Stump update
So there is some new growth on this tree/stump
as of late which is encouraging enough to add an update I guess.
These are the steps I took to get it this far in case anyone is interested:
- The day after I found it I washed off the "roots" and cut off any large old roots. I took a handsaw and scarred up the root area and applied a generous amount of rooting hormone
- Next, I packed the root area with wet sphagnum moss and added more hormone
- I wrapped all that up with a black garbage bag and wound it tightly with electrical tape. I left no holes in this bag at all
- The stump was placed into that sweet blue bonsai pot and filled with DE (oil dry)
- The first couple of weeks it froze pretty good here. About -20 C for a few days and the stump sat outside under a blanket. Once it started to warm up I put it into midday sun for the period from about May to mid June. Now that I have a place for my trees it sits in morning and late afternoon sun.
- It was misted at least twice per day and now four times as my sprinklers are timed to mist it. Today I cut the top of the bag open so I could give it its first weak dose of fertilizer as I see some new green poking out in the last pic.
- Overall it has lost about 1/2 of the needles that it started with in March. They just turn brown and I eventually pull them off. I have been careful not to take any off with any green left on them. The bud sizes range from about 1/2" to 2-1/2" in length right now.
Not out of the woods but at least there is still some life left in it. Time will tell.
DSCN0041 by
tylerwarawa, on Flickr
DSCN0042 by
tylerwarawa, on Flickr
DSCN0043 by
tylerwarawa, on Flickr
DSCN0044 by
tylerwarawa, on Flickr