Good size field grown Viburnum

[Jacos]

Hello,

This Viburnum is sitting in my growing field about 6-7year now.
At the time I bought it as a big container plant at a local nursery.
The label stated it was a Cornus Mas….soon I found out it wasn’t.
At the time I was a little disappointed.

But the Viburnum has gained a good trunk size in the field and with the very mild winter here
in Belgium the buds are sprouting already.

So it is time to get this one going in a container so I can try to refine the canopy.

Earlier on I have made an octagonal crate to fit the root ball.

I will lift it out the ground, try to bare root the thing and plant it up in my new soil mix:
1/3 Akadama 1/3 pumice 1/3 small calibre gravel.


Later this month I will also do some cutting back and wiring.
I will keep it stored in a shed to protect against late frost.

All thoughts and tips are welcome.

In the field autumn 2015:


Lifting out the root ball February 2016:


Root baal washed out:

 

[Jacos]

More work to be done:

See buds opening:



Soil mix is ready:



Fit the root ball into the wooden crate:

 

[Jacos]

Finishing the job (for today anyway..)

Nicely fill all gaps with the soil mix:



Up and away:



Top View:

 

[BobbyLane]

Nice, lots of potential in that.

 

[MauroUna]

Über dig.

Had no idea viburnum were a viable bonsai candidate! Will definitely keep my eyes peeled for something to work on.

And on another note, that grow box is rad. Who ever said they had to be so unfashionable??

 

[Tieball]

Very nice tight root area. Even has enough growth to trim roots back further. Well done! Did you root prune the tree periodically while it was ground growing? Every year? A different interval?

 

[Jacos]

@MauroUna : I had, and still have no, idea if Viburnum will be a good bonsai candidate. Like I pointed out earlier, it was suppose to have been a Cornus Mas.
The 'rad' box is also for my comfort on the turning table. Easier to work on the tree and questing for the best possible front.

@Tieball : Yes it has a tied rootball. Every year, in late fall, I circle around and under the tree with a sharp spade. I do not actually lift it out of the ground to root prune.
That's also why it lifted out of the ground so easy yesterday.

@BobbyLane : Thx.

 

[sorce]

Nice.

Looks tough, great base.

Sorce

 

[Jacos]

Update Feb 6, 2015:


Took my tools, 2 and 1,5mm wire and went to work on my Viburnum.
Also did a little carving on the bigger wounds.

As you can see I left some of the branches a bit long, but I have noticed in the past that
early hard pruning leads often to branch dead in this species.

So I will be shortening some branches more once the tree is extending more new growth.

With the sun so low at the horizon I had a hard time taking a decent photo.
I find this easier later in the season when the sun stands higher up.

Measures 40cm high, trunk at the base 11cm (I think that’s about 16 inches and 4.5 inches?)

All ideas, criticism and comment are welcome..

 

[Tieball]

Nice work. Just suggestion....you might look at these areas of pruning and filling. I marked them in white. I just thought the right side needed shortening in width and some branch work bent upward to begin filling that hole in the upper right. You've done a fabulous job so far....keep up the focused effort.

However, I do not have the tree in front of me. What I see in the photo may not necessarily represent reality or your personal desire. Your creative approach should be considered first....and you get to look at the tree from all sides, angles and planned direction for growth.

I hope you'll post this when the spring leaves break out. I think you have an excellent foundation and it will only get better over the growing seasons. I like the way the base of the tree looks...it has a lot of muscular looking strength grabbing the soil. Well done!

 

[Jacos]

Thanks for your suggestions Tieball.

You are right the tree need to be more compact at this stage of development.
And later on, there need to be more secondairy branching to fill up gaps.

I will take these points to hart.
Will post pictures later on in spring.

 

[onlyrey]

I like Viburnum as Bonsai (this one is Walter's). I am bringing this one back to shape since I left it on the ground for a couple of years at my parents. During that time, suckers grew, and lower branches had dieback.

After putting it back on a training pot and cutting back top growth and suckers, the two branches with dieback have new growth. I think that if you stay on top of its suckers, Viburnum do well as bonsai.
As of wiring, I just use it on fairly new growth (lose wiring) to give it direction. So please don't mind my "technique".

 

[Jacos]

Here' s a summer update of my Viburnum.
I gave it a first pruning last month.
Detailed wiring will happen late autumn.

(Oo... And if the question would arrise : No Flamingos, are not native to Flandres)

 

[Tieball]

Well done! Awesome Flamingo accent too.

 

[Mike Hennigan]

Any updates on this tree? It’s a real beast! I have the chance to dig up a large viburnum this spring, debating whether I should.