Hawthorn (Crataegus Monogyna) revisited 25.05.2015

This weekend I cleared out the tree a little bit. Too much buds in unwanted places, to much chaotic branchlets, branchlets and twigs in awkward places and positions. A little less chaos now, a little more space for the other 'good' parts of the tree. Yes, refining can start and it will be a little challenge in some places in the tree. It is flowering since last year, and some parts don't have enough new growth so I will have to make sure I prune correctly and at the right time to encourage growth in stead of short spiky twigs and flowering buds. Good feeding scheme will/shoud help too.

This tree is about 20 years old. I got it as no more than a trunk with twigs of no more than 1 year old, back in 2007. Certainly not the worst buy ever, for 45 EURO. In a few years it should start to look more refined. The top right part needs more growth, to broaden/widen that part of the canopy. That way it will look more natural, bushy, like a real hawthorn looks like.

 

Tiny Common Ash (fraxinus excelsior) prebonsai

Prebonsai, perhaps raw material suits this small Common Ash better. It is about 25cm (trunk).
Goal is about 30 tot 40cm, perhaps a more oval canopy, in a more naturalistic style.
As raw material, trained to be a proper prebonsai, strong growth is needed for several purposes, thickening of existing braches and trunk, gaining vigor and creating a healthy growing plant, produce enough energetic shoots, buds...to pick from and train in the future.

In 2 or 3 years, refining can start because in this small size I dont need a huge amount of branches to be able to start and form a canopy.

European Hornbeam, Carpinus Betulus revisited 23.05.2015

You can find more about this tree using the 'robot' search engine in the upper right section of my blog.

This is European Hornbeam, Carpinus Betulus. It was dug out from a +/- 18 tot 20 year old hedge, back in early march 2012. It spent that year in the ground in my brother's garden. In 2013 I put it in this big growing container. In 2014 I carved the trunk, without finishing it off. This will come later, when I finish the carving (in about 2 years maybe).

This prebonsai/raw material will spend this year and maybe next year in this big plastic container. After that, a flat and wide training pot. In maybe 5 years, I hope to get it in pot, but there's much work to be done in the future with the roots (corrections in the rootwork below the surface, and grafting at the nebari).

But, after only such a short period, one can allready see the possibilities at least. I love working with projects, even (if not mainly) with mediocre raw material. There is much joy bringing such material a step higher, you learn a lot (personally and horticulturally) when dealing with impossibilities, flaws, imperfections, setbacks.

Field Maple revisited 10.05.2015

I do post about this tree quite a lot each year...I love field maples, and this is selfdeveloped and partly self-grown material. The good temperates, quite a lot of sun, and the feeding scheme...makes this little Field Maple very happy. Still needs lots of ramification, but I focus on growth for at least another 1 or 2 seasons (see the big leaves and long leaf stems). I just pruned away some shoots, and cut back a little in the top 1 or 2 weeks ago, so its ready for more 'directed' growth now. Next (selective) pruning in a month or so.

boosted Little Rowan tree

Two weeks after bud burst, with good temperatures and a lot of sun, this is how the little Rowan tree looks. I gave it a good feeding of organic fertilizer with mycorrhizae added, and watered in twice up untill now with liquid organic fertilizer. Tiny tree but with lots of growing power.

Building ramification is not easy with a small Rowan, you need a lot of patience and you really need to be on top of things when it comes to pruning the strong shoots. If you dont prune strong enough and consequently, you'll quickly mess up the overall image of the tree. A little rowan like this would otherwise not produce as much buds as low on branches, like this one.

bonsai Hazel var. Webs Prize Cobb - update

This common Hazel, or Corylus Avellana, variety Webs Prize Cobb, I bought in 2010 at a local garden center. Unfortunately it did not do all that well in the growing departement the next years and last year it lost a big branch. So I condemned it to a quiet corner of my bonsai benches. I was about ready to let it go but today I decided to finally give it a go once more.
The front will be altered, so I pruned away some branches. No wiring now, branches are still young so except letting it grow I dont plan to do anything with it this year. Next year it will go in a bigger flat training pot for 2 or 3 years with heavy feeding. Then it should be ready to start building ramification on the main branches. It is quite a small size, about 30 to 40cm in height.

Malus prebonsai flowering

I promised a few bonsai friends to post a picture whenever my Malus (prebonsai) was flowering, so here goes. Obviously this tree (as most of mine) is a work-in-progress. Without work, no bonsai fun.