Guy_wires Collection

[River's Edge]

I'm experimenting with girdling some branches for a year so that the base of the cutting already has some callus-like growth before I cut them off the tree. I think I'll cut them today and see how they do.

History repeats itself This method has been used in the past for conifers considered more difficult to airliner and root from cuttings. the older method also avoided cutting a ring of bark away! Applied the wire for a period of time to produce the swelling and naturally cut off the circulation. Then add the substrate and container to promote root growth later! One of my older articles suggests this process for Pines and spruce. The expectation is root formation in the second year, using the first year to form the base and produce callus above the wire! Add the container and substrate in the fall after the first growing season. Check and hopefully separate the air layer the following fall or even another year later depending on growth rates.
It sounds like you are using the technique to improve chances for a cutting to take, is that what you have in mind.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I've used this method less successfully in the past decade @River's Edge . But that was on a different genus, in a different time and with a different purpose - mainly reproduction of basically unobtainable tropical plants.
Blaauws are pretty common around here, and cuttings can be bought for less than 20 euros if you look in the right places. The downside is that these cuttings (or maybe they're seedlings, not sure) produce a huge amount of mixed juvenile and adult foliage.
From my literature dig, I've found that the best way to reproduce these finicky chinensis cultivars is to graft them on virginia or something similar. Yet all the ones I buy are on their own roots.
Since the blaauw cultivar is a product of my home country, I kind of have a soft spot for it. Somehow these guys over at the city of Boskoop have managed to perfect their method, and it seems they're keeping it a secret.

I've seen pretty decent results with the girdling method from a guy in Japan practicing it on pines and junipers, so I wanted to give it another shot after my cuttings kept failing. The first air layers I've done on these are rooting now, but I used the combined method of bark stripping and girdling to achieve that. I'm in fact trying both to increase the strike rate of cuttings as well as to get better results air layering through early girdling. Next year is going to be fun!

 

[River's Edge]

I've used this method less successfully in the past decade @River's Edge . But that was on a different genus, in a different time and with a different purpose - mainly reproduction of basically unobtainable tropical plants.
Blaauws are pretty common around here, and cuttings can be bought for less than 20 euros if you look in the right places. The downside is that these cuttings (or maybe they're seedlings, not sure) produce a huge amount of mixed juvenile and adult foliage.
From my literature dig, I've found that the best way to reproduce these finicky chinensis cultivars is to graft them on virginia or something similar. Yet all the ones I buy are on their own roots.
Since the blaauw cultivar is a product of my home country, I kind of have a soft spot for it. Somehow these guys over at the city of Boskoop have managed to perfect their method, and it seems they're keeping it a secret.

I've seen pretty decent results with the girdling method from a guy in Japan practicing it on pines and junipers, so I wanted to give it another shot after my cuttings kept failing. The first air layers I've done on these are rooting now, but I used the combined method of bark stripping and girdling to achieve that. I'm in fact trying both to increase the strike rate of cuttings as well as to get better results air layering through early girdling. Next year is going to be fun!

I have resorted to this older method for JWP to get them on their own roots, hoping for better success than other air layer methods.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Banksiana in terrible conditions, keeping the internodes short.


Itoigawa got some big pots, going juvenile.


Scots pine being snakey. Going to graft a lot more foliage in the future.


Various stages of shoot development on the same tree. Underwatered and trimmed last year, it's only now making new buds on some spots.


Longaeva from seed


JRP exposed root to be.


A few rigida pines.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Whole bunches of seedlings and saplings.


The ever growing mugo. It's a chunky one that one. Damage was done two or three years ago, it hasn't stopped flushing since.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Larch can't handle the heat! Just like last year. Placed it in the shade but I think it's too late.
We'll see next year if it lived.

 

[leatherback]

Larch can't handle the heat! Just like last year. Placed it in the shade but I think it's too late.

Strange. Mine are full sun and pushing for the 4th time this year!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Strange. Mine are full sun and pushing for the 4th time this year!

Could be the collander, and the rock inside the soil. This is a root over rock project, so the rock heating up to ambient temperature (28 degrees C) might not be very healthy.
Oh well, if it doesn't make it, I'll have more space available.

 

[leatherback]

Yeah, larch dislike hot roots!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Witch's broom on a scots pine.


You've heard about first flushes, but what about.. Second flushes? Scots pine uncut, the real story.


Sometimes grafts don't take and they die. This is part of the learning curve. Just like not using cut paste! The ones without look so much better than the ones with cut paste applied.
I made some cuts too deep, some too shallow, others right in the middle. I think the key to grafting is just doing it, go for it. And inspect the ones that turned out bad and the ones that turned out good. Make mental notes, do it again next year.


This one broke the tape. So I feel fine having a looksie.

 

[leatherback]

Cool. What are you giving these pines?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I'm giving them the cheapest manure the hardware store is selling. Not all buds are doing this, not on every scots, but this is the first time I'm seeing this happen without cutting the candles.
I've been able to get double flushes when I cut candles too soon, when they're still elongating. But I believe that's not a very sustainable technique. This one is doing it without any cuts.

 

[leatherback]

So just full sun, water and fertilize the shit out of them, pun intended?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Yeah, that seems to be what they like!
And, maybe, maybe it's the fungi I transferred from another two super healthy and vigorous trees. I have some nice white ropes growing in two of my pots, that I've been transferring to my other pines: take some chunks out, bury them in the next pot, wait a couple months and repeat.
But that could just be a coincidence. I have nothing to back that up.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Late feeding is paying off when it comes to needle size.


Zombie pfizer juniper is slowly reverting back to scale in some spots. Took two years, but then again, I've been hard on it.


Quite bushy innit?!

 

[leatherback]

Quite bushy innit?!

gonna die mate!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Improper repotting last year created a dry soil pocket. Underwatered and stressed out. It didn't make buds in fall, nor winter, nor spring. It did flush out in sunmer, but all that strain made it confused: three needles per fascicle.


Three years of scots work in progress. Instead of pulling needles, I'm experimenting with cutting them above the sheath. The aim is to not kill dormant buds - which I believe is inherently happening when you pull needles.
Excuse my wiring; function over form while I could have done both. My bad.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Remove all weak branches they say..

This bottom branch was strong a couple years ago. It still is. But it's leggy and bare.
So it'll be replaced with what once was a weak branch.

If I would've removed it, this wouldn't be possible.
Saved myself some backbudding and years of work by just doing nothing.. I like bonsai!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Before a light summer trim. Needs better wiring, what else is new?!


Not much of a difference visually after. Hmmm.

Turn the entire right hand side into deadwood or nah? From that awfull jin to the ground.. I'm considering it. This trunk is unbendable and boring. Could splitting it work?

Can't air layer this one.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Moss and scion remover.
Thanks a bunch, bird! Single beakedly removed about twelve scions.