Smaller Yard Privet progression

[Hartinez]

Starting a thread on a privet I acquired from a friends yard last summer. Not the biggest in the world but still has a good size trunk. It sat in pure pumice through last summer fall and winter and I re potted this spring and let grow. It had a large dead protrusion straight out the top that needed carving, so after strong healthy growth through spring and early summer, I defoliated and got to work. I carved the stump and wired the branches. There are still several issues to work through, ie. Inverse taper in a few spots, heavy root base in only one side, a back branch that I’m not entirely sure about and wether I want to develop the branch on the left to be a second trunk as pictured with white lines.
Thoughts anyone?

 

[raydomz]

Looking really nice! The carving looks good and the beginning structure is great.
Personally I would lose the 2nd trunk idea. It will always be at odds with the much larger trunk and deadwood to right.
Why not fully embrace the deadwood and build around that? You could still keep the lower branches on the left build them, and the rear branch, out to come around the front.
Here's a crappy vert - tried to add a little shadow to show what portions of the canopy might cover lower parts, etc.

 

[jeanluc83]

It looks like you have a good start.

The main problem I have with the tree is the backwards lean. I should be coming towards you or at the very least be vertical.

I can see why you chose the front you did but I would try to mess around with the planting angle the next time you repot. In the mean time you could put some blocks under the back side to get an idea of what it would look like more upright.

 

[Mike Hennigan]

Really nice material! I like the subtrunk on the left, great design concept.

 

[Hartinez]

It looks like you have a good start.

The main problem I have with the tree is the backwards lean. I should be coming towards you or at the very least be vertical.

I can see why you chose the front you did but I would try to mess around with the planting angle the next time you repot. In the mean time you could put some blocks under the back side to get an idea of what it would look like more upright.

Completely agree. The whole tree needs a tilt. The difficulty is the nebari and its weakness on the side that needs to come up. I'll definitely be playing with it though come next spring.

 

[Hartinez]

Looking really nice! The carving looks good and the beginning structure is great.
Personally I would lose the 2nd trunk idea. It will always be at odds with the much larger trunk and deadwood to right.
Why not fully embrace the deadwood and build around that? You could still keep the lower branches on the left build them, and the rear branch, out to come around the front.
Here's a crappy vert - tried to add a little shadow to show what portions of the canopy might cover lower parts, etc.

Crude vert but effective and I appreciate it! I see what you mean and Im still not sold on the sub trunk. That branch was growing vertically and I was taking advantage of that. I would need a signifiant bend downward to make it convincing, which may not be possible or convincing with the current branch. I may even remove it at some point and hope to get buds at the base of the same branch that grow more horizontally. So far the tree has responded in that manner when branches are cut or removed.

 

[substratum]

This inspires me to dig up a big volunteer privet right up close to the house, that won't die no matter how severely I chop it, and irrespective of what I spray on it.

I look forward to seeing how this one progresses.

 

[Hartinez]

This inspires me to dig up a big volunteer privet right up close to the house, that won't die no matter how severely I chop it, and irrespective of what I spray on it.

I look forward to seeing how this one progresses.

They are incredibly resilient. This one was dug by my friend and sat in a trash bag for 8 hrs all dried up before i got my hands on it. bounced back almost immediately.

 

[PiñonJ]

Starting a thread on a privet I acquired from a friends yard last summer. Not the biggest in the world but still has a good size trunk. It sat in pure pumice through last summer fall and winter and I re potted this spring and let grow. It had a large dead protrusion straight out the top that needed carving, so after strong healthy growth through spring and early summer, I defoliated and got to work. I carved the stump and wired the branches. There are still several issues to work through, ie. Inverse taper in a few spots, heavy root base in only one side, a back branch that I’m not entirely sure about and wether I want to develop the branch on the left to be a second trunk as pictured with white lines.
Thoughts anyone?

I think a secondary apex would look good on this tree and would make sense with that big shari. I would try to keep a lot of negative space in the foliage, with well-defined pads

 

[Hartinez]

I think a secondary apex would look good on this tree and would make sense with that big shari. I would try to keep a lot of negative space in the foliage, with well-defined pads

I think so. And if I end up not liking it over time, I can chop the sub trunk above the first or second branch on the sub trunk as a new branch for the main trunk.

 

[Hartinez]

here it is just after digging it up and getting it into some pumice.

 

[Hartinez]

Quick update. Coming along nice I’d say. Can’t wait to see the progress next season.

 

[Hartinez]

Sep. 2018

 

[Shinjuku]

They are incredibly resilient. This one was dug by my friend and sat in a trash bag for 8 hrs all dried up before i got my hands on it. bounced back almost immediately.

I bet that you could have your dog drag a privet around the yard all afternoon, then accidentally run over the privet with a car, and then even accidentally water it with kerosene, and it would still live. Not saying I've done any of that...

Thanks for sharing this. I'm looking forward to see how it goes!

 

[SniffingKrylon]

Any update on this tree?

 

[Hartinez]

Any update on this tree?

Dead! I lost several trees this last winter. Much colder than usual and did not take the steps to winter trees as I have in the past.

 

[SniffingKrylon]

It looked interesting but I guess You win some, you lose some.