Chi Chi Ginkgo oh my!

[sorce]

Post #94... No biggies. Though, I am open to a few pots to choose from. Hope it's a good kind of busy.

No no! It has been foolish! Quite foolish!
Working to fix that!

Sorce

 

[Cadillactaste]

Images from Victor Harris just in...

 

[Lou T]

How does the nebari look on this tree? Do ginkgos form decent nebari structure? The one from the DC exhibit doesn’t seem to show much root structure at the surface.

I ask because I have three ginkgos I grew from seed that are still yet sticks in pots but they have broken bud for the season and I’m contemplating throwing a washer in the soil to start early on radial root formation. It seems they strike well from cuttings so this should work.

 

[Cadillactaste]

How does the nebari look on this tree? Do ginkgos form decent nebari structure? The one from the DC exhibit doesn’t seem to show much root structure at the surface.

I ask because I have three ginkgos I grew from seed that are still yet sticks in pots but they have broken bud for the season and I’m contemplating throwing a washer in the soil to start early on radial root formation. It seems they strike well from cuttings so this should work.

I've not repotted this as of yet, maybe @Brian Van Fleet could answer that question better than I. I should be repotting this next week. Ground growing would be beneficial. I know Scott Lee tosses his in the ground and develops them. That's where I got my tree. But as of roots, I'm not sure.

 

[Lou T]

I've not repotted this as of yet, maybe @Brian Van Fleet could answer that question better than I. I should be repotting this next week. Ground growing would be beneficial. I know Scott Lee tosses his in the ground and develops them. That's where I got my tree. But as of roots, I'm not sure.

Cool. Yeah BVF offered an extremely informative response to one of my inquiries a couple months back. I’ve got quite a ways to go with these yet but I’m excited nonetheless.
Here is one that one of my cats chomped during its dormancy and I subsequently chopped to a centimeter off the surface. Figured I’d keep it around to see if it would live. Sure enough it’s swelling up indicating it will push buds soon. This species has no shortage of grit.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Cadillactaste
The Harris pot with the yellow flash is PERFECT. The perfect match of the leaf color keeps in mind the fall color the other 11 months of the year. The horizontal banding in various shades of gray gives a nice grounded feel to the pot. The smooth walls, no lip, give the pot a lighter feel, it does not look clunky. All in all a perfect pot for your tree.

The using a color in a pot to remind the viewer of the best feature of the tree is a common trick used by Japanese bonsai artists. A red flowering quince might be in a pot with a similar red accent in its glaze. Yellow flowering jasmine, or forsythia might be in a yellow pot, or a pot with yellow accent to remind the viewer in August that the flowers in spring will be yellow. It is a good technique. This pot works well for that. Consider your quest done.

 

[my nellie]

The Harris pot with the yellow flash is PERFECT... ...
Consider your quest done.

Darlene, I agree wholeheartedly with Leo![/USER][/QUOTE]

 

[Hyn Patty]

Oh! I LOVE that last pot choice so much! It seems a good size, a great blue-ish color and the drip of yellow is nice! It may be a little distracting from the tree but I still like that choice a lot.

I have a question about ginkos in general. This one and others seem to be /very/ upright in the branching. Are the branches particularly brittle? I'd be inclined to want to cut this back a lot harder and train for a more spreading habit. Yet, as said, I haven't grown ginko and there is a lot I don't know about them as a bonsai choice. The trunk and nebari on this one are very attractive.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Ginkgo are not brittle. You can shape them with wire.

They do respond well to hard pruning. You can either wire the branches to make a wider spreading tree or you can prune back hard, paying attention to direction the buds are pointing in, using clip and grow to create a wider tree. Ginkgo are not often used for cascades, they seem to want to grow upwards fairly strongly. THough there are some named cultivars that do weep. The weepers are not common.

 

[Hyn Patty]

Thank you for the information, Leo. Much appreciated.

 

[amatbrewer]

Ginkgo are not brittle. You can shape them with wire.

My experience is that the young green branches can be bent quite a bit, but mature branches can be brittle and branch junctions tend to be rather weak, especially hardened off growth. At least they are on mine (*). I have at least twice broken branches at the junction while trying to shape. One mature branch I broke last fall (bumped it) I was able to wire back in place and cover the wound with cut paste. I think that worked [fingers crossed], I will know more after it has come out of dormancy.

(*) I don't know what cultivar it is, it was something I picket up on impulse from a nursery a few years ago when I was getting back into Bonsai.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I've not repotted this as of yet, maybe @Brian Van Fleet could answer that question better than I. I should be repotting this next week. Ground growing would be beneficial. I know Scott Lee tosses his in the ground and develops them. That's where I got my tree. But as of roots, I'm not sure.

