Andrew Robson

Shohin
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Parhamr,

Find me at the next BSOP meeting and we can talk about how to develop this into a bonsai. You're looking at restarting what you have, and adding probably 7-1o years of work, but it should start looking like something respectable with the right care. Quince are very satisfying to develop with time!

We have about 300 chojubai in Michael's yard that he's started from scratch. Many are starting to look pretty good now! Its a fun process...

In the meantime, read up on these Chojubai posts on Michael's blog. All quince are treated somewhat the same.
https://crataegus.com/tag/chojubai/

Cheers!
 

Andrew Robson

Shohin
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PS.

If you want, I could come over and we could do a pruning together either now or in the Spring. We have been cutting back and wiring several of our Chojubai rascals over the last week.

Tis the season!

Cheers
 

thumblessprimate1

Masterpiece
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Don't forget that you could make root cuttings later. They can sprout up with little care.
 

parhamr

Omono
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@Andrew Thomas great! Thanks. I may take you up on the offer in January or February.

In the meantime, I need to get my indoor propagation room set up. I want to be able to make great use of all the trimmings when I finally do perform some pruning. This also allows the shrub a *full* year of unmolested recovery :D
 

parhamr

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Last night I met with the kind and talented @Andrew Robson to discuss plans for this clump. From his feedback and guidance I have decided…
  • 2017
    • Wire the new basal shoots
    • Heavy fertilizing
    • Semi-ripe cuttings and air layers in June
  • 2018
    • Repot, maybe separating the prostrate trunk to be its own, single-trunk specimen
    • Strike root cuttings
    • Perform hard chops
  • 2019+
    • Steady chop-and-grow techniques for development
  • 2028
    • I might have something ready to show
The clump was larger in person than he assumed from these photos :D

I also dug around the base of the trunks and found healthy feeder roots and some excellent basal flare. There’s still a large disc of field soil I’ll need to work out in the 2018 repot.
 

parhamr

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Now That the winter solstice has passed, it’s repotting time! I removed about 80 percent of the clay field soil and teased out roots from the perlite.
1BA0EC73-A097-4C1B-8A35-9282C60D968B.jpeg

I was surprised to find the whole clump is connected. In the above photo I could possibly separate the clump by sawing through the bridge between each base.

Here’s an odd, thick, and twisty part of the lower trunk that might later make for a significant root cutting:
FC75AF51-F1EA-49BD-8A81-1A8A22EA0B17.jpeg

I’ve potted the trunk into a 20" square box that’s about 7" deep. The new soil line is about 4" less than before:
44FBC5F7-95DC-4783-B1F8-4B5A44B6440D.jpeg

I did the hard chops, as planned, and took 5 root cuttings. There’s a lot of growing to be done :cool:
 

Carol 83

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It’s doing very well! I’ve been plucking flower buds before they mature.
Why, you don't like flowers? You think flowering would be detrimental in some way?
 
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