Potentilla stump

[Hans Vleugels]

Last year I acquired this stump of a friend in bonsai. It's a Potentilla fruticosa, which was found in a flowerbed near a parking. It's standing in a little plastic bucket for now, and I started cleaning it up a bit. It was pruned back a lot last year, so I was happy to see some new growth appearing. At the base there are some spots which are rotting, so I am going have to deal with that.

It's about 21 cm high, and the trunk measures 10 cm broad.

I made some pictures of it, so you all get a good idea about this plant. Please let me know what you think about it, and how you would work on this tree. All comments and remarks are welcome..

Regards,
Hans

 

[Hans Vleugels]

And 4 more pictures..

Regards,
Hans

 

[grog]

Uber noober here so take this with a grain of salt.

The deadwood makes me think it's wishing it were a juniper. A couple different views look much better than the others (I like 1909) but with all the carving I'd imagine you'll be doing to it you can probably change that however you wish.

If that's all the new growth that it's pushed this year I wonder if it'd be safer to wait till next year to do any more work on it. As slow as potentilla usually grows I'd think that's got to one old stump. From what I've read (no personal experience) you'll have your hands full preserving the deadwood but I'd imagine some type of sealant would do the job.

Good luck with it, I'd like to see the contrast of that gnarly trunk with some blooms on it!

 

[Anonymous User]

I see a lot of potentilla with deadwood appearances, but the live wood takes on that appearance as well, the trunks can be twisted and crazy, a good reason to work with them.

I have also found that when they start pushing growth they do so heavily requiring constant pinching, they wire poorly in my experience so the pinching also helps shape the tree.

I like this trunk Hans, it is a good base to build on.

Below is an example of a potentilla trunk going nuts, all the wood is live wood. I bought this last June for $4.95 and cut it back hard, you can see the growth since then.


Will

 

[irene_b]

Hans, I love it. The color jumps out.
Mom

 

[irene_b]

I see a lot of potentilla with deadwood appearances, but the live wood takes on that appearance as well, the trunks can be twisted and crazy, a good reason to work with them.

I have also found that when they start pushing growth they do so heavily requiring constant pinching, they wire poorly in my experience so the pinching also helps shape the tree.

I like this trunk Hans, it is a good base to build on.

Below is an example of a potentilla trunk going nuts, all the wood is live wood. I bought this last June for $4.95 and cut it back hard, you can see the growth since then.
Will




Will, where are you taking this one?
Got a virt of what you see for the future?
I adore the color of this wood and see the Wow factor in it.
Mom

 

[Anonymous User]

Will, where are you taking this one?

I don't know yet. I cut it back hard to encourage back budding and reduce the height, maybe the tree will speak to me soon....maybe I'll post a few pics in another thread to get advice, but I don't want to sway from the tree Hans has posted here...what a nice thick trunk, hard to find here on this species.



Will

 

[Hans Vleugels]

Next month, when I am on leave, I will deal with the rotting wood. I plan to use liquid vaseline to treat the deadwood parts. Liquid vaseline over jin-fluid because it goes deeper in the deadwood, and preserves better... At least, that's what I heared about it...

Anybody with experience using liquid vaseline? I will update this thread after the treatment.

Kind regards,
Hans

 

[Chris Johnston]

Unless vaseline means something else in Belgium, it is a petroleum product (Vaseline TM brand petroleum jelly). I'd be very careful with some definite evidence that someone with a great deal of experience had used it successfully in the long term.