My PBA workshop Yew

[gottrees]

Hello Everyone,
This is my first time posting a tree of mine on this forum. I look forward to your thoughts and feedback.

I participated in my first workshop last weekend at the PBA festival with Steve Tolley. It was a great experience that I've taken a lot from.

Below is the Yew that I've started to develop, sorry no before pictures. This viewing angle was partly decided because the the root on the right backside of the trunk is large (picture 3). Tilting the tree buries the root a little and also gave a better feel to the apex. It will take some time to work that root back some. It was also decided because I love deadwood and this angle would allow me to highlight it.

At this time I see two options in the future direction, 1) short and strong, and 2) longer and soft. I kinda lean toward short and strong. The only branches that I plan to keep are the first thick branch on the left (I will keep this short with the foliage pad very close to trunk to hide its thickness), the second branch on the right (primarily for the short and strong design), and the branch that continues the trunk as an apex.

What do you think of the progress so far? Do you have any thoughts or suggestions? Do you see any other directions?
Thanks

Ted


Front from afar

Close up

large root

deadwood

 

[cquinn]

If it were mine, I would fertilize, fertilize, and fertilize. Then next year check out all the new options. I wouldn't worry about styling yet. It's not to that point yet. I wouldn't try to hide anything either. Just make it right.

 

[Tachigi]

Hi Ted,
Here is my 2 cents...and your probably not going to want to hear it. This tree is not ready for any sort of styling yet. It looks, by the picture, borderline unhealthy. It should be covered in light green buds showing plenty of vigor at this time of year. The soil its in is basically clay and would account for why you don't have any buds. Not to put to fine a point on it. You and I live fairly close so your timing for bud pop is almost the same mine. This tree should be looking like the picture below, something I'm not seeing in your picture.

You should focus on the trees health for now ...styling it will not help the image nor its health. You need to build the tree over the next few years getting nice and strong to handle the rigors of what you may subject it to. Typically a collected piece of material is left alone for a minimum of a year...more times than not much longer. This piece, at best, has been out of the ground since October.

Most of the branching you'll need has yet to be grown so there is no real need for styling plans as of yet. So go slow if you want this piece to go the distance. For now feed it well....do not over water it, as the clay its in is very slow to dry. Next spring, early April, re-pot it in a fast draining soil mix and continue feeding the snot out of it. You should be rewarded with increased budding, and that budding will increase exponentially over the following years. This will allow you to force back budding and shorten the long distance on those barren branches.

I'm pretty sure this isn't what you wanted to hear.... sorry. It is the best advise I can give you based on what you have presented and my own experiences. Give it some time and you'll have a good piece of material in the not to distant future.

 

[gottrees]

Sorry if the way I wrote the post implied I was anxious to do more work on the tree. I agree to let it rest. I didn't plan on doing anything styling wise until the foliage starts to develop where I want it and most importantly the tree was healthier. I have started fertilizing it as well with Green Dream.
I am asking about others ideas for styling because I like to hear and play with ideas. I was also wondering about your thoughts on the deadwood?

Ted

 

[october]

This has some nice future potential,,,Also, I agree with Tachigi....and to further elaborate on where I believe he was going... I think that all the thin, young branches, are going to end up being your main branches and all the thick ones will be eliminated or jinned. Also, in my opinion, I would not do any more shari work on this tree..I would leave the tree with it's full capacity (cambium wise) to grow as much as possible.

Some things you could contemplate are picking out what could be the main branches...not doing any cutting, but just contemplating which branches you will be keeping...Also, branches that you think yo uare keeping and you want to thicken, should probably be left untouched and allowed to grow freely.

I hope this was helpful.

Rob

 

[gottrees]

This has some nice future potential,,,Also, I agree with Tachigi....and to further elaborate on where I believe he was going... I think that all the thin, young branches, are going to end up being your main branches and all the thick ones will be eliminated or jinned. Also, in my opinion, I would not do any more shari work on this tree..I would leave the tree with it's full capacity (cambium wise) to grow as much as possible.

Some things you could contemplate are picking out what could be the main branches...not doing any cutting, but just contemplating which branches you will be keeping...Also, branches that you think yo uare keeping and you want to thicken, should probably be left untouched and allowed to grow freely.

I hope this was helpful.

Rob

Thanks Rob. This will take some years of work but I am happy with what I see thus far.
During the workshop I did quite a bit of work on the shari and jins. I don't plan on doing anything more with this tree except keeping it healthy. I am waiting for the cambium to heal and I am hoping the vein that maneuvers though the deadwood survives.

My one concern about eventually cutting the thick branch on the left side is that I will lose the vein that helps frame my shari on the left side (pic 3). I had initially thought about cutting that but Steve mentioned that I would lose that vein.

Ted

 

[Tachigi]

Ted, That branch is got to go or be modified severely. The living vein is really a secondary issue when you loose the image with a branch nearly the size of the trunk. It would be all out of proportion with that branch remaining. You may want to try and induce back budding near the collar if you want that vein to survive.

You could try a semi girdle for fast results or it is possible that it may happen naturally. As mentioned above the most important thing is to get it healthy first before trying anything or the rest is a mute point

 

[gottrees]

That was my concern as well. If I can develop something else, that would be preferable. What is a semi-girdle?

Ted