Hazel Alder anyone?

[_#1_]

After the big (to me) purchase of the Trident from Mr. Stickman himself, I thought I was done since the growing season is drawing to an end. Then I came across a nursery, not so local, from me. And they grow and sell only plants native to the east coast, for sustaining the local wildlife. Figure I'll look around for a good size oak. But they where all quite small.

Then I came across this Hazel Alder with a pretty interesting fluted trunk. The Base is quite nice almost all around as well. And the price was good also. Since this is a native species, it should be able to handle any crazy weather we might have. I didn't want to go home empty handed so I took the plunge and gave this a try. This thing was holding on for dear life with its roots going out the middle drainage hole, worming though the tarp, and into the ground!

Now I know this is an under utilized tree but not sure why, beside the larger leaf size. I mean, based on Wiki, it can grow on the crappiest of crap dirt and likes water similar to willows. These trees seems to be pretty forgiving in terms of newbie abuse. Well, they only live to about 160 yrs. In relative term, they die young. But it'll outlive me so that's a non issue lol.

Here he/she is at his/her new home! Don't mind the Wisteria tentacle. It plays too much :/

Leaf size. A bit large but maybe a bit of pruning can help a little.

Some smaller twigs

The trunk seem bigger than the water bottle in person.

Under a different light. I like the three big branches coming from the trunk. The skinny one on the front might have to go though. It looks like it's flexing hard!

Male parts...

Female parts...

Anybody have any advice for this one? It would be much appreciated.

 

[aml1014]

Nice muscular trunk, cool tree!

Aaron

 

[sorce]

Hella nice trunk...

I'd ditch that branch too...

The rest looks right usable.

Friggin nice!

Sorce

 

[Giga]

The trunk looks good and so does the nebari from what I can tell. Come spring chop that down and plant in a grow box.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

How's this one progressing?

 

[_#1_]

Photobucket is sooooooooooooo stupid! Sorry had to let it out.

The Alder grew well. Didn't suffer any diseases or bug problems one bit. It had scorched leaves the first summer cause I didn't water enough. But season after I gave it a bunch of water twice a day just about everyday and scorched leaves are gone. The leaves stayed all green till they drop in late fall. I should have chopped the sub trunks back at least last year but I let them run to bulk up. Also, that back bended root, I think I'll cut at green line and place a bunch of chopped sphagnum moss/perlite mix to hopefully get some new roots to grow. The root next to it might need the same treatment. Now what I really want to do now that I'm looking at it is to open the hole on the chopped branch bigger to get a nice size uro. The chop site swelled up a bit as you can see. But it still look pretty interesting to me. What i'm waiting on showing though is the Vitex Agnus Castus. That one is heading in a good direction.


Those bumps on the trunk are natural. I did not use the hammer technique I swear Gonna dig it up this weekend to work the root a bit and ammend the soil. Was starting to not drain well.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Cool, I have recently collected one and hope to be developing along with yours. Please update after you have some buds and new growth

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I have several clumps of them in my back yard, abut 15-20 stems per clump. If I get time before they pop buds I plan to lift a clump and use for a group planting. They have been there for years but are still little more than the size of a fat pencil. I suspect they are all joined roots sprouts so hope theynwill just lift out with a little encouragement.

 

[_#1_]

I wanted to dig this up on Saturday when the buds showed just a bit of green, but got home way too late at night. Better now than never.


A bunch of large roots pointing straight down. Are these the nitrogent balls I read about? Or are they something bad?


Sawed off some large roots knoted up. I left some feeders just in case. But I read these and other water loving trees (bald cypress, willow...) can be cut back to pretty much nothing and will do just fine. As a test, I put a bunch of cuttings in water last year and they all rooted. Some as large as an inch in diameter. I trimmed off a bit more of the bottom after the second pic. Well, the deed is done, and I hope I did this right.


It's hard to make out but there is a swell around the hole left by the cut branch last season or 2 season ago. I want to enlarge the hole by at least twice the size. I think I'll do that if it gets going later this season.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Gorgeous! Hope it does well for you!

 

[Hack Yeah!]

That's an awesome trunk!

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Found it!!! Following this with interest. Good to know easy to root cuttings.

 

[Tbrshou]

How is this tree doing??? I found a bunch of them nearby the creek I want to collect a few but I'm waiting to see how yours react to bonsai culture?

 

[_#1_]

It's currently under snow but last year didn't grow as strong as previous year. I think partly because roots where drastically reduced AND I potted way too shallow.

