MissRomsMami “this is not a contest” tree(s) entry

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There are 2 Korean Hornbeam's.
Carpinus Turczaninowii and Carpinus Koreana.
I have 2 Turczaninowii's and one Carpinus Japonica (Japanese).
They are cool trees, I love how the new leaves look coming out..
For sure! And I love the branch structure, I love how they have an innate movement to them already.
 

just.wing.it

Deadwood Head
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My phone is not letting me download and post this for some reason...
But if you Google "Hornbeam Care Sheet", the first thing that pops up is from bonsaitoolchest, and it's a good little read I think.
It only mentions the 2 Korean ones, and the American one.
 
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My phone is not letting me download and post this for some reason...
But if you Google "Hornbeam Care Sheet", the first thing that pops up is from bonsaitoolchest, and it's a good little read I think.
It only mentions the 2 Korean ones, and the American one.
Thanks! I’ve seen other care sheets like this one and always wondered where they came from!
 
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Phew! This was tough. There were spiders. Spiders are my boogeyman. I probably would have gotten deeper in... but there were more spiders.

So this is what it was before..

9B9F8C79-669B-400D-BF2C-10B3C41A8D6D.jpeg

And then after...

2AB6F5B6-5CE9-4F8A-94E5-EE957B4B1280.jpegC66087A8-148F-450B-A13D-F4EDBDE6EF26.jpeg359E87F4-A195-4F9F-AB37-9B5CBC20A789.jpegBE48D1E7-CADE-498B-9BAA-D389624BD032.jpeg8912270A-2614-4E9C-B92D-64E8F1C8C7D1.jpeg

The most glaring thing is this huge stump.... I don’t know what to do with it, cut it out or try to make some kind of deadwood feature? Can you do that on a hornbeam? Hmm...

68CADF9A-A8E2-4751-A4B4-E21AD1EAA7BD.jpeg0AFA749B-4A46-4981-90F3-C253BA7CACE6.jpeg68CADF9A-A8E2-4751-A4B4-E21AD1EAA7BD.jpeg

What do you guys think? Any advice on branches to keep or wire?
 

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just.wing.it

Deadwood Head
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Dead wood feature on the boxwood has certainly been done...

Dead wood on Hornbeam, maybe a little more unorthodox, but I'm sure they are out there.... definitely hollowed out parts!
 
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No, you called it your Hornbeam.
Lol!
I like the boxwood!
Ha! Crap I didn’t even realize!
At first what I thought to be ugly might just turn out to be interesting. Although I don’t like deadwood, it might be nice... I just don’t associate deadwood with deciduous/evergreens. Time to google.
 

just.wing.it

Deadwood Head
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Ha! Crap I didn’t even realize!
At first what I thought to be ugly might just turn out to be interesting. Although I don’t like deadwood, it might be nice... I just don’t associate deadwood with deciduous/evergreens. Time to google.
Most people would not like to see dead wood on deciduous, including me...
@rockm just posted a very cool boxwood a few days ago, with dead wood.... different that yours, but still...
I'll try to find it, if he doesn't chime in.
 

Tycoss

Chumono
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I have some boxwood, and think deadwood is pretty appropriate on them. Their wood is so dense it sinks, and doesn't rot really quickly. They remind me of miniature oak or olive, both of which often have deadwood or hollows in nature. You might also want to know, by us branches are very rigid and hard to wire when older. Clip and grow and wiring fresh growth works well.
 
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I have some boxwood, and think deadwood is pretty appropriate on them. Their wood is so dense it sinks, and doesn't rot really quickly. They remind me of miniature oak or olive, both of which often have deadwood or hollows in nature. You might also want to know, by us branches are very rigid and hard to wire when older. Clip and grow and wiring fresh growth works well.

Ya I’ve realized they’re quite rigid. If you look at the 2nd picture I posted, 2nd one of the “after” pruned photo, you’ll see a closer look at the trunk and the branch on the left side. There’s a yellow leaf that looks almost like a perfect dot. That branch I definitely want to lower and it’s definitely too hard to wire- would guy wires work or some kind of weight? Neither I’ve done before...
 

Tycoss

Chumono
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IMG_5230.jpgHere is one of my boxwood. Instead if beautiful in the traditional sense it is intended to look ominous and creepy. Not everyone's cup of tea. You can see the deadwood, carved three years before the photo, has held up rather well.
The bending of the branches was done with guy wires. This was an attempt to compensate for ugly nebari and horrible inverse taper, which your tree doesn't have, but shows that deadwood and guy wires can work with the genus.
 

River's Edge

Masterpiece
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Ya I’ve realized they’re quite rigid. If you look at the 2nd picture I posted, 2nd one of the “after” pruned photo, you’ll see a closer look at the trunk and the branch on the left side. There’s a yellow leaf that looks almost like a perfect dot. That branch I definitely want to lower and it’s definitely too hard to wire- would guy wires work or some kind of weight? Neither I’ve done before...
I have used the following process to bend boxwood branches. I wire the branch a bit looser than normal. This allows me to affix a guy wire in the appropriate spot to hold the branch in the position when attached to trunk or brace. Then i tighten the wire over stages to affect the bend. This is an adaptation of process use for difficult trunk bends. Often it means changing the wire several times, and or using a small turnbuckle that allows for slow adjustment over time. At the same time i make sure that the site of the bend is supported to prevent stress transfer to other parts of the branch structure. Note: very easy to break a branch, go very slowly and only if a bend is really important to the style. As in a situation where without the bend the branch would not be useable.
The second method is easier for small branches. It is a small branch bending tool that exerts pressure in one point. Easily obtained in various sizes. I use a bit of additional rubber padding in front of the contact point. Picture attached for reference. Second picture is a small boxwood that i have bent most of the branches on over time.
 

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View attachment 188298Here is one of my boxwood. Instead if beautiful in the traditional sense it is intended to look ominous and creepy. Not everyone's cup of tea. You can see the deadwood, carved three years before the photo, has held up rather well.
The bending of the branches was done with guy wires. This was an attempt to compensate for ugly nebari and horrible inverse taper, which your tree doesn't have, but shows that deadwood and guy wires can work with the genus.
I love it, especially how much character the deadwood has. Really nice.
 
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Cut it below the long straight section, and choose a branch to become the new leader.
I agree. Looking back at it, even if I cut back, I feel like I would have to pot it up at a slant, towards the right, just so it doesn’t seem to go perfectly straight after the nice curve and flare below it.
 
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I have used the following process to bend boxwood branches. I wire the branch a bit looser than normal. This allows me to affix a guy wire in the appropriate spot to hold the branch in the position when attached to trunk or brace. Then i tighten the wire over stages to affect the bend. This is an adaptation of process use for difficult trunk bends. Often it means changing the wire several times, and or using a small turnbuckle that allows for slow adjustment over time. At the same time i make sure that the site of the bend is supported to prevent stress transfer to other parts of the branch structure. Note: very easy to break a branch, go very slowly and only if a bend is really important to the style. As in a situation where without the bend the branch would not be useable.
The second method is easier for small branches. It is a small branch bending tool that exerts pressure in one point. Easily obtained in various sizes. I use a bit of additional rubber padding in front of the contact point. Picture attached for reference. Second picture is a small boxwood that i have bent most of the branches on over time.
I really Iike the one in the 2nd photo, it’s exactly how I would like that left branch to be angled at. Do you think it’s possible I can achieve that amount of bend out of my branch? It’s almost a whole 90 degree bend...
 
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