A good nebari isn’t exactly their claim to fame. It can be decent, but I think the better goal is to eliminate faults and show taper, rather than to develop an outstanding nebari. I’m repotting mine tomorrow and will share some photos. The roots are very fleshy and fast-growing, but don’t form a really woody surface root like maples. Ginkgo wood seems soft and punky, and roots exposed to air don’t thicken up.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Oh! I LOVE that last pot choice so much! It seems a good size, a great blue-ish color and the drip of yellow is nice! It may be a little distracting from the tree but I still like that choice a lot.

I have a question about ginkos in general. This one and others seem to be /very/ upright in the branching. Are the branches particularly brittle? I'd be inclined to want to cut this back a lot harder and train for a more spreading habit. Yet, as said, I haven't grown ginko and there is a lot I don't know about them as a bonsai choice. The trunk and nebari on this one are very attractive.

Thanks, I like that it's not the norm. And as Leo stated...I think a good reminder of fall, when in other seasons. (((Shrugs))) I'm sure it won't be for everyone. That's okay with me.

These have different growing patterns than most species. It's why they are traditionally grown into flames or fan shapes. To appreciate the species one needs to grasp that. Many have stated they don't wire well, having thin bark that will can be marred. I have a ginkgo I admire...and I am working toward that in mind as to the shape of flame I am creating.

 

[Cadillactaste]

A good nebari isn’t exactly their claim to fame. It can be decent, but I think the better goal is to eliminate faults and show taper, rather than to develop an outstanding nebari. I’m repotting mine tomorrow and will share some photos. The roots are very fleshy and fast-growing, but don’t form a really woody surface root like maples. Ginkgo wood seems soft and punky, and roots exposed to air don’t thicken up.

Thanks Brian for the info...will look forward to the post. Since I see me repotting next week myself.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Darlene, I agree wholeheartedly with Leo![/USER]

[/QUOTE]
Thanks! ...I fell in love with the preliminary of what Victor came up with. When ai seen it..lay mouth hit the floor. So not traditional. ?

 

[Cadillactaste]

@Cadillactaste
The Harris pot with the yellow flash is PERFECT. The perfect match of the leaf color keeps in mind the fall color the other 11 months of the year. The horizontal banding in various shades of gray gives a nice grounded feel to the pot. The smooth walls, no lip, give the pot a lighter feel, it does not look clunky. All in all a perfect pot for your tree.

The using a color in a pot to remind the viewer of the best feature of the tree is a common trick used by Japanese bonsai artists. A red flowering quince might be in a pot with a similar red accent in its glaze. Yellow flowering jasmine, or forsythia might be in a yellow pot, or a pot with yellow accent to remind the viewer in August that the flowers in spring will be yellow. It is a good technique. This pot works well for that. Consider your quest done.

Thanks Leo... ? for the lesson I wasn't quite aware of. But had seen, photos that are reminiscent of what you claim. Yeah, it's a splash of yellow promising fall colors. There is grey and beige in the pot. Victor actually has a ginkgo. So...he understands the tree to a degree I think. Which helped him overall come up with my pot.

 

[defra]

I like the pot too darlene!
Ginko indeed is quite flexible tot a decideous tree
Got this straight stick as gift from my kids and wife two years ago
Wired it up last year

 

[Cadillactaste]

I like the pot too darlene!
Ginko indeed is quite flexible tot a decideous tree
Got this straight stick as gift from my kids and wife two years ago
Wired it up last year

Thanks Defra...pot shipped Monday from the UK...and is in the states already. To arrive tomorrow. I may, have to wait on the ginkgo to start moving. Been whispering for it to stay asleep...and I think it's listened well. Who knew I was a ginkgo whisperer. lol

So glad to see you also are in the Ginkgo club. Gotta love them.

 

[defra]

Thanks Defra...pot shipped Monday from the UK...and is in the states already. To arrive tomorrow. I may, have to wait on the ginkgo to start moving. Been whispering for it to stay asleep...and I think it's listened well. Who knew I was a ginkgo whisperer. lol

So glad to see you also are in the Ginkgo club. Gotta love them.

Cool looking forward to the repot pics!
Realy know what ya mean!
Things in my garden were put in a shady spot when we had two Sunny weeks some wile ago to keep Them dormant in case we woud get hit by a late frost
It helped and now slowely theyr waking up !
About ginko in my pic you might see the bud on the left
Each year IT only grows leaves but no branch so i get 2mm of Wood there
This year i Will try out the advice given to me to motivate the bud to extend as a branch by starting early with a high nitrogen base fertilize realy hopeing that wil help
I do like the species yes

 

[Cadillactaste]

@defra...hadn't heard of the high nitrogen base added early route. Let me know how it goes.