Once weather permits, I'm gonna lift it out the training pot and add more soil under. And snap a couple pics. I didn't provide enough water last summer causing leaf tips and edges to dry up toward the end of growing season. But I find them to be fun and easy to care for. In the last three years I have it, it did not suffer a single disease. And if bugs where munching on it, caused no lasting visible damages. That's the cool part of working with natives pecies.

Their catkins will make for a cool silhouette if I can manage to ramify it more.

I'll be busy this spring updating this and other's I've been working on.

Hey @Tbrshou definitely take a couple pics!

 

[Tbrshou]

It's currently under snow but last year didn't grow as strong as previous year. I think partly because roots where drastically reduced AND I potted way too shallow.

Once weather permits, I'm gonna lift it out the training pot and add more soil under. And snap a couple pics. I didn't provide enough water last summer causing leaf tips and edges to dry up toward the end of growing season. But I find them to be fun and easy to care for. In the last three years I have it, it did not suffer a single disease. And if bugs where munching on it, caused no lasting visible damages. That's the cool part of working with natives pecies.

Their catkins will make for a cool silhouette if I can manage to ramify it more.

I'll be busy this spring updating this and other's I've been working on.

Hey @Tbrshou definitely take a couple pics!

Thanks for the update.Will do!!!

 

[Orion_metalhead]

It's currently under snow but last year didn't grow as strong as previous year. I think partly because roots where drastically reduced AND I potted way too shallow.

Once weather permits, I'm gonna lift it out the training pot and add more soil under. And snap a couple pics. I didn't provide enough water last summer causing leaf tips and edges to dry up toward the end of growing season. But I find them to be fun and easy to care for. In the last three years I have it, it did not suffer a single disease. And if bugs where munching on it, caused no lasting visible damages. That's the cool part of working with natives pecies.

Their catkins will make for a cool silhouette if I can manage to ramify it more.

I'll be busy this spring updating this and other's I've been working on.

Hey @Tbrshou definitely take a couple pics!

Because they are so water-loving, during the hottest days of summer, I actually leave mine in a tray filled with water in the morning and when I come home at night, it is dry and the tree is happy.

 

[Shogun610]

How is this alder I assume it’s a Alnus Serulatta , or whatever Hazel Alder.. when I cut mine back aggressively like yours , it died back , did not heal those big cuts what so ever .. trying to troubleshoot and find root cause to get better control of my alder process for 2 alder that I still have alive.. 1 is at my house the other is at the studio chilling in a greenhouse. I think one key is the soil media it’s growing in.. akadama or high organic these things love to be flooded.. but the puzzling is pruning , the wood is so soft it just takes it like a good girl and dies back , doesn’t even heal over well at big cuts.. small cuts at the growing tips seem to heal but not further down low. It’s puzzling

 

[_#1_]

I couldn't take it with me when I left Philly. Left it at my sister's property in NJ and I have very little hope it's alive as she's not much of a plant person


That's kinda strange. Mines healed pretty well. The only thing is the swelling is pronounce and dieback was minimal. But if I can do it again, I would plant it in an oversized grow box with mostly organic. From my experience, you can do some severe root work on these and they'll recover nicely.

Hey, just searched Alnus Serrulata and their growing zone is 4-9!

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I couldn't take it with me when I left Philly. Left it at my sister's property in NJ and I have very little hope it's alive as she's not much of a plant person


That's kinda strange. Mines healed pretty well. The only thing is the swelling is pronounce and dieback was minimal. But if I can do it again, I would plant it in an oversized grow box with mostly organic. From my experience, you can do some severe root work on these and they'll recover nicely.

Hey, just searched Alnus Serrulata and their growing zone is 4-9!

If its still alive and you want someone ti care for it, I will offer to hold on under my care.

 

[Shogun610]

I couldn't take it with me when I left Philly. Left it at my sister's property in NJ and I have very little hope it's alive as she's not much of a plant person


That's kinda strange. Mines healed pretty well. The only thing is the swelling is pronounce and dieback was minimal. But if I can do it again, I would plant it in an oversized grow box with mostly organic. From my experience, you can do some severe root work on these and they'll recover nicely.

Hey, just searched Alnus Serrulata and their growing zone is 4-9!

I’m right near Philly if it’s alive and in a container I’d work something out, just to keep the experiment going. Even in the big cuts it healed well? Interesting mine never healed well at all. Even the big chops. So the big chips are callusing like a hornbeam or a maple???