Pyracantha

BISTEK

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Found this nursery stock pyracanthain our place...looks like a good material for bonsai...any suggestions on styling this tree? And care as well.
 

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Hartinez

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I can see a trunk line there. Should make a good shohin. At this point in the season though I wouldn’t do any work to it, unless you have a good winter protection for it. I see your in Vegas though, so you may be ok to chop back heavy now. If it were mine I’d chop back to a single trunk line and regrow branches. Unless you feel like there are existing branches you like. Even then, I’d chop those back heavy as well. I would also, personally, not do any root work till next spring.

If I buy nursery stock late in the season I usually handle it this way. I count away a strip of the nursery container to expose the roots just below the surface. I plant the entire pot int the ground back filling with half bonsai substrate and some organic. It allows the roots to escape the cut away growing feeders at the top of the root ball. Come spring I’ll cut away everything below where roots escaped, setting you up for an easy repot. I did this exact thing with 3 pyracantha in July this summer. I removed every branch and everything that is green has regrown since July. 264645
264646
 

BrianBay9

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Pyracantha are tough as nails - considered invasives in many areas. You can propagate by air layer or cuttings. Find your trunk line and cut the rest. It will sprout limb options all over the place.
 

sorce

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d cut the rest. It

Bottom too?

I only ask because It seems the roots need some work too.

Which is why I came back here, because, though most of the time by "design" people mean branches, usually that already exist, but I figured fuck it, you do have to fix this base, since it's part of design.

So if you can chop it off...maybe do!

Or keep that top till it grows you a new set of even radial roots.

Sorce
 

BrianBay9

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Bottom too?

I only ask because It seems the roots need some work too.

Which is why I came back here, because, though most of the time by "design" people mean branches, usually that already exist, but I figured fuck it, you do have to fix this base, since it's part of design.

So if you can chop it off...maybe do!

Or keep that top till it grows you a new set of even radial roots.

Sorce

In my yard I'd do root work on pyracantha now too. These grow pretty much all year round here and we always have a growth spurt in Sept-Oct. But the OP is in Las Vegas and I'm not familiar with his climate.
 

Cadillactaste

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#14 post by Brian really helped me grasp a plan for my own pyracantha.
 

Silentrunning

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I can see a trunk line there. Should make a good shohin. At this point in the season though I wouldn’t do any work to it, unless you have a good winter protection for it. I see your in Vegas though, so you may be ok to chop back heavy now. If it were mine I’d chop back to a single trunk line and regrow branches. Unless you feel like there are existing branches you like. Even then, I’d chop those back heavy as well. I would also, personally, not do any root work till next spring.

If I buy nursery stock late in the season I usually handle it this way. I count away a strip of the nursery container to expose the roots just below the surface. I plant the entire pot int the ground back filling with half bonsai substrate and some organic. It allows the roots to escape the cut away growing feeders at the top of the root ball. Come spring I’ll cut away everything below where roots escaped, setting you up for an easy repot. I did this exact thing with 3 pyracantha in July this summer. I removed every branch and everything that is green has regrown since July. View attachment 264645

Thanks for sharing a great method. I will give this a try in the spring
 

Hartinez

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Whoa! Now I am completely confused. In your drawing you show the roots escaping the pot and growing out into the air. This seems totally contrary to “air pruning” of roots. I’m not trying to pick a fight here, I just need more info since your open pot method looks interesting.
It’s just cause it’s a poor drawing. 😂. The cutouts on the nursery pots are below soil level. ie. completely buried. The roots grow through the cuts into the ground. No air pruning at all. I only do this with nursery material that I buy a bit later in the season. That way the roots can develop, stay safe during winter, and are setup for when I lop the bottom half of the root ball off come spring.
 
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