Willow oak#4

[Jay Wilson]

Rick ask in another thread about the ground layer on this willow oak (Quercus phellos).
I did post before and after pics in the "show me what you got" thread.

Here is a progression series:
Still in the ground Feb. 2004.
Roots after digging.
In a pot.

I seem to have misplaced my 2005 pictures, so the next pics are from 2006.

May 2006:
The center trunk had died so I was training the two limbs that were left.
They looked strange on top of the straight, no taper trunk, so I decided to try a ground layer. I cut into the cambium, used some hormone, packed the area with some soil mixed with plenty of fresh spagnum. I added a section of pond basket to help hold the soil in.

I continued to train the top while the layer was working.
When I checked the layer in spring of 2008, all I found was a bunch of corky calus with no roots.
I just cut the calus back and recovered the area. Sorry, no pics.....I was so disapointed I didn't take any.

 

[Jay Wilson]

Here we are to Feb. 2009.

I unpotted, found lots of nice roots, cut the old trunk right below the new roots and potted it up in a training pot.
Last pic is how it looks this week. I mounded some soil/spagnum on top of the new roots to help keep them moist until it's established in the pot.

I won't do much top work this year.... unless the tree shows exceptional vigor.

Still very much a work in progress. Any suggestion are welcome

Just more bonsai fun!