Apr 5 2011

Chinese Elm Progression

Here’s a link to a set of progression photos on the IBC forum. Well worth a look to see what was achieved over 6 years with this tree. I constantly try and talk club members into removing heavy mis-shaped branches and roots from large imported Elms. This chap took the bull by the horns and did it all.

Chinese Elm Progression

By way of credit, this is the guy’s website. It’s in Spanish but Google Translate takes care of that. Check out his Pyracantha if you get a chance. Click on the logo to visit.

Apr 5 2011

What the Hell is it??!!

Just for Mike, I thought I would add another one for the day 🙂 🙂

I was asked to trim a bonsai for a guy about 16 years ago and I took cuttings. I have no idea what it was. It was known as a Chinese Hackberry but I have yet to see a picture of one remotely similar to it. I planted a few of them in open ground for 8 years and they thrived. Now that I’ve a few of them in training at last, I’m hoping to figure out what they are.

The wood is hard and even a small tree feels heavy!! The bark is a dark grey and the cambium layer is very thin, similar to a beech. The leaves are ovate and have a slight silver furry feel to the back of them. It’s very prone to throwing up suckers from the base. Here’s a few photos of new growth today. The tree isn’t great and I have a better one, but it’s not open yet.

Any Ideas???

Apr 5 2011

Hawthorn Muncher!!

I lifted a few hawthorn out of the Poly Tunnel today to check them over. They had been repotted this year and tucked away out of reach. I was very pleased with the new growth. Both had basic branch selection and wiring last year. I removed the tips of the elongated growth before it thickens. I did this last year on a small one at this time of year and the amount of ramification that resulted was fantastic.

I lifted the next one in and was amazed by the back budding on the trunk.

I set about doing the same process as with the first one and noticed one branch that looked weak. No buds had opened and I just assumes that it had been knocked and a crack had dried out causing it to suffer and die. On closer inspection I realised that I had a visitor! Little fecker was helping himself to the nice new tasty leaves.

A catapillar of some description. If it helps you identify it, when you squish it, it’s green on the inside 🙂

The tree after removing all the unwanted shoots.

Apr 5 2011

A few of the little people

Not Leprechauns, a few Mame I having knocking around. The first one is my son’s little Cotoneaster.

Next up is a root over rock Cotoneaster recently repotted into a shallower and longer pot.

A garden centre juniper. It’s been a bit weak over the last 12 months so I’ve repotted it into a slightly larger pot to get some vigour back and it’s worked already.

This is a Chinese Elm yet to be styled. Bought for a fiver in a reject pile, I cut the top 10 inches off and am going to work with the new growth at the bottom.