Beech wired and ready...

JudyB

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Finished the beech wiring, thought I'd share. Waiting for the new pot to come from Lang pots at months end. So excited to see how the new pot works out with it.
enjoy!
 

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JudyB

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Just for comparison here it is as a before shot...
 

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Smoke

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really nice job.
 

JudyB

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Thank you. Means a lot coming from someone with your skill level.
:)
 

Ang3lfir3

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looks really good Judy ..... but ... (I know ima jerk) its a little hard to tell but I get the feeling that you could thin it out a touch more and maybe add a little more movement to those branches .... notice how on the left hand side it is a little noisy and hard to decern the structure of the secondary branching ?? The crown feels a little full as well... time to break out the fine wire and get to wiring each and every one of them .... I know you can do it :)

I only say this because I am pretty sure you will know this is constructive criticism and nothing disparaging. I think you have done a wonderful job to start with and I think you could be a little braver and end up with even better results ....
 

JudyB

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Don't want to thin until I see what happens this spring, I'll thin after the buds open. I knocked a few off during this process....ugh. (not too many, but even when one hits the ground it sucks)

I will put it back on the bench and wire everything else, and post again.
Thanks for the critique, I'm not here to get patted on the head (although it's nice once in awhile...) I am here to get a different eye (and more practiced eyes) on what I'm doing right, as well as what I'm doing wrong.
 

Ron Dennis

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Finished the beech wiring, thought I'd share. Waiting for the new pot to come from Lang pots at months end. So excited to see how the new pot works out with it.
enjoy!

Really nice, Judy. You may have posted this tree previously and I missed it; however, would you share a little of the history of this tree. I really like it a lot. Thanks.
 

Attila Soos

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That tree is a real beauty.
I love the soft and fresh leaves of the beech, when they emerge in the spring. It's such an uplifting sight.

And yes, a great pot would really give the tree the perfect finish. This tree deserves the best pot you can buy.

(BTW, beech is one of those species that can make truly majestic bonsai...at par with oak. Just like the pine, in the case of conifers.)
 
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JudyB

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Thanks Ron, and Attila.

Yes Attila, the only thing comparable to me is the brushes of larch waking. That slow unfurling is like a present unwrapping.
I hope the pot works, it is to be a round with a nice lip and some indents. Ron is doing it custom for the tree, and the first try, the glaze turned out far too strong of a blue. (We're going for a grey with a steel blue blush) But professional that he is, he didn't hesitate to offer to remake it. So we will see what turns up! I love his work, I'm sure it'll be perfect.

Ron, I picked this tree up a number of years ago from Wee Tree, it was in a nursery pot, I believe it was grown from seed. I have Diane there to thank for building the major branching on this. I've done a lot of work getting budding built and new branching in the interior, as well as working on ramification. But it's paid off, and looks like it's on it's way.

Eric, here you go, what do you think?
I have to say, that I think the difference though not dramatic, does clean up the image nicely, and will pay off later doing all the little ones now. I really like the crown far better now that I've brought it down and shaped it. Thanks for the suggestions.
 

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Ang3lfir3

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Eric, here you go, what do you think?
I have to say, that I think the difference though not dramatic, does clean up the image nicely, and will pay off later doing all the little ones now. I really like the crown far better now that I've brought it down and shaped it. Thanks for the suggestions.

certainly an improvement :)

"will pay off later doing all the little ones now" << that's the secret, much easier to work with at this stage then later :)

as you rightly pointed out opening the crown up really helps it look better... do this each year for a few years and you will see a drastic change in its ages appearance ... the best quirky branches and curves take multiple wirings to get real character ... now here comes the part i hate most... you'll have to watch the tree and unwire it as soon as it looks like its going to start biting... beeches have "thin skin" and will mark easily... then you can rewire next winter .... BVF has mentioned defoliating beeches (which i didn't know would work) which is something you might want to think about in a few years .... which would give you two wiring options ...

keep after it Judy... this is a really nice tree
 

JudyB

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certainly an improvement :)

you'll have to watch the tree and unwire it as soon as it looks like its going to start biting... beeches have "thin skin" and will mark easily... then you can rewire next winter .... BVF has mentioned defoliating beeches (which i didn't know would work) which is something you might want to think about in a few years .... which would give you two wiring options ...

This I know well,(the thin skin)- I wrapped any wire that was possible to do loosely and still get a bend. Still, I know that when I partial defoliate for bud selection this summer, I'll have to take all of it off at that point. I shoulda started this one earlier in the winter, but work got in the way... Next year I'll make a point of it. I'm hoping that since this one is always my last tree to leaf out, that I'll still get some hold from the current wiring.

I do not think I'd ever chance total defoliation, but I do partials every summer, sometimes I can get two in if I get a rare second flush. But I don't know that I'd be able to wire around all those leaves...
 

ghues

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Hi Judy,
Nice work and the tree is looking good.
Do you use the terminal bud removal technique on it? I've get one that I'm going to try it on later this winter after reading about it.
Cheers
Graham
 

JudyB

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Hi Judy,
Nice work and the tree is looking good.
Do you use the terminal bud removal technique on it? I've get one that I'm going to try it on later this winter after reading about it.


Graham, thanks for the gracious words.
No, I have used the technique that Harry Harrington uses, it is an old Japanese development method. It has worked really well for me, I would recommend it if you are after inner growth on older wood. It's detailed in his book, and I'm pretty sure on his website.
What is this bud removal plan?
 

Brian Van Fleet

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BVF has mentioned defoliating beeches (which i didn't know would work) which is something you might want to think about in a few years ....

That's a fall defoliation, done to force the tree to develop more buds in the fall, but not giving them enough time to open...similar to what you can do with black pines. Only done on healthy beeches...more info is here.
 

ghues

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Thanks for the info Judy. Its the same as HH's winter pruning technique.
I was thinking about air layering the top off this year (to balance out the tree) but after reading Brian's info maybe I want chance it.
Cheers Graham
 
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JudyB

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Actually Graham, after reading Brian's progression series, the winter technique he is using is far different. Brian is doing this in the fall, HH is just pruning back to a bud in the spring... I'd love to see your tree.

Brian, I do notice you say this technique is specific to Japanese Beech. Do you think this would work on European Beech? It seems like Japanese Beech experiences more flushes than European Beech, so I wonder...
I noticed also that one year you documented that the new buds opened because of a longer period of warm weather before frost, what happened in that instance, did the branches have any dieback from this? Seems like it could be chancy if all the buds opened on a branch because of warmer conditions.
 

Brian Van Fleet

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I don't have a E. beech, so couldn't answer that. It stands to reason it would work for any beech, since the fall pruning isn't about forcing another flush, but rather removing the auxin in the branch tips.

As for the fall growth that resulted in 2010, I ended up pruning it off when it got cold (like HH does, but not as aggressive as his website example), and had no dieback.

I worked mine petty hard last month, removed some coarse upper branches and replaced the apex. Right moves for the long run, but looks a little rough right now. It will get to grow unchecked this year except to prune or trim some of the big outer leaves in the summertime. It's been in that pot for 3 years, and can easily go another...but I digress...
 
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