Nuccio's Wild Cherry progression

Maiden69

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Went to look at the trees today and this one gave me a flower...

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Glaucus

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What is the white stuff? It looks perfectly healthy, otherwise. Was it sprayed with something and this is residue from when it dried up?
The shoots on top also look like they went out of dormancy? Is winter over for you already there in Texas?

Nice colour. We had the warmest autumn on record, but even my Encore azaleas didn't bloom. And now it's gonna go become freezing soon, so winter is coming.
 

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What is the white stuff? It looks perfectly healthy, otherwise. Was it sprayed with something and this is residue from when it dried up?
The shoots on top also look like they went out of dormancy? Is winter over for you already there in Texas?

Nice colour. We had the warmest autumn on record, but even my Encore azaleas didn't bloom. And now it's gonna go become freezing soon, so winter is coming.
I was wondering the same thing about the white coating on the leaves.
 

Maiden69

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I think it is water spots... I have a mini sprinkler close to it and once in a while, the wind blows a mist over it. I'll check later today when I get back home.
 

Maiden69

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Here is the culprit... I added the sprinkler in the middle of summer as it was getting very hot and dry. I gave it a hard spray with my Joshua Roth and removed the coco coir mat as it is not getting any hotter for the rest of the year. Looks better now. My TDS is ~220-235ppm, not the hardest in the area, but not the best either.

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Maiden69

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I cut this one back 2 weeks ago, I think I should have cut harder... I'm getting some back budding inside which is good, choices to cut back next year. I am waiting for some of the branches to lignify a little more to wire them down as they were very green when I did the cut and wiring.

First week of April

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First week of May

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Here it is next to the other two Encore azaleas I have.

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Glaucus

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Are you trying to get more ramification? Or buds on the branches closer in to the trunk? Anyway, keeping the tree growing while you actually put the base of the branch in place is the first step.
 

Maiden69

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Are you trying to get more ramification? Or buds on the branches closer in to the trunk? Anyway, keeping the tree growing while you actually put the base of the branch in place is the first step.
Right now a little bit of both, I wanted a little more size, so I may move it into a slightly bigger and deeper pot next year. for now, I want to get more ramification closer to the trunk to start cutting the longer branching back to. I just looked John's video from this post by @Cofga so I may be working on something similar on this one next year, but may apply it to the one encore I still need to work on this year that I haven't posted about yet.
 

Maiden69

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Filling up, don't know if I should start trimming back the rest of the long branches and wire into place the new growth.

@Deep Sea Diver @Pitoon

About a month ago

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Today

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Deep Sea Diver

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Which branches are you considering pruning?

The ones not wired?

If so, one could likely take these down to the innermost strong growth. If the branches are say less then 25-30% of the trunk once could take these down to concave with the trunk.

Cut paste all cuts please.

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Maiden69

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Yes, I tried wiring some when I did the cutback last month and the branches are very brittle. So my idea was to cut back hard, then wore the new growth where I need it. If I have to wait till next year, then no worries. I will work with what I have now. I even thought about cutting the lower already wored branches, to bring the foliage tigther into the tree.

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Deep Sea Diver

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Sorry I’m in the airport in TN and can’t really make out your photos so well…

Not a fan of real hard cut backs, but if the trees have cartwheels, cut these back now to two branches (one up, one sideways) or even just one as the sap lines will still be intact. Just try to leave green on each.

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@Maiden69 your pruning will depend on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are satisfied with the current structure, then I would prune the inner growth. If you need to add more movement, you can cut back to strategic shoots and wire those in place. Same if you want to compact your tree. You can add some really good bends on those young shoots using 1mm aluminum wire. When you wire those shoots, wire them loosely and keep tails so as the shoot grows you can continue to wire it and with it being loose it won't cut in.

Here's a recent azalea 'flower tower' I wired up. I'm in the process of setting the structure. As soon as I see the wires starting to bite, I'll remove all the wires and then re-wire again and repeat the process until the branches are set. Once the branches are set, I'll cut back hard to initiate a flush. I would estimate 4-5yrs for this tower to fill in. I'll repot it once it completely fills in. In the meantime it'll stay in this nursery pot. I wouldn't worry about sealing the cuts you do on shoots, but anything larger than young shoots I would definitely seal.

This cultivar is 'Keisetsu'. It's about 3ft tall.
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Glaucus

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Filling up, don't know if I should start trimming back the rest of the long branches and wire into place the new growth.

@Deep Sea Diver @Pitoon



Today

View attachment 493149

I think your branches reach out too far already and that the ramification is not compact enough.

