Crataegus X ???

[ABCarve]

This is a hawthorn I collected from a cow pasture around 1997. The past three years I've been chasing it back, mostly from my lack of attention. The mounded soil/moss in the winter pic is me trying to ground layer some roots to the front and back to add to the large lateral roots and even out the nebari. Not sure how well it worked....I'm kind of shy poking around in there. There seems to be roots but what there is seems to be small and tender. I'm getting ready to repot next spring into something smaller.

It finally started flowering again in 2006. I let it fully flower and fruit a couple of years (very cool) but was told that saps a lot of strength from tree. Question... Does it? I've been either cutting them completely off after flowering or just leaving a few as I did this year. Should this be treated like an azalea.....only letting it flowering every second or third year?

Since I started working on the tree again I was letting shoots extend six node and cutting back to 1 or 2 all season. This was the first year I used the hedge method ala Walter P. I'm very happy with the results so far and I know the tree is. Question.... Is there a rule about where flower buds will emerge given the new pruning regime? I really haven't kept track of that.

 

[tmmason10]

What a great tree! Unfortunately I'm of no help with your questions but still felt like commenting. Interesting to hear of results from the hedge method.

 

[ABCarve]

What a great tree! Unfortunately I'm of no help with your questions but still felt like commenting. Interesting to hear of results from the hedge method.

Thanks. Funny, I really never thought this one would amount to much, but I'm starting to really like it. I'll just keep it up...somebody must know out there.

 

[jk_lewis]

Hawthorn, like their close relatives, the apples bloom in spring or early summer. Buds form over the fall and winter.

The tree expends "energy" in growing the buds. By the time it blooms, their energy is all expended -- until they start growing the fruit. So if you want to save the tree the effort of blooming, you will need to debud early.

Great tree. I suspect Crataegus X is as close as you'll get to an ID. Hawthorns cross fertilize so readily their taxonomy is virtually impossible to pin down in nature.

LOVELY tree!

 

[ABCarve]

Hawthorn, like their close relatives, the apples bloom in spring or early summer. Buds form over the fall and winter.

The tree expends "energy" in growing the buds. By the time it blooms, their energy is all expended -- until they start growing the fruit. So if you want to save the tree the effort of blooming, you will need to debud early.

Great tree. I suspect Crataegus X is as close as you'll get to an ID. Hawthorns cross fertilize so readily their taxonomy is virtually impossible to pin down in nature.

LOVELY tree!

So ...is the debudding a good idea or is it like the azalea scenario? Let it do its thing every other year but take off the multiple bud off.
I thought there was a rule about blooming on last years wood or something like that?

 

[daygan]

I can't answer directly, but for reference, Harry Harrington seems to allow his hawthorns to flower freely (Hawthorn Flowering Images) yearly.

He seems to also keep at least some of the berries:

http://bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/AThawthornprogression page2.html
http://bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATBonsai Autumn 2010 page3.html (last image on page)
http://bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATLargeHawthornProgressionSeries page3.htm

 

[ABCarve]

It seem to me it can't be that dissimilar from a crabapple. Do they let them flower and fruit every year?

 

[JudyB]

I don't think allowing bloom is the real energy drain, it's the fruit forming that you would want to watch. I de fruit my crab by at least 1/2 or more. My hawthorn hasn't bloomed yet for me. Your tree is very nice, I'd like to see some photos with a plain background...

 

[GerhardG]

Just want to say.....very nice tree!

 

[ABCarve]

I don't think allowing bloom is the real energy drain, it's the fruit forming that you would want to watch. I de fruit my crab by at least 1/2 or more. My hawthorn hasn't bloomed yet for me. Your tree is very nice, I'd like to see some photos with a plain background...

Thanks Judy...I'll try to get a pic somehow.....My background is indoors and it looks better in daylight. I'm going to give your method of de-fruiting a go next season.

 

[ABCarve]

I don't think allowing bloom is the real energy drain, it's the fruit forming that you would want to watch. I de fruit my crab by at least 1/2 or more. My hawthorn hasn't bloomed yet for me. Your tree is very nice, I'd like to see some photos with a plain background...

Do you know anything about predicting where it may flower?

 

[JudyB]

Fruiting trees generally flower and fruit on new spurs. This is what my landscape haws do, as well as all my orchard trees.

 

[ABCarve]

I don't think allowing bloom is the real energy drain, it's the fruit forming that you would want to watch. I de fruit my crab by at least 1/2 or more. My hawthorn hasn't bloomed yet for me. Your tree is very nice, I'd like to see some photos with a plain background...

Here's an indoor pic. Thanks again Judy!!

 

[JudyB]

nice berries!

Thanks for the pic, it's a good looking tree. If it were mine, I think I'd consider at repotting, a slightly different angle, leaning the tree towards the right. Accentuating the lean of the main trunk over the subordinate trunk perhaps... Just an idea....
And maybe a new pot...

 

[jk_lewis]

Most definitely a new pot -- an anything-but-blue pot, and one with corners. The slight lean is a good idea, too.

 

[ABCarve]

Thanks for the pic, it's a good looking tree. If it were mine, I think I'd consider at repotting, a slightly different angle, leaning the tree towards the right. Accentuating the lean of the main trunk over the subordinate trunk perhaps... Just an idea....
And maybe a new pot...

Actually it will be slanted as you say in the spring. Don't know if you can see it, but the first pics have it blocked up that way. New pot is coming just not sure what style yet. I was thinking an yellow ochre color???

 

[ABCarve]

Most definitely a new pot -- an anything-but-blue pot, and one with corners. The slight lean is a good idea, too.

I'm with you on the color. Blue is bit....mmmm ...yawn! However, I would like to hear your analysis on a cornered pot......I was thinking oval.

 

[JudyB]

I think a rounded rectangle would be great for this tree. Take a look at erin pots, you'll probably find something just right. I think light blue, cream running to darker yellowish or lighter textured brown are all good choices.

 

[ABCarve]

Well Judy, I unloaded the kiln today....It never gets old! I took your advice and here is what I came up with. I have another of similar shape but different texture....not glazed yet. Let me know your thoughts good or bad.
Dave

 

[Poink88]

Very nice pot. I like it.

The tree is awesome! Only thing I might suggest is to consider removing the lowest right branch of the main trunk (cascading towards the smaller trunk). You can wire another branch to fill down a bit if you want.