Korean Hornbeam

[Brian Van Fleet]

Just finished wiring out this KH; really didn't plan to do much, but sometimes the mood hits. Any idea on the best way to help the trunk scars heal over? They're rolling in some places, and not much in others. I think this will be a nice tree when the trunk cleans up. It was a collected yamadori, pre-ban, and a few rocks are actually embedded in the trunk! Fortunately they match the bark color.

 

[johng]

Video Critique

Hello Brian, Very nice tree! I hope you do not mind, but I took this opportunity to create a short video critique of your tree.

Thanks,
John

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Thanks John! The comments are very insightful; particularly from one fuzzy photo! Coincidentally, I have plans for the tree that you mentioned:

1. I hate that bar-branching look, and the left branch is a back branch that will come off...it's pretty glaring in that photo, isn't it?

2. It is trunk-chopped at the top, and the goofy-looking apex branch is wired up to grow all year to smooth the transition and increase the size of the new apex section.

3. You can't see it in the photo, but some branches are pulled around to hide the chop.

4. New Pot, just got one for Christmas, a beautiful glazed blue Tokoname; rectangle with indented corners and feet, which is more ornate and appropriate than the pot it's in now (which is the pot it arrived in).

5. Thanks for the tip on carving and re-wounding the scars. I am doing this with a J. Beech and it's working...and I believe in cut past too! It almost never fails that trees won't close wounds over rotting wood. Didn't know if there is a species-specific tip for the KH.

 

[R_F]

Hello Brian, Very nice tree! I hope you do not mind, but I took this opportunity to create a short video critique of your tree.

Thanks,
John

Hi John,

I love what you're doing by combining the medium of the forums and youtube. Great Idea! I became a subscriber of your youtube channel when I saw one of posts on the IBC. Well done. This could be the new wave of critique and interaction on forums.........oh and the critique was very informative and well done.

 

[R_F]

Brian,

Very nice tree with lots of potential. Thanks for sharing.

 

[johng]

Thanks John! The comments are very insightful; particularly from one fuzzy photo! Coincidentally, I have plans for the tree that you mentioned:

1. I hate that bar-branching look, and the left branch is a back branch that will come off...it's pretty glaring in that photo, isn't it?

2. It is trunk-chopped at the top, and the goofy-looking apex branch is wired up to grow all year to smooth the transition and increase the size of the new apex section.

3. You can't see it in the photo, but some branches are pulled around to hide the chop.

4. New Pot, just got one for Christmas, a beautiful glazed blue Tokoname; rectangle with indented corners and feet, which is more ornate and appropriate than the pot it's in now (which is the pot it arrived in).

5. Thanks for the tip on carving and re-wounding the scars. I am doing this with a J. Beech and it's working...and I believe in cut past too! It almost never fails that trees won't close wounds over rotting wood. Didn't know if there is a species-specific tip for the KH.

Sounds like you are heading in the right direction!! Good Luck!!
John

 

[johng]

Hi John,

I love what you're doing by combining the medium of the forums and youtube. Great Idea! I became a subscriber of your youtube channel when I saw one of posts on the IBC. Well done. This could be the new wave of critique and interaction on forums.........oh and the critique was very informative and well done.

Thanks Ryan, I did notice your subscription!!

John

 

[Attila Soos]

Outstanding critique, John! Great idea, using YouTube. Next time I post a tree for critique, I will definitely seek your opinion.

 

[mcpesq817]

Very nice tree - thank you for sharing.

Just out of curiosity, how tall is it?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Very nice tree - thank you for sharing.

Just out of curiosity, how tall is it?

Thanks! This one is 17" tall; the pot is 12" wide.

 

[bonsaimeister]

Brian,

Cool tree. Is it from Brussels?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

This one came from Bonsai West in December '07, among one of his last batches of Korean Hornbeam imports before the ban. Michael has a great selection of them on their website, and I'd trust buying from him again over the phone in a heartbeat.

Last time I was at Brussel's, he didn't have any in the Specimens house, but was growing a bunch in 2 and 5 gallon cans.

 

[cquinn]

This one came from Bonsai West in December '07, among one of his last batches of Korean Hornbeam imports before the ban. Michael has a great selection of them on their website, and I'd trust buying from him again over the phone in a heartbeat.

Last time I was at Brussel's, he didn't have any in the Specimens house, but was growing a bunch in 2 and 5 gallon cans.

Man, they aren't afraid to stick a price tag on one are they?! Better deals at www.thegrowinggrounds.com.

 

[fredtruck]

Super tree, Brian. Whatta trunk!

 

[Dano]

JohnG

John, I really enjoy learning from your youtube videos. They are top notch. Remember me in Spartanburg when cypress collecting rolls around. I have permission on a few places around Columbia

Dano

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Did a quick virt without the opposing lower branches, and I have to say the composition is boring...this may be a case where breaking the rules is the right call...

 

[rockm]

You asked about scars healing--KH take a very very long time to close big pruning wounds. Hornbeams, in general, take a long time to do that. It will take alot longer in a container.

I had an imported, collected KH I bought in 1990 from Chase Rosade that had a trunk chop scar that didn't close completely--ever. The tree passed on this year (nematodes) with a small 1/4" exposed space of bare wood at the base of the apex--the original wound was about two inches across.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

A little fall color starting to develop...



Not happy with the overall tree; the present front has bad scars from collection, and I'm working on developing a new apex on the back so it can become the front at some point. I picked up this old Yozan pot this year, which is shallower and wider than the present pot...might be just enough bigger to get that new apex growing too.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

About the peak for the fall color on this one.

 

[Brian Underwood]

Pretty Has anyone had success with grafting seedlings across large wounds like that? I have very similar ones on a Japanese maple that I was thinking about experimenting with.