my intro

[wireme]

Hi all, since I've started posting a bit here I thought I should post an introduction or actually a re-introduction to myself. Some of you might remember seeing posts I put on other forums in the past. I started posting about bonsai on the gardenweb forum some years ago under the name bulaste, I think a few times on bonsaitalk as well. Sometimes I put up some pics of stones over at IBC. Back in the day I used to post up a few collected trees, I was awaiting the day that some of those trees would be ready to style to post some updates, then my collection suffered a bit of a disaster and a major setback in the form of an extreme and unusual weather event. In those days I was quite complacent about winter protection, simply placing the pots on the ground and waiting for snow cover seemed to be working just fine, healthy happy trees the following spring no problem, easy, no worries.
All that changed a few years ago, a sudden and extreme early cold snap pretty much killed all the trees I had in pots that were getting close to first styling opportunities. I have never seen those temps at that time of year before ever. A week and a half of -30c (-20ish F?) in mid october, and suddenly too. Roots had not hardened off and to add insult we had a warming trend with high temps following. Rough year, rasberry canes all died, local nurseries had huge losses....

Prior to this I was beginning to collect some pretty nice trees, feeling pretty bad about being responsible for the loss of a couple great old yamadori I stepped back from collecting a bit, started to catalog the locations of the really nice collectible trees and started again with a small collection of more moderate quality material. So far survival rates have been have been great, new trees are looking good and healthy and confidence is up to move forward again. I now have a few partially styled trees, a couple or few that should be ready soon and some decent establishing raw material. I hope to have the time to take some pics and share with you all here soon.

I remain the only bonsai fanatic that I know in person, the only bonsai I have seen in person so far beyond my own was a very quick vistit to Japan Bonsai in Vanvouver. Aside from a few odd horticultural tricks picked up through life and work my greatest source of information and advice has been internet forums and blogs, many of you here have been a great help without even knowing it, so, thanks!

Looking forward to interacting with you all some more and especially finding some more Canadian nuts.

Cheers,

Monte

 

[wireme]

Here's some old pics from the bulaste days so that some of you might remember me. Modest material,roadside hemlock, but it had progressed a bit beyond these pics and I was happy with where it was going.

 

[Paulpash]

OMG - A huge cat - he towers over that tree in the background !!!

 

[october]

Welcome wireme. Sorry you lost those trees. It sucks when things like that happen. I think many people, if not everyone in bonsai, have had bad spells like that. Whether it was weather related, fungal diseases or pests.

Rob

 

[M. Frary]

Yep. I also lost almost everything once about 20 years ago. It really does suck. I have never seen anyone else's bonsai in person either. Only got internet 8 months ago too up here in my cave.

 

[amkhalid]

Hey Monte,

You are a great asset to this forum. While it is hard to see through your modesty, I know first hand that you have access to ridiculous quality yamadori out there in the Kootenays. I admire the respectful approach you have taken to collecting. I have killed some great yamadori, and it is like a slap in the face.

Can't wait to see what you share with us!

 

[wireme]

Thanks everyone. Aaron, kind words, thank you..and I'm glad you stopped by, knowing that you know your way around potentillas pretty well, I've been wanting to ask your advice about repotting times. These trees are crazy the way they start growing so quickly, like crocuses, the day the snows gone the buds open. This was still frozen into a shady overwintering sawdust bed until yesterday I was finally able to get it out and see the leaves already coming out. Because it moves so early I always wind up rushing the repotting and wind up doing something I regret later. Again this year I really want to re-pot it but am out of soil now and it'll take a couple days yet to get it together. What's your thoughts on timing for these guys?

BTW I know exactly where this trees look alike is growing and someday will go collect it for you.

 

[Tona]

Welcome back Monte! Lookinf forward to seeing the progression of these trees.
Tona

 

[JudyB]

I too am sorry to hear about your tree losses. Glad to see you here, and excited to see your posts.

 

[wireme]

Hey thanks, no need to be too sorry about the tree losses. It was early in my bonsai life so the collection was still small and for the most part roadside ditch trees that were none too impressive anyhow, still I had a vision for each and was bummed not to see them get there. I was lucky really to learn something about what can happen in my climate early on. Mostly I brought it up here partly as an explanation for why I vanished from the forums for a while and partly an excuse to still not have a tree all styled up to show you all. There were a couple pretty special yamadori lost it's true and the loss of them definitely slowed me down regarding collecting the real old quality stuff for a while. I can totally relate to the opinion held by some that these trees should be left where they are. Obviously I'm still collecting, factoring in the various circumstances of geography around me where and how I collect etc.I'm very happy doing so. If I felt I couldn't keep the trees alive though it would be a different story.

Here' a pic showing evidence of what I consider to be the best of the lost trees, then enough about poor dead trees and I'll show you a few survivors, they did not all perish.

 

[wireme]

O.K. here's a survivor. Incredibly, this is the first tree I ever collected back whenever it was I started this hobby. That gives it a special place in my heart and must be a testament to the durability of a doug fir. As a first tree of course it has had rough times, it once went through 3 full seasons without opening a bud or dropping a needle, just sat there unchanging. The spring following the freeze year I inpected the roots when it became obvious there was a problem with all the trees. The rootball looked like a block of styrofoam, not a root in sight just a mass of mycohorriza. It's been back in the grow bed ever since and just potted again now, finally, roots!
Looking forward to putting some wire on the branches finally, should be ready for a first ever real styling by next year. It's been a long time coming but I think I'll be happy with the result.

 

[wireme]

Another survivor, an RMJ going into yr 6 from collection, 3rd year in good soil with almost all the original soil removed. Growing strongly and certainly ready to be worked on this year.


mp