Commenting just on this picture, you have a potential foliage pad set up by this branch, nicely wired up, and it has a good Y-shape. However, it extends too far out before it branches out again.
And then you have these two very new shoots growing at the beginning of the Y, going straight up. Those two shoots have no role to serve in a future fanned out rule of 2 ramified branch shelf/foliage pad.

I think long term you want to prune back those two branches hard at about the point where you want it two branch out again with two new Ys. So that would basically just be before it leaves the picture.
So I would let it grow this season, maybe also all of next season. And then spring 2025 prune it back hard to the base of where your foliage shelf will start. Then two months later, you select out the buds you need for your foliage shelf, probably pruning those back already too. Then somewhere in 2026, you can wire those in place.
 

Deep Sea Diver

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Yes, I tried wiring some when I did the cutback last month and the branches are very brittle. So my idea was to cut back hard, then wore the new growth where I need it. If I have to wait till next year, then no worries. I will work with what I have now. I even thought about cutting the lower already wored branches, to bring the foliage tigther into the tree.

From what I can see, the key at this point is to prune to simplify the structure. Push back to green on the remaining growth wherever needed…. cut back the tips to two leaves to stop the growth on the rest of the tree.

Nuccios Wild Cherry tends to get leggy if one lets it. There’s one in our backyard I ground grew and rootwashed in April that is gonna need a couple years of careful pruning to push back the growth.


Here's a recent azalea 'flower tower' I wired up. I'm in the process of setting the structure. As soon as I see the wires starting to bite, I'll remove all the wires and then re-wire again and repeat the process until the branches are set. Once the branches are set, I'll cut back hard to initiate a flush. I would estimate 4-5yrs for this tower to fill in. I'll repot it once it completely fills in. In the meantime it'll stay in this nursery pot. I wouldn't worry about sealing the cuts you do on shoots, but anything larger than young shoots I would definitely seal.

This cultivar is 'Keisetsu'. It's about 3ft tall.

Nice tree @Pitoon! One might consider a couple ideas for this tree.

- The longish branches up top will likely be out of proportion with the trunk over time. Considering this one might just let the tree run out all the growth possible to get new branches that will be more in proportion and we’ll placed… just a thought.

- Especially encourage very low lower branches to fatten the trunk.

- Speaking of the trunk. It seems it’s still possible to get more movement in this trunk. This will take a bit of set up, and heavier wire… but just a thought. Not all radical bends like those shown below, but to add a bit more interest. (Note parafilm used to seal ‘snicks’ is very effective.)

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Often this action will spur growth on the trunk.

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Just a couple thoughts.

cheers
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Maiden69

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From what I can see, the key at this point is to prune to simplify the structure. Push back to green on the remaining growth wherever needed…. cut back the tips to two leaves to stop the growth on the rest of the tree.
Will work on this.

Nuccios Wild Cherry tends to get leggy if one lets it. There’s one in our backyard I ground grew and rootwashed in April that is gonna need a couple years of careful pruning to push back the growth.
How does it grow in the ground. It is painfully slow in the pot when compared with the Encore I have in the same situation. Thinking about moving it out of the pot and into the grow bed.
 

Deep Sea Diver

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Will work on this.


How does it grow in the ground. It is painfully slow in the pot when compared with the Encore I have in the same situation. Thinking about moving it out of the pot and into the grow bed.
As always, azaleas grow faster in the ground... just like trees… give pn no rabbits, bugs and such.

Remember a nursery azalea needs to undergo a large process of reduction, followed by years of establishing itself. There are some deviations, but….

Usually the first year in the pot they push slowly compared to following years. By year three, if treated correctly, azaleas in a pot usually have accumulated enough energy to show strong growth…. compared to similar cultivars… and azlaeas wildly vary in growth habits!

. Nuccios Wild Cherriy in ground are rated at 3-3.5 ft in 10 years. An average Encore, which are rhododendron crosses, like Autumn Twist is rated at almost double that of the Nuccios Wild Cherry in 10 years…Sorta like comparing a Nikko to a Minato azalea growth in ground.

People often get a number of azaleas to bonsai, this gives one something to work on and learn with. The thing about bonsai is that unless one has a 3-4 trees of a kind it takes a long time to gain practical experience with a particular type of tree. …. This is also why we have a number of azaleas, maples and various pines. It shortens ones learning curve immeasurably, given that good mentors and resources are at hand. ( Perhaps…One reason BonsaiNut could be valuable, used correctly.😉)

Keep the faith.
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