttings. I started a mix of candle cuttings and stem cuttings in May or June 2022. I used coco coir / perlite and rooting horomone. Below are the results of 6-7 months post cuttings. I think the two that lived were semi- hardwood cuttings (from previous years candles) of my three year old pines. I don't think the candle cuttings made it but it's hard to tell because I just stuffed them all together.

Two survivors. Lots of roots on the one in my hand

The second one has fewer roots so I pit it back in the container.


I cut the roots and put the first one I'm a mame size pot

 

[WavyGaby]

I added another segment of fence. Now I am hidden from from the front. Still have to watch my back, haha.
I am looking forward to a lot of repotting and putting them up on the shelving in the spring

 

[WavyGaby]

I added shade cloth before the upper 80s came last week.
Overall, things are doing well.



I've had great success doing J.Maple air layers so I've got another layer on this tree that I've raised since a seedling.


Trident Maple Broom Style. I was going to let the growth run longer to thicken up. However, the top of the trunk was swelling so I figured I would chop them back to build density of twigs instead of girth. IDK, first time trying this....I have a couple of root grafts buried as well. The, uh, weed-wacker got a hold of one of the grafts earlier in the day so I moved it to safety. It will live though.



Blauuw Juniper that finally rooted after about 15-18 months. I think I tried it in Sept 2021. I checked it last year and it had 0 roots. This year, I could tell it grew so I checked up on it and it had a healthy root ball. I gently wired it and put it into APL mix instead of my old rooting mix

 

[WavyGaby]

It looks like I added the shade cloth a bit too early and it probably contributed to some diseases earlier this summer. I had mites on several junipers and needle tip blight on a hinoki. However, they have been treated and recovered. Note for next year: wait until June before adding shade cloth!

Here are some photos.

This kishu had mites really bad in May/June. Its looking a lot better now


General view


JM developed from seed. Cool tree but very poor taper


Red maple from root cutting


Ibo Nishiki is barking up and its only about 3 years old from cutting


This is probably my best Juniper cutting I made. Its a 2-3 year old Itoigawa


Sekka Hinoki


Hinoki that had needle tip issues. It is recovering

 

[WavyGaby]

Mikawa Yatsubusa J.Maple



2 Y.O. JBP first styling


Massive J. Maple I won at the club auction recently. I'll be working on this in the spring

Trident Maple Broom


J. Maple - large rough bark


Arakawa seedling - twin trunk


Azalea from old backyard


Cotoneaster mame

 

[WavyGaby]

A couple updates just to keep my progress report coming along. I added more to my fence and I am in the process of constructing pedestals for larger bonsai.

JBP from Comstock


This is the current vision. I might repot on this angle soon


Kingsville - it needs a different pot, maybe a semi-cascade yellow glaze and filling in along the center trunk


Azalea named "Octopus" due to the arm-like nebari, the trunk scar that looks like an eye, and the dead portion on the lower left that looks like a beak


ROR JBP from my 2 year old seedling. Some of the roots fell out of position with the raffia. I should have used something more stretchy with more tension. Ill probably redo it in spring


One of several free J.Maples from a friend's yard. The trunk is discoloring so its not a good sign for survival. My other smaller J.Maples that I dug that day have not discolored. 2 year old JBPs in 6" net pots below. I put a bunch more JBP in net pots


Shimpaku cutting field grown on a saucer for 2 years then repotted


mini-shimpy


JBP seedling from 2022


JBP cutting from 2022. It has a really nice nebari

 

[WavyGaby]

I started repotting my younger stuff, built on to my fence, added two pedestals and stain. I put some plants out on the shelf recently with a warm spell but they went back on the ground or garage. I planted a butterfly bush on the far left to hide the cinderblock a bit.



A couple Japanese Maples threaded through jar lids




Trident Maple Ground Layer Attempt for this poor thing that I tried growing in the ground on a tile. It was in poor soil and a poor location in the yard so it didnt really help the roots. I was more focused on healing a scar from a good sized trunk chop. It healed well in about two years. Now, lets see if I can fix the base.

 

[WavyGaby]

Best colors Ive seen on my azalea

 

[WavyGaby]

Almost four years after moving in and this is how things have developed.

This is stepped back a little bit from where the original post photo was taken. The large JBP on the right is pushing candles very well 15 months after field digging. The wall of stinky wisteria behind my property has taken off (it smelled good at first)


Side view. I pretty much added one fence segment per year as time and funds have been limited and the need wasnt always there.


JBPs from seed followed by the veggie garden


Deshojo in the ground. Beauty Berry on the right


Here are some of the trees

- 2 years in this pot



The procumbens on the right is how it all started for me



Overall view from back porch

 

[WavyGaby]

Giant JBP on right was decandled and styled. Lots of 6-8 mm aluminum. Copper would have been nice but too expensive for a first wire.

Giant prostrada on left is doing well. Ill probably have to wait until late winter to style it.

JWP


Itoigawa grown from cutting in 2021, struck by my friend in 2020.

Blauuw Juniper. Same timeline as above


Roughbark JM. Two approach grafts are in place and they seem to be doing well. I am redoing the first branch, too. It was too straight and long before branches.





My first shimpaku from 2020.

 

[WavyGaby]

Here is the first bonsai that I bought in 2014 and kept alive. I tried one or two trees before that. I basically just kept this alive until I had more time and desire to learn around 2018.

Here it is (on left) in 2016. I bought the one on the right in 2015 or 2016. It didnt make it


Last night after maintenance. Ill repot into a nice, shallower hex or octagonal pot in spring. Ill have to use a stand from there on.