Sean’s Umes

[SeanS]

Looks like vegetative buds are present in most of those shoots. The trouble with Ume is that they don’t always reliably open.
View attachment 598243

Thanks @Brian Van Fleet, I guess I’m now seeing what I’ve seen documented online (including on your blog) regarding branches getting longer as the tree progress due to growth only occurring on the tips of branches. I’ll report back in spring.
We’re having a really weird autumn, as you can see my umes want to flower but are still losing their leaves

 

[River's Edge]

Question for the experienced Ume growers
@Brian Van Fleet @Canada Bonsai @River's Edge @Pitoon

Is my understanding correct that a branch with only flower buds present will not form a vegetative bud/shoot at all if there isn’t a vegetative bud present at time of flowering?
There are a number of branches on my umes that have masses of flower buds forming but no other buds present.

View attachment 598223View attachment 598224View attachment 598225

Here’s an example where there is a big central bud (which I understand is a vegetative bud) and then a smaller bud alongside it (which I believe is a flower bud)

View attachment 598226

Please be aware that vegetative buds can and often form beneath to the side of floral buds even after the flower bud opens. When the flower drops they often begin to become apparent. At least that is my experience. I have seen this happen after frost has affected the early bloom.
They are also known to be unreliable for opening as mentioned by Brian. I think this underscores the importance of apical pruning and partial defoliation to create side branching on a regular basis for more reliable development.

 

[SeanS]

Thank you @River's Edge, appreciate your insights. I’ve had very good ramification building progress over the past 2 seasons with these plants using partial defoliation. I’ll share some updates once the trees are leafless. This is the first season they’d produced many flower buds though so hadn't had any bud confusion until now.

@Dav4 I see you Apologies for leaving you out of my initial “experienced Ume growers” list

 

[Dav4]

Thank you @River's Edge, appreciate your insights. I’ve had very good ramification building progress over the past 2 seasons with these plants using partial defoliation. I’ll share some updates once the trees are leafless. This is the first season they’d produced many flower buds though so hadn't had any bud confusion until now.

@Dav4 I see you Apologies for leaving you out of my initial “experienced Ume growers” list

No worries, Sean. You definitely tagged the right people above .

 

[SeanS]

 

[snowman04]

Beautiful!!!

 

[SeanS]

Chunky Ume has started swelling buds so I worked on it yesterday. 3 seasons from nursery stock. This was my first Ume, as documented earlier in this thread.



June 2022

 

[Trueblackpercula]

Let me start off by saying you have some amazing trees so happy for you. Your thread is very inspiring. It’s funny because in the first video it shows that bending the branches until the snap would be unthinkable but yet very affective. Three weeks ago when shaping my little tree I accidentally went too far on one branch and it cracked. I was so mad at myself but in stead of cutting it I decided to leave it. Well to my surprise it’s is now almost fully healed in a short time. Next season in July I will attempt a lot more branches with this method.
Thank you so much and hope and wish you all the best with your Mume trees.
Michael

 

[SeanS]

Let me start off by saying you have some amazing trees so happy for you. Your thread is very inspiring. It’s funny because in the first video it shows that bending the branches until the snap would be unthinkable but yet very affective. Three weeks ago when shaping my little tree I accidentally went too far on one branch and it cracked. I was so mad at myself but in stead of cutting it I decided to leave it. Well to my surprise it’s is now almost fully healed in a short time. Next season in July I will attempt a lot more branches with this method.
Thank you so much and hope and wish you all the best with your Mume trees.
Michael
View attachment 608985View attachment 608986

You are far too kind! I don’t see them as being amazing just yet but I have some high hopes!
Yes snapping branches seems so crazy, but once you break a few by mistake and watch as they not only survive but continue to grow is even crazier! I still haven’t purposefully snapped any right through but do on occasion “crease” them to get 90° bends. It’s a real Ume super power